Hawthorne | Forget Season Fads! These are the 6 Items You MUST Have in Your Wardrobe

Stocking a range of unique pieces from Australian designers, Little Red Dress is the Hawthorne favourite boutique when it comes to finding the perfect piece.

Amongst garments from Zimmermann, Bec & Bridge and Shona Joy, Little Red Dress stocks designs from Australian favourites, as well as collections from up-and coming designers.

Owner of the boutique, Helena Clausen, has a passion for fashion and knows just how to put together the perfect outfit and how to build the ultimate wardrobe.

“The staple pieces in our wardrobes need to have the ability to be dressed up and down and be worn in a range of combinations” says Helena.

So what are these staple pieces? We browsed the store while Helena picked out the items that we MUST all have if our wardrobe.

1- A versatile timeless jacket

Well-fitting jackets are an absolute wardrobe staple.

They can be worn over any type of outfit, for any occasion, all throughout the year (even on cooler summer nights).

Take a denim jacket for example – you can wear it as a layering piece over a knit in winter or throw it over a summer dress in the warmer months. It’s also a great piece when you want to ‘dress down’ some dressier pieces.

A fitted style leather jacket is an investment piece. It can be worn casually with a pair of jeans, or paired with dressier pieces for a more polished look.

A blazer is the ultimate jacket that can take you from the office to after work drinks. My pick would be a well-fitted double breasted piece.

2- Good leather pieces

Not only is leather a versatile material that can easily be taken from casual to dressy, but it’s also a natural, breathable material.

Leather will never go out of fashion and if you purchase a good quality piece it will last you a long time.

We have a stunning leather skirt in store at the moment that we’re in love with. A leather skirt can be taken from conservative, with a pair of heels and a high neck blouse, to casual with a tee and sneakers.

My favourite leather colour for the season is a very dark olive called ‘grove’.

3- A pair of ankle boots

Ankle boots are the ultimate shoe that you can wear all year round!

In winter they’re an obvious choice with a pair of jeans (or anything really) and in Spring/Summer they look great paired with a flared mini dress, or you can chuck them on with a pair of denim cut-off’s and a basic tee.

4- Have a solid collection of ‘basics’

Layering in our climate is key and the best bottom layer is a soft, comfortable basic.

Every wardrobe must have a collection of various singlet tops, t-shirts and long sleeve shirts that can be pulled out at any time, on any day.

A basic cami is a great item to have in your wardrobe. They wear well underneath a jacket, or on a hot Summer's day.

5- Well-fitting jeans

Comfortable, flattering jeans are an ultimate must have!

They can be worn as the perfect casual outfit paired with a basic tee, or dress them up with a pair of heels and a nice blouse.

One of our denim labels, James Jeans, have the most comfortable product I’ve ever worn.

Not only are they comfy, but they fit well and they’re a flattering mid-rise.

6- “ Go-with-everything” accessories

Another must-have to finish off any outfit would be a lightweight scarf.

We are in love with scarves by ‘Bird & Knoll’ which have the most beautiful colour combinations that can be worn in lots of different ways.

Wear them as a neck piece in Winter, a shrug over a cami in Spring, and a sarong in Summer.

Good quality leather bags in different sizes that can be brought out from day to night are another great investment.

‘Sancia’ is our brand of choice that offers not only quality, but plenty of classic timeless styles.

What are some of your favourite brands this season?

One of my favourite brands this season is a label called ‘Once Was’, which is a relatively young, and up and coming brand from Melbourne.

Everything that came out of their studio last season I was absolutely wow’d with.

They specialise in really good quality leather and silk pieces from designs that create that understated simplicity that is very flattering to pieces that are a little quirkier and structured.

Another label that we’re loving is ‘Lilya’ from the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

In the past season Lilya brought out some pieces that, although they look a little understated on the hanger, are extremely flattering and versatile.

My favourite pieces from there were a full-length stripe jumpsuit and a vest made from Mongolian lamb’s wool.

How did you become involved with Little Red Dress?

My background is in architecture and interior design but I’ve always had a big love for fashion.

After pursuing a career as an architect for many years I got to the point where I thought ‘is there anything else in life that I’d like to do?’

After 20 years in the design industry, I discovered that it wasn’t fashion design that I wanted to get into but more so the element of styling, and finding unique pieces and brands.

From there I began actively searching for a boutique I could take over.

I met Sasha, the founder of Little Red Dress.

From there the exchange happened and I took over as owner of Little Red Dress.

Sasha is still very much a part of the business, as her passion for fashion is still going strong so it’s really great bouncing ideas off each other.