Lisa Ing Marinelli Shares Her Favourite Looks & Advice
My style is best described as effortless, but with a bit of effort behind the scenes! I get such enjoyment from looking put together, but in a way that still works for everyday life – I have two young kids, so practicality is a top priority.
My working wardrobe isn’t too strict. I’m a corporate lawyer, but thankfully I work in a pretty cool sector as part of their in-house legal team, which means anything goes. However, I firmly believe lawyers should look professional, so I would never go to work in a tracksuit. I wear what feels comfortable but always try to inject a touch of my personality into it.
Colour and cut will help you shake up a corporate dress code. When I worked in a law firm, ‘business casual’ was still mandatory – especially when it came to meeting clients. When people think of lawyers, black suits often spring to mind, but I would try to wear a lot more colour – albeit block colours to maintain a level of professionalism.
My go-to off-duty look is a pair of jeans, heels, a great blazer and a sleek haircut. During the summer, my favourite look is a casual pair of nylon shorts with heels and a linen shirt. The key for me is to mix casual and more formal, like wearing heels with sweats or ripped jeans with a tweed jacket, for example. They’re the looks I come back to year after year.
My fashion icons are Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Pernille Teisbaek – both always look simple, chic and they’re so ahead of all the minimalist trends.
I’m a shoe girl at heart, but I have a real soft spot for jackets and blazers, too. My favourite piece in my wardrobe is my Hermès Kelly bag, though. I don’t use it very often but it was gifted it several years ago for my 30th birthday from my husband, who went to the store so many times only to be consistently rejected. Eventually, he made friends with a sales associate and was purchasing some paper for my diary when he was taken into a room to be able to buy the bag.
Some of my favourite smaller brands are Lauren Rubinski – I wear her necklaces all the time, be it a chunky gold chain or some of her colourful beaded designs. I also have a soft spot for my Moussy Vintage jeans – I got them last season and the fit is fantastic.
Quality matters to me more than a brand name. If I like the design of something but it’s over-priced for a synthetic fabric, I just won’t buy it. I always think about practicality, too. If you need to make too many changes to something or it doesn’t fit properly, you won’t want to wear it, so even if it was 50% off, it’s a waste of money. I love Jacquemus’ dresses for example, but realistically I can’t wear them as they’re made for women who don’t have to wear a bra. Some of my favourite mid-price brands are The Frankie Shop, Totême and Loulou Studio. In my experience, their pieces retain their shape after washing, aren’t too delicate so you can wear them around young kids, and make for easy dressing thanks to their classic shapes.
My shopping philosophy is buy well, not often. Investing in quality (regardless of the price) will stand you in good stead beyond any fleeting trends. I have so many clothes in my wardrobe that I’ve owned for over decade – from when I first started really investing in my wardrobe. Not only is resale value higher if you decide to part with something, but the longevity will trump all the cheaper items you buy and discard season after season.
My favourite look from the shoot has to be the shorts, heels and denim jacket – I feel most comfortable and like myself in it. Being comfortable always manifests confidence, so it wasn’t a coincidence this look took the shortest time to shoot!
My favourite trend for summer is the boxer short and matching shirt look. I purchased a set from Homme Girls last season and it was my go-to unform. This year, many other brands are creating their own versions, including the Frankie Shop – I’m excited to see something trending that I already love wearing so much.
Follow @LisaIngMarinelli on Instagram
Photography by India Hartford Davis
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