WithPockets

The best specs ever

WithPockets — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 22:46:25 GMT

Some friends and I met up last weekend for the memorial of another dear friend, which, increasingly is the only time we get to see so many people we know and like in the one place. During the event, a running order was dealt out, NSFW images flashed on the screen (it was a memorial comedy gig in a gay club on Oxford Street… I probably should have mentioned that earlier), and young men in feather bowers and chaps pranced on stage - and all of us got our glasses out of our bags. One by one we all noticed this was happening and had a giggle.

This is the reality of getting older. I had perfect vision for most of my life. On the rare occasion I went to an optician, they would hustle me out the door as quickly as possible to get to the next sucker. My eyesight was so good, there was no point even starting the routine of trying to upsell me on a pair of spectacles. That is, until I hit my 40’s. Now I’m an excellent mark.

For me, it started with not being able to see bus numbers. I put this down to the new low-lit LED boards at the front of the buses. It couldn’t possibly be my eyesight, that was perfect. Then it was the fault of people in my organisation – why did they insist on using such tiny fonts for PPT presentations? Didn’t they understand the purpose of a PPT? (I stand by this accusation…) By the time I admitted defeat last year and walked into the local opticians, I had lost 60% of my sight in one eye. I probably shouldn’t have been driving for the last two years.

However, since becoming functionally blind, I’ve learned there are surprising upsides to having to wear glasses. It’s yet another accessory you can make your own. I often find vintage sunglass frames and just replace the glass with prescription lenses – you were going to do that with the frames in the opticians anyway so why not get something no one else has?

Good frames can make an outfit pop better than any jewellery. Most people look good in glasses, and some people look considerably better. For many people they become an inseparable part of their personal brand. You just need to know where to find them. So below are some of my top tips for scene stealing spectacles.

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Mr Boho

If you like glasses with coloured plastics and tortoiseshell and a distinct 1960’s Bond vibe, Spanish brand Mr Boho are a great choice. Their frames are also considerably cheaper than you’ll find in most opticians.

If you live in Sydney or Canberra, Love Persimmon sell Mr Boho in store and you can try them on IRL.

Vint and York

Vint and York are an online retailer but somehow they seem very New York. Everything is exaggerated, from cats eye to oversized glasses, which they tell me is the fashion these days, the more ‘librarian’ the better – although some tip over into ‘Elton John’, which I’m very here for. I’m not a fan of their Instagram account though, which is why I’m not showing it here. Far too many AI-generated people, and I’m guessing they’re AI generated because there’s no glass in their glasses - otherwise it’s an even more amazing howler.

DMY Studios

If you’re still in 1990’s Love Story mode (and frankly this trend looks set to roll and roll) and you’re after those slim oval frames that we all liked so much back then, DMY Studios is your place. I’ll be honest, these days I have learned to love oversized sunnies and in the harsh Australian sunlight I need them, but if you don’t have my photosensitive issues, I’m sure these are great.

Vicci Eyewear

Can I just say how much I love Vicci Eyewear’s campy photoshoots? So kitsch. They have the full videos on the website and I could probably watch the floofy mafia dogs all day. Again, they mostly do the ‘statement oversized librarian’ look this season, so if you’re a thin, subtle frames woman, this is probably not the site for you. I particularly love the blue pair.

L.A.M.B

This is Gwen Stefani’s eyewear brand. Subtle it is not. But if you’re the kind of girl who likes zebra stripes, rhinestones and ditsy florals, L.A.M.B is the place. It’s not my place, but it will definitely be your place. I can’t link to any of the Instagram posts for this brand as I’m genuinely worried they might give someone a seizure. Maybe you need to be wearing sunglasses to look at it.

The June Sales Edit

WithPockets — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 22:47:05 GMT

There are many good things about living in Sydney in June. The Vivid Festival of lights is not one of them (unless you really like queues, in which case go for your life). Neither is the weather (this Summer is shaping up to be a lot warmer than usual - where’s my sweater weather, dammit?). But there’s the Sydney Film Festival, watching the annual humpback whale migration from the cliffs, and it’s Sales time!

