This evening’s Style Stories is with a favourite personality of ours, Kylie Gillies. Recently signing on with Harris Scarfe, it’s brilliant to see a brand like this take on a very natural ambassador like Kylie. We believe it’s only further proof that ageless fashion is the future. Kylie sartorially bridges the divide, putting a personal spin on trends and balancing fashion-driven pieces with classics perfectly. A woman after our own heart, she also loves a bargain. Let’s see what else we have in common with this lovely The Morning Show host.
“I’ll wear this Harris Scarfe suit on air, but I can easily wear this blazer with jeans and a tee or out to dinner with a little silk top underneath. You make pieces work for your lifestyle.” – Kylie
Your favourite brand?
Harris Scarfe! I’ve recently signed on as a fashion associate, and it came from a really organic place. The store is just up the road from my house and I found myself in there doing some bargain hunting. I wore one of their pieces on air and that’s how the association started. It came from a really genuine place. Everyone loved the dress, the newspaper picked it up and ran it, it received lots of Instagram love, and that’s how it began.
And I love a bargain. I’ve never met a sale I didn’t like. Harris Scarfe has great price points to begin with and then they do amazing sales. And you know what, people at home are really stretched to pay their power bills, people don’t have a lot of money to be spending on clothes. So when can pair a great price point with an item on sale and it’s going to last you more than one season it’s a win-win.
Favourite beauty brand and product?
I’m using Natasha Cook skincare at the moment because it’s effective and simple, it has two steps in the morning, two steps at night. Natasha is an Australian doctor and she developed this range herself. I stumbled across it when I had a pre-cancerous growth on my face. I went to her to have it removed, I saw her range, and I’ve been using it ever since. And in terms of makeup, I use MAC Cosmetics at work every day.
Favourite song to get you in the mood to go out?
Well first, I don’t go out very often! Second, the kind of music I listen to at the moment is rap music. I have two teenage sons who take over my phone in the car and (I have no idea how) run Spotify via Bluetooth and totally hijack any music that goes on in my life.
I don’t like the lyrics in the rap music; I often tell them they have to skip certain lyrics. Anyone with teenagers will know what I am talking about. Language is one thing, but I really don’t like anything that disrespects women. The boys want to listen to music and they’re getting a feminist lecture! My car, my rules.
But I have Google Home and if I’m home by myself I’ll go “Ok Google, play anything Michael Buble or Ed Sheeran”. That’s my music when I am home chopping up the veggies by myself, but otherwise, I don’t get much of a say.
Do you have one little packing tip for holidays?
Never forget to pack a small handbag or clutch. Inevitably you’ve got your beach bag, but then you’ll go to dinner and need a little bag for your phone or camera and your room key. It took me a long time to remember to do that, so I always pack a little clutch. You’re doing out for occasional nice dinners, and I’ve been caught out trying to juggle room keys, phones etc. Otherwise, it’s your beach bag and nice clothes- not good.
Do you have a fashion idol?
I follow a lot of people on Instagram and do some style stalking. I follow a range of women and ages. From those in their early 20’s to women in their 60’s, I have a bit of a wide cross-section because I think “I probably can’t get away with that mini skit but I really like the way she’s wearing that top”. And when I am looking at older women, I think wow you can still wear white jeans and look amazing if you wear it with this or that. So, I style stalk and steal the best bits.
Do you think Instagram is playing a part in promoting ageless fashion?
I little. In my role at Harris Scarfe, hopefully, I can bring a little bit of ageless fashion to the world. Just because you’re a certain age doesn’t mean you have to dress like a nanna. The Khoko range from Harris Scarfe being described as “Forever 49” – I love that. I think ageless fashion is great. It’s just knowing that you might not be able to wear the mini skirt, but you can still wear that fabulous white top. Or wear the white jeans but maybe not the skin-tight ones and maybe still cuff them the way young girls are wearing them. And sneakers, loving the sneakers. The older I get, the more I am wearing sneakers! They look amazing but so practical. At any given day I can be in a TV studio, to a photo shoot, to pick up the kids, to footy training and fitting in a supermarket run somewhere in there as well. So sneakers are my go-to at the moment, simple sneakers. Harris Scarfe has some gold ones at the moment that I love, and you can pull them off with so many fashion looks.
What would you say you “got from your Mumma” about style and beauty?
Mum always “makes an effort” – her words. My mum (80 years old) looks amazing, and she does some part-time modelling in fashion parades back home in Tamworth. She likes to be well groomed; she’d never go out of the house in a tracksuit, she always makes an effort. And I think some of that has rubbed off a little bit. Things like, if mum is going on a plane she will make an effort, and I will do the same. She loves fashion and she is eyeing off things at Harris Scarfe that I can maybe point her in the right direction towards. I will buy my mum clothes occasionally if I am about and see something for her. The women at her View club are onto me and will say, “did Kylie buy that for you?” They can spot a Kylie purchase a mile off!