Expert Advice: Fashion Hacks and Must-Haves

The seamless, sleek looks of celebrities seems effortless, but in reality, they have a team behind them (if only we could all be so lucky!). That means that when the likes of Johnny Depp, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Dakota Fanning need to look their best, they enlist the skills of an expert. Enter Samantha McMillen.

After a start in fashion magazines, she made the leap into working for designers and coordinating looks for magazine shoots and wardrobe styling. This season she joined us on The Modern Trail to style our favorite bloggers and pick out her top items from our Fall 15 Collection.

Check out her key pieces for men and women, as well as her ingenious fashion hacks below. 

This statement jacket, as shown on Lauren Gould of The Marcy Stop, is crafted with premium leather, a detachable shearling collar and an updated aviator silhouette.

“The Belknap Jacket is the epitome of the classic bomber. My favorite is the black leather, and I really love how the collar detaches, so you have multiple looks in one piece.”

More than just another striped button-up shirt, the Saco River Striped Oxford (pictured on menswear blogger Daily Mister) has novelty pockets and a rounded collar.

“This shirt has a West Coast, laidback feel to it that I love. It’s super lightweight and easy to layer. The unique ribbed texture also makes an interesting stand-alone piece.” 

Our handsome boot, worn by musician Jamie N Commons, is built to be durable with full-grain leather and Harris Tweed wool details.

“The Harris Tweed pattern in this Britton Hill Boot takes this classic design up a notch. It’s perfect for fall/winter weather with just the right amount of texture and pattern to be different, but exudes timeless style.”

Meet your dress winter boot: with a cue from our favorite men's boots, the Swazey Warm Lined Waterproof Boot is modernized with a sturdy stacked heel, retro-inspired laces and a slim shape (and lined with shearling for cold days).

“Amazing fall boot! Transitions perfectly from day to night and can be dressed up or down! The 100% recycled PET lining is warm – great for East Coast winters!”         

Invest in this heavy duty vest that has 600-fill power down insulation for extra warmth. The classic Harris Tweed makes this a timeless piece (pictured on Leo Chan of Levitate Style).

“One of the reasons I love the vest is you can throw it on over a Henley and it will look natural, without trying too hard. The vest would be my key layering outfit. You can also do the shirt jacket with a Henley underneath and roll the sleeves up.”

What are your best fashion hacks?                                               

“I use baby wipes to take out makeup stains on tough fabrics like the leather of the Henniker Convertible Leather Bag.”

“When in doubt, throw a couple ice cubes in the dryer with your clothes to steam them out quickly.”

 “Mix a little bit of vodka and water to get one more wear out of clothes that are tough to wash."

“Put vaseline or pencil lead on sticky zippers of your classic trench coat to make a zipper slide up.” 

Be prepared for winter – explore our Holiday Collection. We’ve got the boots, jackets, plaid shirts, denim and sweaters for the cold season.