Those of you not in Australia will be thinking “yes we have those too, plus also we’re getting nice weather right now”. You are right, you do have Sales - but not like we do. Here’s where being in the Southern Hemisphere a million miles from everywhere comes into its own. Because, while the rest of the world’s Sales feature clothes from the season you’re leaving, in Australia we are just going into that season. If you buy a coat in the Sales in the UK, it can be 4-5 months before you have the chance to wear it. If you buy a coat in the Sales online and you live in Australia, you can wear it now.

I buy a lot of my clothes in the Sales (and many others I buy second-hand). There’s an art to it, but most of all it involves being flexible and knowing what you’re looking for.

Here are the rules I live by for Sales shopping:

1. Be prescriptive about what item of clothing you’re looking for – and open beyond that. For example, if you want a suit jacket, look for a suit jacket – but don’t pin your hopes on finding that particular suit jacket you’ve had your eye on. That almost never happens.

2. Buy things that are new to the Sale. The majority of brands will try to offload the clothes that aren’t selling well the rest of the year during the Sales (which can work well if you’re not someone who’s into the latest fashion like me). But some brands will throw into the sale the items that they’ve been trying to offload forever in their outlet store – often at no additional discount. There’s often a reason no one has bought these clothes; because they fit and look good on literally no one.

3. Don’t settle for less than 40%. I’ve seen 15% off markups this Sales season. Like Linda Evangelista, I wouldn’t get out of bed for less than 40%.

4. Go high end. A decent reduction on an expensive item of clothing is more of a saving – that’s just maths. Buy that investment piece!

So here are the best Sale brands and bargains I’ve come across this time around. In the words of Oscar from Duolingo, “until next time, my fellow treasure seekers”.

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Paul Smith

I’ve written about how good Paul Smith women’s officewear is before on WithPockets because a lot of people only associate Paul Smith solely with menswear. The thing I love about Paul Smith is the cheeky little flourishes; a black suit with an colourful lining, a merino cardigan with multi-coloured cuffs. Also, their clothes are made in Italy (despite being sold as a quintessentially English brand), where expert tailoring and high-quality fabrics are still standard.

Paul Smith also do very good Sales. This year some items are 70% off. I bought this Navy Wool-Blend Seersucker Blazer this week for 60% off. When it arrives, I’ll take a picture.

As well as clothes, Paul Smith do highly attractive accessories if you don’t want to spend big but want to have a bit of that multi-coloured magic in your life. This Navy ‘Signature Stripe’ Polka Dot Virgin Wool Scarf is really striking and will instantly elevate any outfit this winter. It’s also 60% off.

Paul & Joe

Parisian brand Paul & Joe have a capsule sale going, only they don’t call it a Sale (or Soldes in French), they call it interchangeably a “pre-Sale” or “private Sale”. This functions to make it sound more exclusive, but it appears to be visible to everyone, not just me, with the right URL. Presumably if it’s a pre-Sale’ there will be more items available soon, and if that happens, I highly recommend their quirky accessories.

Roland Mouret

If you’re in the market for a show-stopping dress for work (or a special occasion), head to Roland Mouret. It sounds ridiculous to say that they’re a bargain, given the prices, but when you look at the price they were, you’ll see just how much of a deal this sale is. Roland Mouret has been a favourite of mine since I saw Dita Von Teese in the Galaxy Dress 20 years ago.

Victoria Beckham

Same rules apply for Victoria Beckham (show-stopping dresses, big prices, big discounts). If you like Roland Mouret and you’re surprised to find you like Victoria Beckham too, this is no coincidence. Victoria Beckham studied fashion design under Roland Mouret.

ME + EM

Some terrific bargains to be had at ME + EM, including some particularly good looking knitwear (now all we need is the cooler weather…). Sale highlights include this cornflower blue lace a-line midi skirt, which is 60% off and even has a pocket! This may be my favourite pick of the Sales.

Jigsaw

Jigsaw has up to 50% off in its Sale, which is very comprehensive and includes some of the best clothes they had at full price this season (i.e. genuine bargains, not stock they can’t offload…). Highlights include the Shawl Lapel Tuxedo Jacket shown below, which is 40% off and genuinely different from most suit jackets I’ve seen in the last year.

