Introducing my style blog

Hello and welcome to my newsletter! 

For those of you who don’t know me….

I’m Jennie Rogers.  I grew up in Sydney, Australia but have called Melbourne home since the late 80s.  I enjoy my day job as a lawyer but what I really love is anything to do with fashion and style.

Over the years I’ve seen trends come, go and come back again.  Sometimes I have followed them and other times I’ve simply observed with curiosity. Again and again, I’ve been drawn back to an aesthetic that is timeless and modern. 

If you also like to dress this way, then this newsletter is for you.  I’ll be sending through regular stories about what I’m thinking, seeing and enjoying when it comes to fashion.  And it will be my privilege to share this with you all!

But first – a bit about what brings me to this point.

Ever since I can remember I have been fascinated by fashion.  My father was in the rag trade during the 1960s, 70s and early 80s.  He had a factory in Surry Hills in inner Sydney where he manufactured women’s suits and coats.  I clearly recall many visits there as a child. 

When he was busy, I would amuse myself among the cardboard patterns, huge rolls of fabric and racks of finished product.  Although it wasn’t necessarily fun at the time, these memories are vivid, so I think being in this realm was the start of my passion for it.

My mother was creative and could often be found drawing, sculpting or painting.  Without any formal skills she updated and expanded the range of clothes my father made.  And she loved to shop.  What seemed like endless trips to department stores turned out to be my training ground.

My parents emphasized the importance of education, so they were keen for me to study hard and excel at school.  Which I did.  Throughout my high school years though I loved the idea of experimenting with clothes and putting together outfits from different things in my wardrobe.  Most of these did not make it outside my bedroom! 

I liked the idea of contrasts – such as pairing a voluminous top with skinny trousers. I played around with my mother’s accessories and saw how they could make something simple look amazing.  A shiny black belt with a bow shaped buckle was a case in point! And I found myself increasingly drawn to neutrals in place of the bright colours I loved as a child.  Looking back on it, this is when I began to develop my own sense of style.

After high school I studied law.  Professional life soon followed and for me, the legal world was challenging, engaging and all-consuming.  I quickly learnt a lot.

My career has encompassed working in law firms, corporations and government.  I’ve been fortunate to accumulate wide ranging experience and I continue to find my work satisfying.  To be completely honest though I think dressing for the job is half the fun!

I really missed that during Covid.  My daily lockdown uniform was leggings and a hoodie, plus a black puffer jacket for outings to buy essentials.  Everyone looked the same, stripped of individuality.

I was lucky to be working, but had plenty of time to reflect when I wasn’t.  A milestone birthday further focussed my mind, and I began to fully appreciate how precious time is.  It felt like I’d spent quite a bit of it doing the next thing on my plate rather than being conscious of what I wanted.  This made me think about what I did want and what I loved doing.  Fashion and styling gradually came to the surface - along with the idea of writing about it.

So - here I am. What do you think?  I would love to hear your feedback or questions. And also your suggestions on anything you’d like me to cover in future issues. 

I’ll be back with you again in two weeks, writing about the style and versatility of the black trouser suit and why every wardrobe should contain one.

In the meantime, please feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be interested.

Thanks for reading and bye for now.

Jennie

x

---