Having trouble choosing what to wear in the morning, or not sure how to elevate your outfit from being ok to being amazing? Creating an outfit is a lot easier when you follow these five fashion hacks that, as a fashion designer, I do every single day. 

I bet you have some items in your wardrobe that just work and you aren't sure why. These fashion hacks will help you understand why some pieces in your wardrobe look great without a lot of effort, while other styles are a consant struggle to work with. Let's delve into some ways to make your wardrobe work to your benefit for easy, authentic dressing.

I haven't had any formal training in styling, other than the basics of what I was taught at fashion school. I can't actually remember being taught this in class, but I'm assuming we were. Maybe on that day I was too focused on moisturizing my cuticles with my lip balm to focus. Something I did a lot back then for some reason. 

But one thing I do remember is growing up watching Trinny and Susannah with my Mum on TV. This is where I was introduced to the art of dressing for your body shape This fashion hack has nothing to do with following a particular fashion and is an absolute game-changer to nailing an outfit. I won't go through all of the body shapes, that's another blog for another day. But I will say, when Aexander McQueen sent a bumpster pair of pants down the runway, that was my que to throw all of Trinny and Susannah's advice out the window and make my long torso look even longer and my short legs look even shorter. Something that only killer heels could remedy. Someone should have taken me aside and had a word and told me about this fashion hack. The image below is of me wearing no heels and high waisted pants. A much smarter option. 

Again, no formal training here. I've never had my colors done but I know what looks great for my skin tone and I know what makes me look like I'm sick or washed out. There is a reason why you gravitate towards a particular colour and accumulate it in your wardrobe. That colour more than likely compliments your skin tone.

This fashion hack teaches you how to pick what tones suit you and to work out if you are cool-toned or warm-toned. An easy way to test is to look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Are they blue or are they green? Blue or purple and you are cool-toned, green or olive and you are warm-toned. Both blue and green and you are neutral. Simple! 

If you still want to wear mustard and you are a cool toned gal, wear it on your lower half so it's not against your face and washing you out. And an extra little fashion hack if you just have to wear an uncomplimentary colour against your face, put more emphasis on your makeup to make sure you don't look washed out.

Did you know that fashion designers care less about trends than their customers do? We are surrounded by trends and forecasting on a daily basis and we know that trends are fleeting but style lasts forever. That needs to be put on a meme someone. 

Micro trends are making us work even harder to stay ahead of the fashion game. These trends come on quick, and they lose their popularity even quicker which is feeding the fast fashion giant. And we don't want that. You definately need this fashion hack if you are shopping fast fast fashion.

When you constantly follow trends you end up cloning the person next to you. Yes you may look put-together because you are following the what's-in-fashion today bible, but nearly every single other person walking down the street is also following that bible and it starts to look really predictive and boring. Think about this fashion hack and care less about what's in fashion and more about what you love and what suits you. 

And this leads me to my next point. Predictability is so, predictable. I know I may be confusing you a smidge but I'll give you this little fashion hack to spices up your outfits. 

Say you have a very masculine outfit. You have patent loafers, black tailored pants and a white t-shirt. A simple yet effective outfit that flows, but may be on the verge of ho-hum. Adding an accessory that isn't of the same masculine theme perks interest and is a great, easy fashion hack. It could be as small as an oversized brightly coloured ring or a floral scarf. It doesn't discredit the masculinity of the outfit but it does add an element of surprise, of unpredictability. You can see this in the image below. I'm wearing an androgynous outfit but I have paired it with delicate silver and pearl jewellery. 

A good example is why we love the combat boots and feminine floral dress vibe. They don't traditionally go together but it's interesting to look at. It's not predictable. Although we have seen it so much now that it's turned slightly predictable, you can go back and read the above point again on following trends if you aren't convinced.

This last fashion hack is the very last thing I do when I finish getting ready. Before I leave my dressing room, I ask myself this question. If I saw myself walking down the street, what would I think of this person? Note that I do not ask what will other people would think of me. It's what would I think of me. It sounds a little judgemental but it's completely the opposite. You are asking yourself what vibe you are giving off, what this outfit represents, and who are you projecting by wearing this outfit today.

Are you giving off the vibe of a hurried parent who doesn't feel comfortable dressing up or is it a vibe of someone who is about the slay the day and is in their own power? It's not about being pretty or attractive, it's about who you are projecting. There have been plenty of times when I have followed this fashion hack and asked myself this question and realised this outfit is not the authentic me and I have added a little something, completely changed or simply tucked in a shirt and it's made a complete difference. 

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