Accessorising over Accumulating

Anna Wheeler ~ Founder and Designer

I want to start with something unexpected about my view on clothing, as a clothing and accessories designer. I don’t believe you always need more of them. I have spent twenty-five years inside an industry that survives by convincing people otherwise, and somewhere along the way I stopped believing it myself.

i. What the industry taught me, and what I unlearned

After studying at the Royal College of Art, I worked as a freelance designer for many luxury brands such as Missoni, Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and High - Everyday Couture. I loved the craft of it, the pattern making and time to develop an idea and working alongside other very talented designers was a very special time for me. But within the wider industry, I could see a rhythm built on replacing rather than keeping. Massive collections landing every season and success being measured by how much sold each week. I noticed, over those years, that the clothes I actually wore, the ones I reached for again and again, were rarely the newest trend led ‘must have’s’ or sale bargain’s that I had brough on a whim. They were the well-made pieces, that I had taken time and considered before I purchased them. The shirt with a good collar that went with almost every else I owned in my wardrobe, that great pair of jeans what fitted me so well and looked great with my favourite leather belt.  

Everything else sat in the wardrobe unworn, which is its own kind of waste.

ii. What actually changes how you get dressed

Here is what I have come to believe, and it is the whole reason I make what I make. The difference between putting cloths on every morning and making an outfit feel stylish and put together is very rarely another piece of clothing. It is almost always something smaller than that. It’s the accessories, the details needed to make an outfit look elegant and considered. It’s the small, considered touches, the ones people barely register on their own, that do the actual work of making someone look polished and chic. A scarf or a snood. A watch and a belt. A brooch and a necklace all these items work harder that you think and add so much value to your current wardrobe.

When I am asked how to actually do this, my answer is always the same. Start with the pieces you already reach for most, the shirt, the plain jumper, the coat, and ask what would make you notice it again. A scarf that picks out a colour already hiding in the fabric. A neckerchief that changes where the eye goes. Something that gives you a reason to wear the same piece differently on a Tuesday than you did on a Saturday. It’s doesn’t have to be matching either. Think about being playful and add something a little bit unexpected, a pop of bright colour or some texture and pattern.  That is a far more sustainable habit than buying more clothes, and I think it is a far more interesting one too.

The Paxford is the clearest example I can give you. I designed it deliberately to be worn with a shirt ( or something with a collar) to just add that finishing touch as well as a bit of warmth. Worn at the collar, it turns something plain into something you have clearly thought about. Left open and loose over the top button, it does the opposite, and looks like you have not tried at all, which some days is exactly what you want. It is the same shirt you already own. What changes is the small, considered thing you have added to it. It is all in the details.

iii. Why I design accessories the way I do.

We all have a drawer full of scarves at home, me included! So why do you need another one?

It's a question I hear a lot, especially at the events I attend.

I design my scarves with the end use in mind. This is the most important part for me. How will someone wear it? Can they put it on easily and quickly before rushing out the door? Will it look good every time they wear it?

My bestselling scarves, the ones everyone loves, are the scarves that are the easiest to wear. They're simple to put on and easy to use. There's no complicated tying or knotting that requires you to stand in front of a mirror every time you want to wear it. These are the scarves we reach for every day, again and again.

These scarves have two main features. The first is a pull-through design. No bulky knot is needed. Simply pull one end through the opening on the other side.

The second, which is probably the most popular, is my Twisted Snood design. This infinity loop scarf is just as easy to wear. Simply place it over your head, twist it once to create a second loop, and keep the pointed part at the front for a little extra warmth and coverage.

Both designs are so popular because they're easy to wear and look great every time. They're the scarves you'll find yourself reaching for, day after day.