Writer Kirsty Cameron believes in sticking to what suits you.
Kirsty Cameron is a woman of many talents and now she has added published author to her list of achievements. The writer and PR has a clear fashion vision, helped in large part by her time as editorial director for women's lifestyle titles at ACP Magazines and editor of InStyle magazine in Australia. Cameron now runs her own PR agency, Cameron + Co, which represents a range of fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands - and recently released a book, The Kiwi Bach Companion.
She tells us more about her style vision.
Describe your style?
It's been dubbed "Librarian Chic" by a friend.
Who are your favourite designers?
Karen Walker for her singular style - my wardrobe is framed by her each season. Marilyn Sainty, Kate Sylvester and Elisabeth Findlay for defining NZ dressing. Phoebe Philo, Consuelo Castiglioni, Miuccia Prada, Nicolas Ghesquiere for their leading edge.
What was the last item of clothing you bought?
A silk velvet leopard-print skirt from Jamie.
What do you want to buy next?
Kate Sylvester summer shoes - they're seriously lovely.
What's the one thing everyone should have in their wardrobe?
Something that lifts your mood when you get dressed. All your clothes should do that, even your uniform, if you wear one for work.
What endures throughout the seasons?
Quality, which matters more once you're 40. Good cuts and tailoring are your friends.
Your favourite shop?
Karen Walker in Balm St, The Department Store, Mrkt, Scotties, Jamie.
What is your beauty routine?
My favourites are Eve Lom's cleanser and Perricone's "No Foundation Foundation".
What can't you live without?
Good shoes and a grey cardigan.
Define the word "fashionable"?
I think of restaurants as being "fashionable"; people are 'stylish'.
Is there anything you'd never wear?
Baby-doll anything.
The one rule you always dress by?
Will this work for my life today?
Best sartorial advice you ever had?
Look cool in summer and warm in winter. And shop to a list.
Best sartorial advice to pass down to your own daughter?
Don't fight your body shape, work with it.
Most cherished item?
Clotheswise it's my wedding dress, Pussyfooting dresses (Ngila Dickson's old label) and my Adrienne Winkelmann 21st dress (fitted black wool with a peplum, perfect 80s).
Most overrated item in fashion?
Big ticket trackpants. A brand name embroidered on your butt does not elevate them. They're still trackies.
Most underrated item in fashion?
The grey cashmere cardigan.
Describe the best outfit you've ever worn.
A Helmut Lang dinner suit to black tie events, from 2002 to now. With a white shirt, with a black satin shirt, with a T-shirt, it's now down to about 25 cents per wear.
What is your favourite decade, style-wise?
The 1930s. Too many Nancy Mitford and Lucia novels at an impressionable age.
Who is your ultimate fashion plate?
Dressed up: Tilda Swinton for not conforming to prescribed red carpet looks. Dressed for work: Vogue US's Tonne Goodman.
