skin and threads Archives - Kate Waterhouse

How to care for your winter knits according to an expert

17th May, 2020

Penelope Cohen is the director and designer of Skin and Threads, the premium label that focuses on simple, polished basics and beautiful luxe knitwear. Now that winter is upon us and it’s time to start introducing our knits back into our wardrobe it’s important to master how to care for them to ensure they stay in pristine condition. Here Cohen shares her top tips for doing just that.

How should we store jumpers?

I always prefer to store my jumpers folded as it prevent them from stretching while on a hanger and becoming too big or misshapen. Discourage the moths by using moth balls or I prefer to fill a little cloth bag full of lavender which smells lovely and discourages the pests.

What are the best fabrics to go for?

I am a big believer in natural yarns. They always feel the best and also have the best breathability. Merino wool, washes and wears beautifully as does cashmere if you treat it with a little bit of care.

How often should you wash jumpers and how?

Put simply, if it’s not dirty, don’t wash it. Air them on a clothes horse or spot clean them as much as you can rather than immersing them in water. It’s better for the yarn and of course a little friendlier on the environment. Oh – and always use a wool and cashmere specialised detergent in cold water when do you have to wash them!

How do you suggest we avoid pilling?

Pilling occurs when the fibres rub together and most commonly occurs under your arms, on the side where you wear your handbag or when you consistently wear your sweaters under jackets. For cashmere, this is a natural process and not necessarily a sign of poor quality. De-pill your sweaters gently by using a fine de-pilling comb. You should not have to de-pill it regularly and the pilling should settle down after a couple of washes.

Do you have a favourite jumper in your current collection?

Knitwear is my downfall… Our cashmere boyfriend is a classic but the navy funnel neck and matching mini is probably my favourite look for the season.

Which winter trends are you are loving at the moment?

Long line cardigans worn as your outer layer and of course mixing my silk blouses with my chunky knitwear and leather leggings is always a constant love.

Fashion, What I Wore

What I Wore: Prepped and Ready

22nd March, 2018

As most of you know I’m a huge fan of stocking my wardrobe with key style staples. They just make getting dressed a whole lot easier. The classic white shirt is high on my list of things every woman should have in her closet. So when I find a shirt that’s actually called The Perfect Silk Shirt it immediately has me excited. And indeed this Banded Together shirt does tick all the boxes. The cut is great, the split cuffs give it an interesting finishing touch and the necktie (which can be worn tied or loose) adds an element of versatility. What’s not to love?

A white shirt will go with pretty much anything which is why it’s universally praised as a fashion must-have. Whilst my pairing options were plenty, in this instance I went for a slight 60s vibe with a tweed mini in a subtle herringbone pattern. I liked that the skirt’s texture provided a great contrast to the smooth silk finish of my blouse.

The addition of my Gucci pearl belt instantly gave my outfit an on trend element which really lifted it from being too conservative. I wanted to keep the rest of my accessories quite simple so I opted for a mini quilted Dior chain strap bag and classic cat eye sunglasses, both have a classic feel but maintain a modern sensibility.

Credits: Shirt, Banded Together; Skirt, Skin and Threads; Belt, Gucci; Sunglasses, Poms; Bag, Dior

Photography: Sophia Athas

This post was produced in collaboration with Banded Together

Fashion, What I Wore

What I wore: By the Harbour

21st January, 2016

Nothing screams summer more than an all white ensemble. I love wearing this breezy dress for lazy afternoons in the sun and teaming it with a pair of white sneakers for a laidback look. I’m also now all about a backpack! Cast aside memories of lugging a backpack to school and embrace the new trend towards sleek, streamlined bags that are dressier and infinitely more chic. I love wearing a backpack when I’m travelling or even when I’m out shopping or with Sophia as it means I can easily move around without having to worry about carrying a handbag.

DRESS: Skins and Threads, Lee Matthews (shop similar)

SNEAKERS: Adidas

BACKPACK: Scanlan and Theodore, Rag and Bone (shop similar)

SUNGLASSES: TRIWA

PHOTPGRAPHER: Sophia Athas

Fashion

Behind the scenes of my Skin and Threads collection launch

16th July, 2015

After months and months of work in design meetings, looking over sketches and checking out samples, it was a really amazing and surreal moment when I finally saw my Skin and Threads collection in-store on the day of its launch. Even more surreal was when I saw the front window of the Skin and Threads boutique in Sydney’s Double Bay featured a campaign image of me!