Reiss

I’m cheating here as Reiss has an outlet sale on year-round – but there’s more than usual on offer in the suits category right now so it’s a very good time to visit if you’re in the market for a new suit.

Reiss is also really excellent if you’re petite-sized (i.e. on the shorter side). However, if you’re not, read the descriptions carefully or you can easily end up buying a petite item by mistake (yes I have done this…).

Finally, can I just say a big thank you to Reiss for regularly showing women of other races and religions on their Instagram feed. God my feed is boring and unrepresentative right now. If I see one more picture of a white woman in a summer dress with an Aperol somewhere near water in Italy I’m signing out permanently.

What Sale bargains have you seen? Am I missing some deals? Let me know…

In praise of shopping IRL

WithPockets — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 05:55:25 GMT

I only made it into a clothes shop once in the final year of my last job – and that was because I had spilled coffee on my top and I had a board dinner later that night. This was because I was very busy, but also because, aside from supermarkets, shops in Sydney tend to close between 5pm and 6pm except on Thursdays… when they close a whole hour later. These opening hours are not designed to enable people who work during the day to go shopping during the week if they even work normal hours – let alone conducive for someone who was working most weekends too.

I still don’t have time to go to the shops now, even though I work fewer hours. However, on those rare occasions when I have taken time off work to be able to step inside a shop, I’ve been surprised to find other customers there. Who were these people? Had they also taken a day off to go shopping? On closer inspection, I discovered they fell into two groups: students, and Ladies Who Lunch.

Given these demographics constitute their in-person market, increasingly shops are catering for these students and people who don’t need to work. This means they preference street style and high fashion clothing rather than professional wear. This then becomes a perpetuating cycle: the shops don’t sell the clothes people who work need because these are not the people who have time to go shopping. And because shops don’t sell the clothes we need, even if we did find time to take a day off, we wouldn’t find what we were looking for, which is what happened to me.

Because of this, I mostly shop online for clothes and beauty.

In the few recent times that I have been able to get to a shop (on the weekend which still feels like a major achievement) I’ve also been struck by how slapdash the presentation of many of these shops now is, particularly concessions in department stores. On a recent trip to David Jones, Bianca Spender’s concession was a sole beacon of well lit and well pressed loveliness in what was otherwise best described as an ‘early-2000’s jumble sale’ aesthetic (this is not just a dig at David Jones, the sad state of affairs is not unique to Australian department stores, it’s similar in the UK). Frankly, I’m amazed the Ladies Who Lunch put up with it. Just buy a steamer, DJs.

So it may surprise you that I still recommend shopping in real life when you get the chance – just not in department stores (the exception to this, as with so many other things, is Japan, who elevate department stores to an art form). There’s an art to it, though – and I’ll set that out below.

So put on your walking shoes and take that day off (or make time for yourself on a weekend), and hit the shops…

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1. Go to the source

Firstly, if you have a choice and don’t live in the country, it’s always worth going to the actual store of your brand of choice. And if you’re not sure what your brand of choice is, the store will give you a good idea of the kind of aesthetic they have and whether it matches your personal taste. Viktoria and Woods’ shop is light wood and eco-friendly, Farage has dark wood and polished steel, Karen Gee’s store in the Strand Arcade has heavy drapes and is quiet and private. The fit out of the store often tells you more about the style of the clothes and the kind of person they’re for than the brand website.

I know a lot of people find it intimidating to go into a store and walk around if you’re the only one there and there are three shop assistants on duty. My advice is to engage the shop assistants in conversation early on. A good shop assistant will know all about the clothes – how easy they are to maintain, what the fabric is and where it comes from. If they get a feel for what you like, they can suggest other outfits you might not have noticed. Someone who is bad at their job will just tell you everything looks great, a good shop assistant will find you something that looks better.

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The exception to this rule is concept stores (i.e. not a department store, but not just selling one brand), like Browns in South Molton Street in London. Browns Fashion is high-end but unlike those Chanel stores you get in Westfield, it actually feels like a high-end shopping experience. They give you bubbles, there’s a dedicated staff member allocated to you and a couch for you to park any accompanying friend or partner (they also get wine and nibbles). It’s basically personal shopping without the need to book. I bought my wedding dress in the sale at Brown’s (sage green Ric Owens – don’t judge me) and it was honestly one of the best shopping experiences of my life.

