What Mums Wear: Jessica Cognetta, Founder & Creative Director of SOLAQUA.
"I’ve been doing this for years and it is something I would recommend as a sort of mindfulness practice."
What mums wear is a new series that takes a deep dive into what we wear, our relationship with fashion and how it evolves throughout motherhood, just as we do. We ask our most stylish mum friends what they wear on repeat, tips on what to buy and what they consider when getting dressed each day.
For as long as I’ve known Jess, she has always been a fashion girlie. I met her when we both worked at a digital and talent agency (before that she worked in the fashion department at Elle magazine). She often styled many of us in the office. Her innate personal style was obvious, and her aptitude for blending high and low pieces was seamless – she left us guessing whether she was wearing a great buy from Zara or something more luxurious from Net-a-porter.
When the mother of two launched her luxury resort wear label, SOLAQUA, I wasn’t one bit surprised. This seemed like a natural progression for a woman so chic, so creative, and one who has worked tirelessly over the years honing her business acumen. She had launched a brand that encapsulates her uncomplicated yet thoughtful sense of style. And by thoughtful I mean, what she wears is not by accident, each piece in her wardrobe serves a purpose and works overtime. To her, getting dressed is much more than what she wears. It’s ritualistic and puts the female founder into a meditative state of mind.
Read on as Jess shares her relationship with fashion, how she plans her outfits, her style evolution during pregnancy and postpartum, and her essential items.
On a typical day I wake up usually with both babies in my bed due to chaos the night before. My husband will bring me a coffee in bed while the kids are still waking up and then we all get dressed and are out the door by 8am.
I’m fortunate enough that my husband is very hands on in the morning, he makes breakfast and gets the kids dressed so I can focus on putting myself together for the day which he knows is a bit of a ritual for me. Most days I will have my outfit prepared from the night before to save time. After I drop both of my children off to daycare I head straight to our studio for my brand SOLAQUA. My tasks vary day to day but it’s crucial that I’m dressed comfortably and sensibly.
I’ve had an interest in fashion from a very young age (10 or so) and I always knew would end up in this space. I left my university degree in my fourth year when I got the internship of my dreams at GRAZIA Magazine and I never looked back.
LOOK 01. DROP-OFF.
As I mentioned, I always plan my outfits the night before, even if I have no plans and I’m just hanging around the house all day. This clears my mind before bed and I feel like I have a plan of attack for the whole day when my outfit is sorted. I’ve been doing this for years and it is something I would recommend as a sort of mindfulness practice.
Drop off and workwear are essentially the same thing as I go straight from drop off into my day. I am normally in a pair of slacks or baggy jeans and an oversized shirt with sneakers or sandals. This is basically my uniform. I wear this because I need to be comfortable but it’s also always important for me that I look ‘together’ to some degree. I love this approach to dressing as it means I’m ready for anything. An unplanned meeting might come up or a last minute catch up with a friend and I don’t have to worry about rushing home to get changed. You’ll rarely find me out and about in activewear or a tracksuit unless I’m actually exercising. Otherwise I’m in normal comfortable yet stylish clothes 90% of the time.
LOOK 02. WORK MODE.
I’ve always had a less is more approach to dressing but as my body changed after giving birth I definitely take an even more relaxed approach to dressing. I just want everything to flow and be comfy. I really gravitate more towards oversized clothes since becoming a mother.
My style is very much timeless but modern. Everything I buy and pieces I create are designed to wear for years to come so I don’t feel like I need to update my wardrobe every season with the latest trends.
Working for myself I have complete freedom with how I dress, so ensuring I’m always in flat comfortable shoes and clothes that aren’t too binding is key. I like to look and feel cool and comfortable for the entire day.
LOOK 03. DATE NIGHT.
You just can’t go wrong with black silk (editor’s note: I’m glad I bought this skirt and I now I’m adding the top to cart!). I’ve been wearing our PF23 collection on rotation this winter as it just works for every evening occasion. I also think a strong black leather point or a sparkly shoe is something you can wear over and over again! I recently bought the Bottega Pumps which have been on rotation for most nights out. My little Chanel bag is the perfect size for a night out so that comes out with me most nights.
Even with my event wear, I look for fluidity in my cuts, I love anything that drops beautifully and this only really occurs from high quality fabrics which I think are the most important thing to look for.
When I was pregnant I went in a completely different direction and wore more form fitting pieces. I really loved my pregnant body and embraced my belly whole heartedly which is the opposite of how I dress now funnily enough!
LOOK 04. LE WEEKEND.
On the weekend I like to keep it simple and effortless. I do love to wear a lot of layered jewellery so I keep my clothes as simple as possible for an effortless luxurious look. I wear denim. Always. Either a pair of loose jeans or a denim maxi skirt with a white tee shirt and a blazer plus sneakers for the win!
A good pair of comfy jeans are a great investment for anyone especially mothers. As well as a rotation of white/black tees for layering and an excellently cut black blazer.
When it comes to dressing my children, Both started out with beautiful beige palettes in their wardrobes, and for the most part, my son still lets me pick his clothes, however my two year old daughter, Stella, wants to wear a tutu and heart shaped sunglasses everywhere she goes and I’ve just had to learn how to roll with it. I expect nothing less than a strong sense of style from my own daughter ha!
SHOP JESSICA’S MUST-HAVES.
(I’ve also added some high/low variations too).
For more of Jess’s style with a side of family life follow @jessica.cognetta / or discover her label @solaqua.studio / shop solaquastudio.com.au