Monikh Dale

Monikh is a joy is follow on Instagram and you can really feel her love for fashion, styling and building a hard working wardrobe. We love her take on altering clothes to suit your shape and hunting down those much loved pieces that you might have missed out on the first time around.

We chat with Monikh about how she organises her wardrobe each season, how to pull off an effortless style and the item in her wardrobe she had to really chase down.

How would you describe your style? We would love to hear the story about how you landed on this way of dressing.

I would consider my style to be simple, chic and effortless. I love to be comfortable in what I’m wearing, and always live by the mantra; underdressed rather than overdressed. When I started out as a stylist I invested in some real staples which I just fell in love with. I like to mix and watch a small number of items to then create multiple looks. I think that’s what clever styling is.

Starting out as a personal stylist you fell in love with helping women feel confident about their bodies through clothing and clever styling. What are some of your go-to styling tips?

First of all, if it feels good to you, that’s all that matters. You are the one who’s wearing it. These pieces need to work hard for you and work into your lifestyle. I think we should be dressing for ourselves, and I believe that clothing is a beautiful way of telling people who you are. When styling a complete wardrobe overhaul, I would always grab the staples first, and when creating a staple wardrobe these are the bones to your entire look, so invest in these first; a good coat, pair of jeans, bag, boots and basics t-shirts.

You studied fashion design and this year have been altering your own pieces to suit your frame, is this a skill you think more should pick up and in general not being afraid to alter and repair?

If you already have the skills then it’s a great way to make something fit your body in a more tailored way. I mean that is the dream isn’t it, to have something you’ve invested in fit you perfectly. But if you don’t have the skills or the time to learn, I would find a good local seamstress who can take on that for you. I have an incredible seamstress who knows how I like my clothing to fit so I really trust her.

Your fashion career has taken a few different turns from your original studies, what would be a dream project for you or next career path?

After graduating in fashion design, I kind of fell into the world of styling and design took a back seat. But design is my first love, and I’m slowly getting back into it which I’m really excited about.

You wear a lot of Australian and New Zealand designers which we love to see, who are your favourites? And any new designers you have your eye on?

I love Australian and NZ designers! Simple is best and they just do it so right. I love Albus Lumen and Christopher Esber in particular.

You have an envious wardrobe and we have read you don’t often get rid of items as you only buy pieces you will hold onto - what are your tips for organising and storing your wardrobe? 

At the moment we’re still part way through building my wardrobe, so things are a little everywhere. But I always pull a few things out each season which I know will be staples for the next few months. I'll place these on its own rail and then will start to add other pieces to it creating a staple wardrobe which I'll then pull from. I find this keeps for a clear style vision.

What are your top staples in your wardrobe that you love and wear on repeat?

I love an oversized shirt! I just think it’s so chic and relaxed, and my tartan one has already earned its cost per wear. Re/Done jeans are my forever faves, and I’ve tailored a bigger pair recently so they have more of a relaxed feel. I find I wear simple dresses the most, even when at home, like I said I love to be comfortable so anything that lets me move freely is a winner. I live in this black cotton Mara Hoffman dress I have. It has these huge billowy sleeves and slightly oversized dress shape, but the material keeps it light and cosy.

We’ve read that you would rather be underdressed than over dressed, what are your tips for achieving this effortless style?

I normally always wear flats, I just think it looks super effortless when teamed with most things but especially with a more out-there dress. Also I don’t really wear that much jewellery or go crazy with accessories, less is more.

We love hearing stories of the memories certain wardrobe items bring up. Can you tell us a story about one of your favourite pieces in your wardrobe?

I have a pair of simple leather gloves which I wore on the night I met my now fiancé 6 years ago. I bring them out each winter and it forever reminds me of that day.

It feels as though for you it doesn’t matter if it’s current or past season, you’re happy to hunt down a piece you’ve fallen in love with. What’s something in your wardrobe you had to really chase down?

Anything from The Row sells out just like that! I remember last year all I could think about was their black zip up boots, which of course were sold out everywhere. I had alerts for all the stockists set up, and I checked the sites each morning just incase. When they appeared one afternoon I bought most sizes so I had no chance of not getting my hands on the right pair before they sold out again. Now the same thing has happened with The Row’s white flip flops. I’ve lived in the black this year and can’t stop thinking about how much I’ll adore the white. Fingers crossed my searching soon pays off.