Tip 1 – Save time and shop in clusters

The advantage of a department store used to be that you could look at multiple brands in one go (the disadvantage now is that frequently they don’t have the full range available anyway, half the time they just tell you what you want is “in the Bondi Junction store”). So when I shop, I generally go to a ‘specialist’ high street where the clothing stores of a similar kind clustered together. For example, in London these can be found in or near Royal Exchange and Liverpool St Station, Knightsbridge, South Molton Street, Westbourne Grove and Dover Street Market (the Kings Road is not what it was and no one local actually shops in Notting Hill Market).

2. You can feel the fabric and see the quality (or lack thereof…)

Ever had the experience of buying something online and when it arrives it isn’t as good as you’d hoped? If you shop in a store, you can see the stitching. On a recent trip to Oroton I manhandled a shirt and it was so smooth and soft I had to check the label to make sure it was cotton. I wouldn’t have guessed that from the image online.

Conversely, by going into a shop I discovered that this Vince silk shirt ($565) ) was astonishingly expensive considering the quality. Vince silk shirts are the shirt of choice on a lot of movies and TV shows right now, but, as with many theatrical costumes, what looks good under stage lighting can be, in the cold light of day, a clever trick.

Also, if you visit a shop and notice they have a lot of creased clothes on display this gives you a very good idea of how hard it will be for you, the busy customer, to maintain that outfit. If I’m going to need to spend $500 a year on dry cleaning to ensure that shirt keeps its shape, I’m not buying it.

3. You get the right size – and you get it now

Online shopping Is great, but who has time to go to the post office if it doesn’t fit? (in fairness, I have been the beneficiary of this tragedy many times on eBay, see my previous article on second-hand shopping tactics) If you go to a shop you can see what size you are in that brand (which may be entirely different in that brand compared to another brand you like because sizing is not universally standardised).

Also, when you walk out of a shop having made a purchase, it’s yours right away. You don’t need to wait up to 3 weeks for it to arrive only to have it stolen off the porch (OK this one is an Australian thing. If you buy a suit in London, Dubai or New York often you can get it delivered same day).

Tip 2 - Ask for a non-display item

Don’t feel pressured to buy the one on the hanger if you don’t have to (how many people have tried it on? Are you going to pay to have it dry cleaned before you even wear it?)

Remember: you can always try on the clothes in the shop to get a sense of the size, fit, and fabric quality and then buy it online when the sales are on…

Do you prefer shopping in-person? And, if so, how do you manage to find the time to set foot in a shop? Let us know…

Low maintenance beauty

WithPockets — Sat, 23 May 2026 22:05:46 GMT

Since the start of WithPockets I’ve said it was about executive fashion, beauty and lifestyle. I’ve written many articles about fashion (turns out people feel really strongly about bags), a couple of lifestyle articles (the one about what to pack for a business trip is still going strong…) and zero articles about beauty.

There are two reasons for this. …

Best office shirts

WithPockets — Sat, 16 May 2026 22:57:36 GMT

A good shirt is a foundational workwear garment. However, for many women, it can also be a minefield. Will it tuck in nicely? Will it make me look like a milkmaid? Will it gape, exposing my bra to a board meeting full of people? A lot of women avoid shirts because the perception is that they won’t work with their body shape – or that they require too mu…

The May Edit

WithPockets — Sat, 09 May 2026 22:23:30 GMT

I haven’t always been a minimalist. In my early twenties, my personal style was best described as ‘pop art’. I had black and blue hair like a Manga character and I wore a lot of comic book prints. I was photographed frequently going about my business in London by street-style publications (almost none of which I have a record of sadly as this was in the…

The best media interview clothes

WithPockets — Sat, 02 May 2026 22:15:32 GMT

This week’s topic is something of a specialist subject of mine… I’ve spent hundreds of hours preparing people from all walks of life for media interviews; to nail their key messages, stand confidently and look in the right spot when they’re on camera. So, I can tell you the two things everyone wants to know before they do a media interview are “what sho…

Washable office wear

WithPockets — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 22:36:54 GMT

I am a big fan of a good trouser suit, which is very un-Australian of me (Sydney is more of a flowy dress kind of place). And, in particular, I like a good woollen suit. But I like it a lot less when I manage to get chocolate on the trousers (which happened to me in the office just this week) because a good woollen suit is nearly always dry-clean only.

