Elevate your style with SM Woman and Stephanie Dods

Originally from Australia and New Zealand, Stephanie used to work as a fashion buyer for a boutique in Australia before becoming an interior designer. Now based in the Philippines for over a decade, she’s embraced life as “a mom who likes to get dressed up,” inspiring her online community with her thoughtful takes on everyday outfits and effortless styling.

Last week, she brought that same sensibility offline, hosting an intimate styling session at SM Makati and empowering women with her secrets to dressing well.

“I think fashion is really important and the way you dress and present yourself says a lot about you. For me, it really sets the tone for the day,” Stephanie told the crowd—a mix of SMAC Prestige cardholders, members of Stephanie’s online community, and journalists—that had gathered at the cushy Prestige Lounge on that Wednesday afternoon.

Getting dressed isn’t always easy. Any woman knows the feeling of staring at her closet and thinking that she has nothing to wear. Putting together an outfit on busy mornings can often feel like a struggle. “That happens because we own a lot of pieces, but they don’t necessarily mix well together. A capsule wardrobe really solves that,” said Stephanie.

Putting together a capsule wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of pieces that all mix and match well together. “It’s not necessarily about buying less but about buying more intentionally,” she said. “It will make your life and getting ready that much easier.”

And to illustrate, around the lounge were racks of pieces from SM Woman that she had curated—pants, skirts, blouses, shirts, and jackets that could be combined into multiple outfits. “It’s perfect for people who travel a lot, who work 9 to 5, or if you’re building or refreshing your wardrobe.”

Begin by focusing on color, Stephanie said. “Start with neutrals—your blacks, your grays, your whites, your beiges, your browns. Some people might say neutrals are boring, but I would like to say they’re more timeless and versatile, and neutrals really are going to be the foundation of your wardrobe. You want to start with some really good staples.”

Find “workhorse pieces” or pieces that you will wear over and over again. “A really good pair of denim, black pants, beige pants, some really good layering pieces, a knit, a cardigan, a good button-up, your basic tees and tanks, and some really good outerwear pieces.”

You’ll find all these and more from SM Woman at SM Store, the go-to destination for timeless silhouettes, sophisticated pieces, modern essentials, and versatile collections for discerning shoppers who know that style isn’t about the price tag—and looking good doesn’t have to mean spending a lot.

Everybody needs a white button-down shirt, said Stephanie. “It can be worn on its own, over a tee with denim for a casual look, tucked into trousers for a work look, maybe under a blazer, or under a knit. That one piece becomes five different outfits.”

When planning an outfit, Stephanie likes to think in threes. “Usually, I’ll do a bottom paired with a top and then a layering piece. It could be trousers and a plain tee paired with a jacket.”

For color, she adapted an interior design principle that’s used to create harmonious color palettes. “It’s the 60-30-10 rule. You’ll have a dominant color, a secondary color, and an accent color. For example, beige, white, and black. That’s how you get a cohesive look.”

She said, “We all love a monochromatic look, it makes the body look really tall, it’s lengthening, but to make it a little bit more interesting, I like to break it up by texture or the hardware in your accessories.”

Stephanie pointed to her own outfit—tailored black pants paired with a black jacket. “This jacket has a textured weave and some silver hardware.”

Focus on the fit

Another thing to focus on would be the fit of your clothes. “If something fits really well, it automatically looks more extensive, more polished, and more intentional. You really don’t need to spend that much. You just need to focus on tailoring and also knowing your proportions. You really want to focus on your own body proportions rather than trends and things that might come and go.”

Stephanie gets about 70% of the pieces she buys tailored. This is easy to do while shopping at SM Store because it offers tailoring services.

Your clothes should also reflect your lifestyle, according to Stephanie. “If you work a 9-to-5, you’re going to have more tailored pieces, so you’re probably going to own more blazers and really good shirts. I’m a boy mom, so I run around a lot. I don’t wear that many dresses, but I do wear a lot of denim and pants because I can run around in them.”

Find your hero pieces

Once your capsule wardrobe is ready, add some hero pieces. “These are pieces that really stand out and are just going to elevate your look. It could be a beautiful jacket, a really unique top, a pop of color, a dress, a co-ord set. They add personality to your wardrobe while still working with your basics.”

Before buying a new hero piece, Stephanie said you should ask yourself these questions: “Will these pieces work seamlessly with what I already have? Can I style it three ways?”

Stephanie demonstrated how easy it is to elevate SM Woman’s versatile, everyday pieces into hero pieces that make a high-fashion statement.

One of her picks is a funnel neck jacket that’s available in different colors. “This is going to be so big for spring. We saw this all over the runway. We saw it with athleisure wear, we saw it paired with more tailored pieces, we saw it paired with more floaty pieces.”

Stephanie put the jacket on a model who was wearing a white dress that’s also from SM Woman. “This dress is really beautiful on its own. You can wear it with heels. But the juxtaposition of this jacket and this floaty dress is also very cute. Imagine it with sneakers. It’s a cool look for running errands that’s just so cute and fresh.”

She paired a burgundy version of the funnel neck jacket with tailored pants. “You could also do a tailored midi skirt.”

Next, she called a model wearing a navy co-ord set. “Who doesn’t love buying a co-ord? I wear co-ords all the time. This one is really beautiful, and it has this silver detailing. As a set it’s really beautiful for dinner, for an event, for the evening, but then if you break it apart you can wear the jacket over a white tee... It’s that kind of versatility that will make it one of those valuable pieces in your wardrobe.”

Color analysis

Guests also got to enjoy a color analysis session and demo with Nina Manongtong, a certified personal color analyst who got her training in Japan and Korea.

Nina said, “The secret to color analysis is your undertone. The moment you know your undertone, it’s easier for you to choose your colors to wear, the shades of makeup to use, and also the jewelry tone to highlight your features.”

Checking the color of your veins isn’t an accurate method to identify your undertone, she said. “It can be identified by the pigments in your skin. If you have more yellows, then you have a warm skin tone. If you have more pinks, you have a cool skin tone.”

After the workshop, attendees got to enjoy a private shopping experience with Stephanie. It was the perfect time to build their capsule wardrobe and find hero pieces from SM Woman.

You, too, can elevate your wardrobe with Stephanie’s curated looks. They’re available exclusively at SM.

Stephanie said, “When you feel good in what you’re wearing, that confidence is really going to translate to the rest of your day.”

See more from SM Woman on SM Fashion's Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok. 

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Editor's Note: BrandedUp is designed to provide you with insightful, inspiring, and educational content created by The Philippine STAR in collaboration with brands like SM Fashion.