TV star, fashionista and wife of Guy Sebastian and mum of two Jules Sebastian sat down to give Shannon Johnson from Living for Style her top fashion tips for North Shore Mums at Ozsale’s #luxeforless campaign launch. She looked divine in her gorgeous Alex Perry dress which was an Ozsale purchase and her Tony Bianco shoes. ‘She was exactly how I imagined,’ says Shannon. ‘A very friendly, down-to-earth and bubbly person who was very easy to chat to about being a mum, television host and new ambassador for Ozsale.’ Read Shannon’s chat with Jules below. 

 1. What tips do you have for mums who want to update their wardrobes without buying all new clothes?

• Hold on to your favourite things, those items that you wear all the time. If it’s a good pair of jeans that fit you really well, that you can get through your day without unbuttoning your top button, then hold onto them, especially if you have already invested your money in those items.
• Investment pieces can be worked into your new wardrobe and can then be mixed and matched with just about everything in your wardrobe. You don’t need to spend a huge amount of money on those pieces but you do have to make sure that the quality is excellent, they wash well, they hang well. It needs to be quality fabric and fit you really well. The pieces might be jeans or slacks, a blazer, a great shirt, sunnies and boots. I’m also a fan of low kitten heels. I always gravitate to the lower heels as you still look dressed up but you’re not in so much pain!
• Inject the current trends into your wardrobe with more affordable pieces once you have your investment pieces. Because fashion changes every season, you can just buy on-trend pieces to go with your investment pieces and spend a little less on them.

2. What is your ‘go-to’ outfit?

A good pair of jeans! I’m a bit of a jeans girl, I have a million pairs of jeans in every different colour, from lighter denim through to darker denim and black, in all sorts of different styles, ripped jeans, skinny, straight leg, and more distressed styles.

Trainers or comfy flat shoes. I’m not too much of a girly-girl so I go for a more masculine/feminine style. I would go for a boot rather than a ballet flat as they are just as comfy and versatile. I’m also obsessed with huarache Nikes.

I love layering so I would wear an oversized T-shirt in a loose, comfy style and layer with a bomber jacket or a longer cardi. Leather backpacks are great to chuck all the kids things into, and you can have your arms free. Beanies or hats are great for winter as they look great and  you don’t need to worry about styling your hair.

3. Where is your favourite place to go shopping for clothes?

I love online shopping at Ozsale. When I shop in stores, I love the convenience and variety of shopping in one place so I’m a fan of department stores such as Myer and David Jones. I like Topshop, Zara, General Pants, Witchery, Country Road. There are some amazing designs coming through Witchery and Country Road at the moment, the fabrics are beautiful, the knits are amazing and they last for a long time.

4. What are some of your favourite brands of clothing?

I’m more interested in the way something looks and fits rather than what the brand is. I wouldn’t buy an item for the brand. It’s always nice to have a brand name bag but I wouldn’t buy something just because it’s a particular brand.

5. What are five items of clothing you can’t live without

1. Blazers. If you put a blazer on it makes anything look good. It can dress up a pair of jeans and a T-shirt or a dress.
2. Boots. I’m obsessed with any form of boot. Patent, clear heels, over the knee. I love boots as they look great, are comfy and easy to wear.
3. A good handbag. I do have a nice collection of handbags which I’m quite proud of. I love that I don’t need a huge bag anymore I can just fit the wet wipes and a nappy in a smaller bag!
4. Jeans. They’re always comfortable and look cool.
5. Sunnies. They are especially great when you haven’t had the best night sleep.

6. Where do you go to buy your basics?

Ozsale is great for basics, it has a bit everything. I love singlets, I feel quite weird if I’m not wearing a singlet!

7. How do you manage your time – being a television host, stylist, blogger and mum of 2?

JULES WITH HUSBAND GUY AND THEIR BOYS

It doesn’t matter what your job is, everyone is busy. I’m pretty organised but in my industry everything changes last minute so it’s important to be flexible. One minute you could be planning on having a quiet week but then it can quickly ramp up.  It’s not like a 9-5 job, but I do like to know what is happening on each day.  There is no way I can do it all by myself, I’ve really had to get my head around that. My management team helps with the finer details. Getting that support allowed my life to expand and be more enjoyable.

8. What are your favourite trends this season?

Layering is a great trend for this autumn/winter. I love layering and building outfits. For this spring/summer I see colour being a trend. I’m not a huge colour person and like to stick to neutral tones but I do love how colour can make you feel and how colour can change an outfit in so many different and amazing ways.

9. Congratulations on your new role as the brand ambassador for Ozsale. How will you be showing Australian families the way to achieve #luxeforless?

Thank- you. I am really looking forward to showing everyone my top buys and key pieces! Ozsale is a fabulous place where you truly can get a bargain for less. I’m an Adelaide girl and I have always been a bargain hunter. Ozsale offer so many well known brands for a fraction of the price so working with them will be fantastic.