D…

Where I splurge and where I save

WithPockets — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 22:02:30 GMT

If you’re a regular reader of WithPockets, you’ll have noticed that the clothes and accessories I feature range from high-end designer to high street – and they aren’t necessarily aligned with ‘trends’. This is because expensive doesn’t necessarily equal interesting (or well made… I can think of a few very overpriced designers…). But also I like a barga…

The April WithPockets Edit

WithPockets — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:14:18 GMT

Firstly, “hello and thank you!” to all the new WithPockets followers. It has only been a month, and I can’t believe how many of you there are already following (especially considering I’ve had no time to do any marketing…). It looks like there are a lot of women out there with an interest in fashion that reflects their lifestyle and writing that isn’t A…

The quest for comfortable shoes

WithPockets — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 21:18:50 GMT

Those of you who know me will know that I don’t exactly have a relaxed style by Australian standards. I may be the only woman in Sydney who only wears activewear to the gym. Jeans and a blazer is me at my most laid back. Even during the Covid-19 lockdowns, I never succumbed to a grey hoodie (it will take more than an international pandemic for that). Bu…

SPECIAL: What TV gets right about executive dressing

WithPockets — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 20:47:01 GMT

This article is a one-off because it took me much longer than normal to research as I had to actually watch the TV shows. Before you get out the world’s smallest violin, in the case of All’s Fair this means I have irreparably destroyed my Disney+ algorithm regardless of how many Wes Anderson movies I watch to try and offset the horror…

But it’s also a on…

Hot weather dressing

WithPockets — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 21:01:41 GMT

Those of you reading this in the Northern Hemisphere right now may think I’m trolling you with an article about hot weather dressing – but this is one of those ones you should bookmark for later as ‘false Spring’ has already happened and the real deal is just around the corner…

I live in Australia, which has been hotter, and more humid, than a Turkish Ha…

Decoding the office bag

WithPockets — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 20:46:32 GMT

It’s been a while since I thought in any detail about bags. But with the international world order crumbling around us, it was a welcome distraction to focus on something so trivial and uncomplicated. Or so I thought. Since writing this article, I’m now convinced that there isn’t a single accessory more loaded with class, gender, status, sector ‘coding’…

The March WithPockets Edit

WithPockets — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 21:27:23 GMT

Firstly, a big warm welcome to all the new WithPockets followers. It’s so lovely to see so many familiar faces - and some new ones! I thought I’d start you off with a wrap of new and office-worthy fashions in the shops right now.

What I won’t be writing about is the continuing trend for clothes in dirt, khaki, and various shades of brown (you’ll notice I…

THE DIRECTORY: Professional style around the world

WithPockets — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 03:33:20 GMT

When friends of mine are visiting Sydney on business, they often ask me what they should wear. This is because there’s an assumption that Australia is a more ‘casual’ country which might have a different style of business dressing to Europe or the US. No one wants to be the person at the party who got the dress code wrong.

Obviously, women are individual…

Packing for a business trip

WithPockets — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:04:12 GMT

When I spoke to women I know about the kind of content they would like to see in WithPockets, the answer was resounding: everyone wanted to know how I travel hand luggage only all the time. Eh bien, voila…

I travel hand luggage only for both business and pleasure, regardless of how long I’m going away. I also (despite the extensive amount of travelling I…

What is WithPockets?

WithPockets — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 02:24:11 GMT

We want clothes with pockets…

I used to think being an executive would involve a lot of power dressing, high heels and blow-dries. More often it meant 14-hour+ working days, gruelling travel, and a schedule where a pee break counts as ‘me time’.

Talking to other women in similar level roles to me – partners in consultancies, executives of government agenc…

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WithPockets — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 02:50:59 GMT

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