Somewhere between 30 and 45 your increasingly squeezed morning routine slowly kills your style. We want to give grown women their sense of cool-ness and individuality back by making the throw-on-and-go clothes they rely on every day the ones that also make them look and feel their best.
Why grown up women feel bland
If you’re feeling like you’ve experienced a style downshift in adulthood, you're not alone. Lots of clothes but nothing to wear. Great clothes you never wear. Bland but reliable clothes you always do seem to wear. The reason for this isn’t that you don’t know what looks good or how to put a great outfit together. The secret to being able to nail your look now is to understand the mechanic of your busy morning and make it work for you. Ladies, it’s a game of smarter, not faster.
Let’s be honest, lack of choice in your wardrobe is not your downfall here. The reality is most items you own will actually be lying unworn due to their required styling element. When you’re getting ready on a tight schedule, your mind is subconsciously streamlining the number of steps needed to get from A to B. Items that need additional fussing time just don’t make the cut (the blouse that needs the “right” kind of trouser to work with it, the dress you can only wear with the bra that happens to be in the laundry bin,…). Needing to accessorise things carefully is the biggest time killer of your morning. And considering this is the exact time your mind will be running through your day ahead and revising to do lists, it adds a considerable amount of mental load to a task your brain wants to be doing on autopilot. Decision fatigue at 7am is not the same as decision fatigue during the rest of the day.
Most fashion brands try to solve the problem with a product that’s a better version of what you already own. The most flattering jeans, the "ultimate" white shirt, the perfect Breton jumper,… but these products don’t fix the actual problem.
The system wasn’t built for real life
Fashion is the trunk of a tree that forks out endlessly into off-shooting industries like magazines, TV shows, brands, influencers, that all rely on the continuation of their role as educators. They exist to tell you what is right now, what is old now, how to wear things and what to wear them with. The inherent fussiness of fashion is built-in by design, as it feeds the machine that keeps it ticking over. And this system, really, is completely at odds with what you need out of your clothing at the moment. The problem is not you. If your life demands easy, simple, and fuss-free, then throw-on-and-go isn’t a lesser way to dress: it’s the actual goal. So lets approach fashion design the other way round. Let’s take the end result women really want (to look styled, interesting, and considered. To feel comfortable and unrestricted) and build all of these features into one standalone garment. What if we take the effort out of looking good?
But doesn’t simple mean boring?
Let’s be clear: simple in function is not the same the same thing as simple by design. In order to fulfil our brief of making you look and feel great with no accessorising needed, we hone in hard on the detail.
Every item we create is made to have enough appeal, contrast, interest, and decoration that it doesn’t need anything else performing a supporting act. Our knits use a combination of jacquard and intarsia graphics in colour combinations that just work. We add surface embellishment in Austrian crystals in order to create a soft element of sparkle as well as surprise. Our design handwriting is equal parts cool and fun (you’re wearing something unusual that speaks of quality). Our fabrics take into account real life: nothing is too precious to get on with your day in. Most importantly, our shapes are designed for all-day comfort.
And the end result is a collection of pieces that really do all the work for you. Throw on in seconds, no accessorising needed, and get going with your day. Still get compliments on your look even though you haven’t had to make special effort. Pieces that can be dressed up with heels or down with trainers to suit any occasion and every part of your day. Feels like you’re wearing pyjamas, looks like you have a secret stylist.
So picture the scenario. You wake up to a child poking you - they’ve spilled something in their room. Great, so now you’re up cleaning that and your morning’s already on the back foot. Quick shower, check the kids are on track, tie your hair into a messy bun and throw on a Maison Wanda dress. Run downstairs, breakfast is already underway so you grab a quick bite before getting the children off to school. You shove your feet into the first pair of trainers you find as you head out the door. School run, dog walk, a couple work meetings and you’re off to catch up with some friends over drinks. “Hey, I love that dress! You always manage to look so cool.” You look down, the honest truth is you hadn’t even had to give your outfit any thought that day.
And that’s really it. That’s the whole idea of how we design. No fancy formula, no complicated tricks to learn. Just hard working clothes that have done all the thinking, so you don’t have to.
FAQ
What is a "four-minute wardrobe”?
It's the idea that a garment should do all the work of looking put-together on its own. It’s designed in a way that no separate accessorising, layering or "styling" step is required. You put it on, you're done, you look like you’ve got it all together.
Do Maison Wanda pieces need accessorising?
No… and that's the whole point. The detail, colour and sparkle are built into the garment itself, so there's nothing extra to find, remember or coordinate.
What makes Maison Wanda knitwear different from a normal jumper or dress?
Every piece is knitted using jacquard and intarsia graphics, and often finished with Austrian crystal embellishment, so the interest is woven and built in. We don’t follow trends but strive to make each piece genuinely unique. It’s noteworthy because people haven’t seen it elsewhere.
Who is Maison Wanda actually for?
Women in their 30s to 50s who know exactly what looks good, but don't have the spare ten minutes most mornings to coordinate a whole styled outfit. If your life is genuinely busy, this is designed for you specifically.
Can a Maison Wanda piece be dressed up or down?
Yes the same piece works with heels for evening and trainers for the school run. One item, no wardrobe change required.