Dressing with Lilli Hingee
In celebrating our expansion of sizing this season, we invited Lilli Hinge to join us in sharing our new Size 20! Having been a fan of Lilll's style and dressing know-how, we were overjoyed when she said yes to joining us. Please read on as Lilli shares her story of how she began advocating for size-inclusive fashion and tips on how to layer and dress well this season.
Lilli: I started my blog Frocks and Frou Frou back in 2008 to document my experiences of shopping as a plus sized woman in Australia. The local size-inclusive fashion landscape was pretty grim back then, but the market has exploded over the past few years. I’m a huge advocate of independent and local designers, as they often lead by example when it comes to promoting diversity, inclusivity, and sustainable and ethical production. I make a conscious effort to avoid fast fashion, preferring to spend my money on well-made, classic “investment” pieces that will last for more than a single season.
Can you share how you bring an outfit together?
I draw inspiration from people I see on the streets, outfits on Instagram, and colour combinations from my favourite pieces of art. I’m particularly drawn to colour and prints, so I usually start from one statement piece and build the outfit.
I love to layer pieces in the same colour family, or I’ll pick out different hues from a piece I’m wearing and tie the rest of the outfit and my accessories into that. I’ve recently started to be a bit more adventurous with pattern clashing, and I treat dots and stripes as neutrals.
One of the reasons I love this range with Nancybird is how the very different prints complement each other - it gives me the freedom to layer and build many different outfits from fewer pieces and play with different looks and shapes.
What you look out for when selecting key pieces for your wardrobe?
I’m a fierce advocate for slow fashion, so I look for timeless and trans-seasonal items. I love deep, rich colours and bold, unusual prints. I particularly love supporting Australian artists and designers, so anything Australian flora, prints from First Nations artists, unique shapes and unexpected details are like cat-nip.
I’m also absolutely of the belief that life is too short for uncomfortable clothing. I have a little boy I’m usually running after, so everything in my wardrobe needs to be versatile, comfortable, and easy to move around in.
Can you share tips for the perfect cool season layering?
Layers, layers, layers! I live in Melbourne, and the weather regularly flip flops from hot to cold to sunny to rainy over a single day.
I’m a big fan of ankle boots and tights, layered under skirts and dresses. Light, long sleeved skivvies are terrific to wear under pinafores and sleeveless dresses, and woolly cardigans offer warmth when I need it.
Winter is a great time to play with different textures: chunky knits with satiny fabrics and structured pleats with flowy drapery.
Follow Lilli Hinge:
@frocksandfroufrou
frocksandfroufrou.com