What Mums Wear: Lauren Sams, Fashion Editor AFR.
"I think when you have kids, you start to give fewer shits about what other people think."
Like me, you have probably seen Lauren Sams’ byline many times. She has had an extensive career in media spanning from ELLE to Cosmopolitan and now the Australian Financial Review. But the first time I encountered Lauren Sams, the person (a hilarious person at that!) was via Zara Wong’s Substack,
. I heard more of that intelligent yet forthcoming mother of two on the Hack Your Own PR Podcast. Since then, I have been dying to get her on What Mums Wear. Not only did she confess to not always looking quite like a fashion editor and that she, too, slipped on a pair of trackies (Nagnata, nonetheless) for drop-off, but she also had some really insightful and practical tips on getting dressed. One is to wear what fits you, which seems obvious, but how often do we go for a size that does not fit best?Lauren has learnt many things from working in fashion media and keeps it simple when it comes to getting dressed. She has a uniform and go-to event pieces and always lets comfort take the lead. Read on as she shares many nuggets of wisdom on the importance of good tailoring, what she kept after clearing out her closet, why she needs all 12 blazers, and laugh with her as she looks back on her pregnancy style (or lack thereof).
Weekly routine.
I wake up at 4:50 a.m. and make two coffees. One I drink immediately, and the other I take in the car to the gym. I spend an hour at the gym. I mainly do weights, and sometimes, I’ll do a treadmill run or see my trainer. My husband does yoga and Pilates in the morning. We’re both very dedicated to feeling good.
At home, we do all the normal stuff. We pack lunches (is it weird that I like doing this?), get the kids dressed, make them breakfast, and then get ready for work. We’re all usually out the door by 7:45 a.m., and I head to work in North Sydney after drop-off (my husband does school pick-up).
At work, I have another coffee and settle in for the day. My work day is varied. Sometimes, I’m at my desk all day, but often, I’m at PR showings, events or meetings with designers, publicists and more. I like to be out and about. I didn’t become a reporter to sit behind a desk… although sometimes that is heaven!
I work for a few different parts of the newspaper, so I have different people I report to. I’ll check in with them during the week. I file anywhere between three and seven stories a week, depending on what’s happening. I write a monthly column, a weekly style advice column, features for the magazine and Life & Leisure, and I report for the daily newspaper. It’s the best job ever!
I am always invited to evening events, but I mostly decline. Time with my family is too precious. Also, I’m an early bird, so I need to be in bed with a book by 10 p.m. at the latest.
Weekends start with a workout (of course) and then kids’ activities. We try very hard to reserve weekends for our family time. We swim a lot in summer and love visiting the farmer’s market and museums. I promise we are not insufferable!
How my style has evolved.
Like most people, I am a lot more comfortable and confident making choices for myself as I get older. When I was younger, I definitely paid closer attention to trends; even if they didn’t suit me, I couldn’t afford them or didn’t particularly like them. Now, I feel much more empowered to sit out a trend and simply wear what I love. I’m often the only person at an event wearing flats, and that is fine with me. I have a lot of running around to do; I cannot be in heels all day long.
Motherhood has probably had an impact on [what I wear]. I think when you have kids, you start to give fewer shits about what other people think. I like to think about what to wear the night before because I have limited time in the mornings. It’ll be based on what I’m doing the next day - do I have appointments, lunch with an advertiser, or am I doing one of those rare evening events. Like most parents, I think about practicalities. Am I taking the kids to school? If so, no white - I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gotten someone’s Vegemite on my shirt on the way to school. At this point, I only have myself to blame.
What I’ve learnt about fashion on the job.
Working in fashion media has taught me that getting dressed is simple! I recently did a big closet clear-out because I usually stick to a uniform—jeans, a tee and blazer, or a suit (I love suits; my best fashion tip is to have a suit made for you. I have two from Oscar Hunt). I rarely wear dresses or skirts—I love a great button-down with a wide-legged pant. It’s easy and comfortable and feels like me.
My style influences (for better and worse!).
I love that classic American sportswear look, in which great basics are the key. I don’t think a singular person has influenced my style. It’s more that I’ve absorbed bits and pieces over the years. Lauren Hutton and Diane Keaton in the 1970s and 1980s, Jackie Kennedy Onassis when she was working at Doubleday in the 1980s. I love that silhouette they all had. Nothing was overly complicated.
