This Week, According To Rani...
Do you ever not know what to wear?
A style guide for always constructing a cool outfit - colour blocking, layering texture duos, and fashion myths debunked.
Let me start by saying this is a loose guide for those mornings when you’re running on brain fog, open your wardrobe, and think… “I have nothing to wear.” Believe me, I’ve been there - in fact, I still find myself there from time to time.
That’s where these few tips come in handy. They help me reset and rebuild my outfit from the ground up.
I also want to preface that this is a guide, not a uniform. True style comes from your soul and authenticity, the attention to detail in what you love, not what’s circulating the internet. With that said, let’s get into it.
Busting the myths first
Before we even get to building an outfit, let’s knock a few things on the head - because some of the “rules” we’ve been handed down are genuinely holding us back.
Navy and black don’t go together.
They absolutely do. There is something so timeless about this combination - almost old English, the kind of effortless dressing you’d picture on Princess Diana stepping off a plane. It’s understated, it’s classic, and it never looks like you’re trying too hard. Don’t be afraid of it.
Take our Bias Cut Pants in Midnight paired with the Lucia Top in Black - that’s the myth right there, broken beautifully. Midnight reads as the deepest navy in certain lights, and against the black it’s chef’s kiss.
Patterns clash.
Not always, and if you want a full masterclass in why, go rewatch any episode of Sex and the City from Season 4 onwards. The girls are out here mixing polka dots with florals, plaids with prints, things that on paper should not work… and yet. The secret ingredient every single time? Confidence. You wear it as you meant it, and suddenly it does work. It always works.
Okay, now let’s actually build the outfit
Here’s the framework I always come back to when I’m standing in front of my wardrobe in a mild panic:
If it’s not interesting by colour, make it interesting by texture. If it’s not interesting by texture, make it interesting by shape.
Write that down. Stick it on your mirror. Tattoo it somewhere. It sounds simple, but honestly it solves almost every outfit problem.
Texture duos
Mixing fabrics is one of the easiest ways to make an outfit feel considered without actually doing that much. Think silk against something raw and organic — it’s that contrast that does all the heavy lifting.
Our Haven Bead Linen Tank in Bone, paired with the Deco Skirt in Deadleaf, is a perfect example — you’ve got the relaxed, tactile feel of linen against the liquid drape of silk. Two completely different fabrics, one very cool outfit. Neither piece is doing too much on its own, but together they work.
The same principle applies to our Bias Cut Pants in Midnight — that silk paired with a ribbed sheer knit brings in that contrast between smooth and structured that makes an outfit feel intentional rather than assembled.
Layering
Layering is your best friend, and I don’t think we use it enough beyond the cooler months. But it’s not just about warmth — it’s about dimension.
Long sleeves under singlets. Bralettes under sheer tops. Each layer adds something the single piece alone couldn’t.
Right now I’m obsessed with the idea of wearing our Kylie Halter Triangle Top in Electric Blue underneath the Samantha Clover Lace Top in Creme. The electric blue peeking through the lace is such a nice surprise — unexpected, a little playful, and way more interesting than either piece would be on its own. That’s layering doing exactly what it should.
And don’t sleep on the sarong scarf moment — tied loosely over pants, it’s the kind of thing that makes an outfit look like you really thought about it, even if you absolutely did not.
Shape
If you’ve gone neutral on colour and kept texture simple, shape is where you earn your points back. And sometimes all it takes is one statement piece to do the work for you. The Ayana Gathered Cardigan in Olive thrown over your favourite jeans is proof — the gathering and volume in the cardigan give the whole outfit shape and intention that a basic top just can’t.
The last thing I’ll say
Get dressed for yourself. Not for a trend, not for a comment, not for the algorithm. The most stylish people I know aren’t the ones wearing the newest thing - they’re the ones who have figured out what they love and lean into it completely.
Use this as a starting point, then throw it out the window and do whatever feels like you.
That’s always the right outfit.
