Ep 38 - Dressing for confidence whatever the age, with Morrison founder, Kylie Radford

Kylie Radford is the founder of renowned Australian fashion brand, Morrison. Established in Fremantle, Western Australia assisted by her dog, a Kelpie Cross 'Morrison', Kylie opened their first store in 2002. Now a hugely respected fashion label, Morrison has nine flagship stores and over 100 retailers nationally.

As the Creative Director behind Morrison, Kylie became an almost overnight success story after designing the infamous "Good Butt Pant."

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, Google Podcast and more.

Broadcast: November 04, 2022
Duration: 32:24

Here is a snippet of our conversation…

A nod to the woman who needs support in finding confidence in her style..

Our bodies change post children, and as we get older and I think sometimes there is a bit of confusion - should I be wearing this silhouette or am I allowed to be wearing bright colours now? Or is it expected of me that I tone down, you know, to fit in. And you hear a lot of women saying that they feel a bit invisible as they get older, and I think that's a real shame because certainly clothing can create a mood for the day. It can invigorate you; it can set you up for how you're going to feel for the day - if you want to feel empowered or if you want to feel joyful or happy.. So, it's a powerful tool and I think that if you're not feeling confident about making those choices, that's our job to try and help you feel comfortable, empowered, and to make choices that do make you feel amazing.

A note on what we 'should' or should not wear..

There's no point going out with the short skirt on, even if you've got fantastic legs at any age if you're not comfortable in it. So I don't think there's any guideline or expectations anymore, I really don't - I think we create those ourselves. I've had women working for me, stylists working for me in their sixties, who I can tell you look absolutely incredible and don't put any kind of restrictions on themselves. They're dressing for their body. They're dressing for what they want to wear, not their age, and thankfully that's what we can do these days.

For women who may have difficulty determining their own sense of style, where would you suggest they start?

So if you can find a brand that actually suits your body shape or fits you well, usually there'll be a lot of styles within that brand each season that you can select from, usually there's that consistency. I think fabrications are really important to start with, especially when we're talking about menopause or peri-menopause, wearing natural fibres is going to be an absolute necessity, especially through these summer periods. If your body temperatures are fluctuating, I would really suggest not going for synthetic or fitting garments, that are just going to cling, and that's just not going to be nice for you. So, first of all, think about the fabric that you love wearing, the things that feel really beautiful and then find a brand that usually specialises in those kinds of fabrics or silhouettes that you love..

Making choices that last..

I'm not into disposable fashion. I just think if you're going to buy something, buy something that ticks all those boxes so that you can keep it and continue wearing it forever. If you're not comfortable or confident in what you're wearing, it shows immediately.

I wear the same thing over and over again each season. So at the start of the season, I tend to find something that I just love or feels amazing on. And then inevitably it's the one thing I go to all the time in my wardrobe. There's no point having a wardrobe with a massive amount of clothing in it if you're not going o wear every piece of it.

The importance of colour and layering..

Colour is so important as well, and often reflects what kind of mood you're in. There's been a real movement away from black. Colour is a useful tool. It can boost your mood, it can create a confident statement. And the other thing is layering, adding and removing garments. There's no reason why you can't wear a cotton dress in the middle of winter.

More:

Follow Kylie on Instagram at @morrisonclothing or visit her website here.

Find a store here.

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