The Fashion Bloggers crew was there to film on the day (Nadia even flew back from New York to be there!) and a few of my close girlfriends popped down to the launch. It was really lovely to be able to show them the collection and for them to be able to see what I had been working on for the last few months. It was definitely a proud moment.

It was certainly a hectic day with both the launch in-store and a day full of media interviews but I throughly loved every minute of it.

Don’t miss tonight’s episode of Fashion Bloggers at 9.30pm on E! to see what went on at the launch.

What I Wore

What I Wore: Sheer styling

1st July, 2015

This is one of my favourite pieces in my Skin and Threads collection. I’ve teamed this pewter blouse with some leather pants and a trench coat but you could team it with so many things whether it’s a mini skirt or with a suit, I think you can have a lot of fun with it. You can wear it with a black cami underneath for a more evening approach or you can team it with some beautiful lingerie.

My Skin and Threads collection is now available in-store or online.

Fashion, What I Wore

What I Wore: Classic white

24th June, 2015

I can’t go past a classic white shirt. This piece from my Skin and Threads collection is a beautiful take on a white blouse. It’s silk at the front and sheer at the back and it’s a bit longer at the back so it’s got a nice silhouette. Sheer fabrics are a really big part of my collection because I love that layering effect and wearing it with beautiful lingerie or with a cami underneath for business attire.

TOP: Kate Waterhouse for Skin and Threads

BLAZER: Kate Waterhouse for Skin and Threads

LEATHER PANTS: ASOS

HEELS: Christian Louboutin

BAG: Proenza Schouler

SUNGLASSES: Prism

Beauty, Fashion, Fashion & Beauty

Shooting my Skin and Threads collection with Oracle Fox

18th June, 2015

One of the best things with collaborating with some of the girls from my show is that they’re all so talented, especially Mandy who is such an incredible photographer. When she offered to shoot my collection I was absolutely thrilled. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity! We shot my whole Skin and Threads collection at The Society Inc in Sydney’s Alexandria. These images are the end result of our day shooting (which you may have caught on tonight’s episode of Fashion Bloggers).

What I Wore

What I Wore: Black and gold

17th June, 2015

These are some of my favourites from my newly launched Skin and Threads collection. As the whole collection is about my wardrobe essentials, I couldn’t go past including a tailored black blazer as it’s number one on the essentials list. I also incorporated this gold metallic skirt into the collection. I really love a hint of metallic and it adds a bit of fun to your wardrobe. The skirt is a washed denim with a metallic finish and it’s great because it can easily be dressed up or down.

BLAZER: Kate Waterhouse for Skin and Threads

SKIRT: Kate Waterhouse for Skin and Threads

HEELS: Alaia

BAG: Balenciaga

My Skin and Threads collection is now available in-store or online. If you want to check out behind the scenes of the design process of getting my collection from idea to on-sale don’t miss Fashion Bloggers tomorrow at 9.30pm on E!

Fashion

My Skin and Threads collection is here!

10th June, 2015

I’m so excited to launch my fashion collaboration with Skin and Threads today! It’s been a year in the making and I can’t believe the collection is finally in-store.

Skin and Threads approached me about working with them last year and I was so excited to come on board. I’ve always loved the brand and would look to them for good quality basics. I already owned a lot of their beautiful cashmere and woollen jumpers so when they approached me I was really keen to do it.

As Skin and Threads pieces are a wardrobe staple for me I wanted to create my ultimate collection of wardrobe essentials. The collection has everything from little cami tops to cashmere cardigans and some great tailored blazers. The whole collection is made up of items I’d use for my weekend wear and mix and match with my going out wardrobe.

I was given an open book when it came to designs I wanted to incorporate in the collection. The design process was a lengthy one. We started off with an initial meeting last year and we went back and forth with sketches. I brought my mood board to them and had complete control over the look and feel of the collection while Skin and Threads sourced all the beautiful materials. It was very collaborative and I was very hands-on with the process.

It’s a bit of a dream come true to design your own collection and especially working with a company like Skin and Threads. They’re renowned for their quality fabrics so I had complete faith in them that the collection would turn out exactly how I wanted it. It’s beautiful quality. Everything is 100 per cent cashmere or silk. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work but it was worth it because now I have a beautiful collection that I’m really proud of. I can’t wait for my friends (and all of you!) to see it.