Kirstie Clements - Why Did I Buy That?: Fashion mistakes, life lessons

Published in 2021 by Murdoch Books, an imprint of Allen & Unwin

Copyright Kirstie Clements 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

Many of the essays in this book were originally published, in somewhat different form, in The New Daily.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 92235 164 7 Australia

eISBN 978 1 76106 304 6

Cover and text design by Madeleine Kane

Typeset by Susanne Geppert

Back cover photograph by Carlotta Moye

Illustrations by Antonova Katya/Shutterstock.com

Every reasonable effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright materials in this book, but in some instances this has proven impossible. The author(s) and publisher will be glad to receive information leading to more complete acknowledgements in subsequent printings of the book and in the meantime extend their apologies for any omissions.

To my mother, Gloria, and dear Aunty Fay, who taught me that nothing life can throw at you should ever stand in the way of full hair and makeup.

Contents

Like many of you, I spent my youth devouring the glossy pages of Australian fashion magazines. Turning the pages, carefully absorbing the messages, while I sat on the floor of my bedroom in country New South Wales. I remember the thrill of getting home from school and seeing a new magazine waiting in its plastic sleeve on my bed. The most special of all of them was Vogue Australia.

So, when I stepped onto a boat a few years ago at one of the most glamorous weddings Ive ever attended, I was excited (although not surprised) to see none other than Kirstie Clements, one of my personal heroes. I was even more excited when Kirstie came over to compliment me on my Manolo Blahnik gold sandals, and we struck up a conversation. Neither of us knew many people, so we spent much of the evening (and into the early hours of the morning) in deep conversation about the state of the world and where media was headed.

I had imagined The Devil Wears Pradas Miranda Priestly, but I found that Kirstie is one of the most inquisitive, soft and kind people Ive had the pleasure of meeting. Now, shes not only a professional mentor to me, but also a dear friend.

Ive sought her counsel through break-ups, career changes and messy life stuff. Ive taken to the streets by her side to protest sexual harassment and the treatment of women. Ive seen her walk to the front of a line at an exclusive party and straight past the doorman before he even has a chance to check that her name is on the list. She carries herself with the confidence of a woman whos been through everything and survived. I feel incredibly lucky to be the beneficiary of the wisdom and advice that comes with those decades of experience.

In an age when were bombarded with messages about how we should look, how we should feel and how we should act, I hope you find the same comfort in the words on these pages that Ive found in my friendship with Kirstie. The value of having a guide like this isnt that it tells you who you should be, rather that you arent the first to feel like this. That there are generations of women who have come before us and have been sold the same lies, told their bodies had to look a certain way, and had to climb the same steep career paths. And theyve survived. Its about figuring out who you are among the thousands of conflicting instructions out there, but also being flexible enough to continue to evolve as times change.

Kirstie has shaped our industry, our Australian sense of style, and the way we feel about ourselves. Shes a woman whos been through things. The best and the worst. The upshot of that is the insight she brings into how the world works, so she can help you navigate it with dignity and grace. We are fortunate that so many of those lessons are here for us on these pages. This isnt just a style guide: its a way to help you figure out who you are (and who you want to be).

Since I first met Kirstie my life has changed, a lot. At every juncture, every fork in the road, Ive sought her advice and shes always given it freely and thoughtfully. Its such a joy and privilege to have someone in my life whos so much wiser and more experienced than I am, and I hope this book goes some way to guiding you along your own path too.

I used to tell readers with great confidence and a completely straight face what fabulous new things they needed to buy each and every month, from $2000 satin heels to a python catsuit with contrasting hood. But many of my own purchases were questionable. There I was, a supposed arbiter of style, stumbling my way through a series of dubious impulse buys. Like most other people, I have looked into my wardrobe and thought: Why on earth did I buy that? What dark force is it that causes us to buy ugly sweaters and pants that dont fit? Why do we feel compelled to keep shopping, and why do we have this underlying belief that another bag or a different shoe or a new designer wetsuit (well, that was me) will change our lives for the better?

I toyed with calling this book Why did I buy into that? because so much of our compulsion to shop is tied to societal expectations and body image and a fear of not measuring up. Deciding how we want to age, and how we want to look and dress during our various life stages, is also an ongoing debate. One day Im deciding to let the years play out naturally, the next Im booking a consultation with a plastic surgeon. Somewhere in the middle, I probably just want a new moisturiser, some stretch pants and a toasted cheese sandwich.

I have dressed differently during the many stages of my life. My early teens were Shire mall rat, which morphed into something much more theatrical in my late teens and early twenties when I embraced punk and New Romantic, with a touch of rockabilly. My late twenties were more conventionally fashionable Levis 501s, navy blazers and much-loved Robert Clergerie loafers as I tried to fit in at the Vogue offices and learn the ropes. My thirties were spent as a new mother of twins in Paris, wearing floral forties-style dresses, agns b. cardigans, red lipstick and black suede wedges.

Then came corporate life back in Sydney and editing Vogue Australia, where I was much more interested in the fashion we put in the magazine than what I put on myself. This was pre-internet, pre-24/7 self-promotion. I was dressing for practicality, as I tried to parent, work like crazy, travel constantly and attend black-tie or cocktail events most evenings.

There were also other factors that played into how much I personally bought into fashion. I was a healthy size 12, and I felt self-conscious about the fact that I was not pin thin. I had zero interest in drawing attention to myself. As a result, I chose clothes that were low-key and classic, sometimes expensive but not wildly trendy Prada trousers, cashmere sweaters, Helmut Lang pantsuits, seasonal shoes and bags. Even my evening options were practical and subtle: silk blouses and black pants, with maybe some statement earrings and a satin evening bag.