What most influenced me, for better or worse, was magazines in the 1990s. I remember worrying about what fruit I was (Apple? Pear?) and taking rules very seriously (like matching your shoes to your belt). That influenced me a lot—not always in a good way! But I also remember loving celebrity style and being engaged with runway fashion in a way that other kids my age were not. It definitely had an impact.
What I love wearing.
I’m obsessed with jeans (please subscribe to Jane on Jeans, an excellent Substack all about denim), and I am forever on the hunt for the best black pants (Christopher Esber makes the most exquisite silk version; Rebecca Vallance does a wonderful suit pant that I wear once a week at least). I like clothes that aren’t fussy, that are well-made (good fabric and construction) and are sized to fit me. That might sound obvious, but having pieces tailored is key!
I also love a good blazer. I have 12! They range from vintage Armani and Valentino to Camilla and Marc, Friends with Frank, Rebecca Vallance, Alexander McQueen, and Stella McCartney. They’re all different. I love them all, and no, I can’t get rid of any of them! I prefer a boxier shape but not oversized—I am too short to pull this off.
I think everyone should have an off-duty outfit that is still cool. Jeans are an obvious example—something you can easily throw on and feel put together. I have a pair of Nagnata trackies that feel and look great. I often wear them with a tee, but you could definitely give them some oomph with a blazer.
I don’t wear dresses often but wear them to events. I have a lovely St. Agni dress - black knit with a boatneck - that I’ll reach for during the summer and a gorgeous Lee Mathews cotton poplin dress that is heaven during the worst of Sydney’s humidity. For something a bit sexy, I’ll wear a fabulous Rebecca Vallance silk maxi, which fits like a glove. In winter, I wear an Alexander McQueen tuxedo dress (another option here). And when I can’t decide, I’ll often wear my Viktoria & Woods Chorus set, or those Esber pants (sold out in black, but the champagne colour is on sale!) with a Beare Park top that sits off the shoulder. Everything I have mentioned above is black. I wear a lot of black.
Most worn items.
Jeans. I am obsessed with my Frame Barrel jeans; I have them in cream and blue. I also love my Levi’s Ankle Ribcage jeans - Paula Joye recommended them to me, and she was so on the money).
Blazers, as mentioned above.
I wear flats almost daily - I love Nelson Made, A. Emery, and Essen, and my Aeyde ballet flats are a constant; they are so comfortable.
In winter I usually wear boots - I love R.M Williams.
The tees are from Cos.
Knitwear from &Daughter and Viktoria & Woods.
Undies! I love Dear Dylan for bras and underwear. Chic and sweet, not overly sexy. That is so not me.
I have a few pieces of jewellery I wear on repeat, too - last year, my husband bought me a Cartier watch that I wear every day, and I usually wear a cuff on the other arm and a few necklaces. Hot tip: Oroton and Alemais have excellent costume jewellery.
On pregnancy style.
I had the worst pregnancy style! My first pregnancy was in 2011, which feels like 400 years ago. It was before maternity style really became a thing. I wore many trapeze dresses and some truly awful Topshop jeans that were very comfortable (and that’s really all I can say about them). In 2016, I fell pregnant again and mainly wore my “normal” clothes, sized up. If I could do it all again (you couldn’t pay me to get pregnant again!), I’d invest in a great pair of jeans, a dress I felt good in and oversized shirts. Or I would visit my friend Zara Wong and steal her maternity wardrobe (and maybe her baby, too; he is so sweet).
Final tips on style.
Style is a work in progress. I think that is true for most of us. I like the advice of Tibi founder Amy Smilovic, who says we should think of three words to describe our style - mine are classic, comfortable and cool. I lean away from anything too feminine because my hair is curly, which is feminine enough! To balance it, I wear a lot of pants, suits, jumpsuits, and that sort of thing. But mostly I think style is about the life you live and how your clothes can support and enhance it. I run around a lot - most days, I walk around 17,000 steps - so heels are impractical. I don’t like feeling uncomfortable (in clothes that don’t fit or don’t suit me), so I seek out pieces in which I see myself and feel best. I think accessories make an outfit, too - you can wear the best dress, feeling like the best version of yourself, but without the necklace or the shoes, it’s just not right. So take a little time to create an accessory wardrobe - a clutch you can take in the evenings, some belts (jeans should always be worn with a belt, in my opinion), a few handbags for different occasions, some nice jewellery you’ll happily wear often. I think style can become overwhelming when it should bring us joy. Look at stylists like Anthea O’Connor, Nicole Bonython and Fiona Milne for some hot tips, too - they’re all really clever and cool.
If all else fails, trackies.
For more Lauren, follow @laurensams