On the hunt for that perfect ‘third piece’
Wardrobe consultant Roslyn Costanzo won’t let any sale rack go unrifled
Roslyn Costanzo was rooting around the clearance rack at Joe Fresh one day when she unearthed what would turn out to be one of the most versatile pieces in her wardrobe: a faux fur stole, a steal at only $2.
It’s her favourite “third piece,” says the 39-year-old writer, wardrobe consultant and mom of two. That little extra something-something that can magically transform an outfit from ordinary to fantabulous.
“When you walk out the door, the difference between just throwing on jeans and a top, which is how everyone dresses — pants and a top — is most outfits that you see online or on the street that you admire usually have
this third piece,” explains Costanzo. “So it can be a scarf, a belt, a vest, anything that adds another layer of interest.”
A multicoloured faux fur clutch purchased during a trip to Ireland, statement scarves or a tassel necklace also add a little bit of oomph to the white T-shirts and jeans Costanzo reaches for on the regular.
She’s been doing this most of her life — advising and auditing the closets of friends, family and now clients. She’s the person who will text to say she’s found the perfect “this” to go with your “that” and guess what? It’s on sale.
And she’s mastered the art of foraging for stylish finds — so much so, that you’ll find her tips, tricks and musings on the pages of her own blog, StyleForage.com, the Huffington Post, Today’s Parent and Sharp magazine, to name a few. She also recently gave a talk on the top five wardrobe essentials for every woman: a great pair of jeans, a good white T-shirt, a leather jacket, a great pair of ankle boots (like the red kitten heels from Winners she wears here), and a printed dress.
“A printed dress because it’s the chameleon of your wardrobe,” says Costanzo, who pairs a blue faux suede embroidered swing top from Zara with distressed high-waisted Levi’s Wedgie jeans. “You can dress it up with heels and wear it to a wedding, you can wear it with tights and ankle boots and a leather jacket.” Most eye-catching piece: The new mustardy-yellow, three-quarter-length coat I just got from H&M. I get tons of compliments on it. Quirkiest wardrobe item: A flat tweed cap I have with ear flaps. I bought it ages ago but I just wore it in a blog post the other day … it’s probably not something I would typically pick but I like it. Wardrobe must-have: A great pair of jeans. That means high-waisted, skinny or straight jeans, cropped at the ankle. I love Levi’s Icon Wedgie Jeans. Best purchase: That $2 faux fur scarf from Joe Fresh. Or I also got a faux fur jacket at H&M for $20, years ago, and I still wear it all the time in the winter. And again, it was one of those things that was on the sale rack. There were, like, 20 of them that no one wanted. It’s grey with a bright blue bottom. Regrets buying: It’s not a particular item … but I am trying to buy better quality pieces instead of tons of cheap pieces on sale ... really good finds like the faux fur jacket and the Joe Fresh scarf, excluded. I’m trying not to buy sweaters, for instance, that are cheap and they pill and are good for one season.
I read Marie Kondo’s book and I thought, ‘oh that’s kind of weird saying goodbye to things that don’t bring you joy.’ And then when I was moving, I was like, ‘well clothes bring me joy’ but I didn’t understand it in the way she meant until I was moving and I just took this blazer out of my closet and I thought, ‘UGH. This. Blazer.’ And I thought, ‘why am I keeping it? I hate it.’ So I’m getting rid of things like that and trying to buy more quality items. Loves to shop at: Mostly the mall brands. Zara is my mainstay … and sometimes I find good finds at H&M, Aritzia …
Winners. I am a hunter. I love Winners. It’s my thing. Ridding her closet of: Especially since we moved; I really got rid of a lot of stuff that just didn’t work for me … things that don’t fit me perfectly that I bought on sale. I guess sale, impulse regrets … and stuff that doesn’t suit my wardrobe. I don’t have a need for black pants, really. I never wear them. I just don’t have that lifestyle. Splurges on: Not in terms of cost because I wouldn’t say each one’s expensive but I do have a lot of coats. And we live in Canada. Canadian girls need coats to, like, mix it up a little bit in the winter. It gets so boring by the end of winter. Aren’t you so sick of your winter wardrobe? So I tend to buy a lot of coats.
Beauty item you can’t live without:
Mascara. Red hair, red eyelashes, I need mascara for sure. I’ve tried lots of brands ranging from expensive to drugstore and my favourite one is Maybelline’s The Falsies.