As soon as daylight savings kicked in last Sunday it suddenly became winter, didn’t it? The days now have that chill to them - even when it has still been sunny. Having less than twelve hours of light sure can be a downer, but there is one upside to winter - winter fashion!

Texture, fabrics, accessories, the colder it is the more you can wear, and the more adventurous you can be. New Zealand fashion is leaping strides worldwide, with many NZ fashion designers exporting overseas - several of them graduates from New Zealand fashion design schools.

With the cost of living in New Zealand gradually rising, is it really the time to go out and buy an entire new wardrobe? If you shop smartly, you can find fashion bargains everywhere, you have just got to know where to look!

The greatest advice for looking stylish for the winter season? Start with your own wardrobe. Filter through previous seasons’ outfits to find gems that will work this season. Not sure what old trends you can still pull off? Grab a recent fashion magazine and look out for colours, shapes and details that have resurged from years ago.

Image from Flickr.

If you’ve seen the stylish rags on show at Air New Zealand Fashion Week, you might be interested in bidding in the fashion charity auction run by a popular online auction site. Not only will you be impeccably dressed, you’ll be supporting New Zealand’s nationwide rescue helicopter service.

Bidders have the chance to get their mitts on the latest in couture t-shirts, singlets and dresses made by six top Kiwi fashion designers: Elusiv, Federation, Salasai, Lonely Hearts Club and Chelsea Thorpe. Both women’s and men’s items are available in a selection of styles and sizes.

Bid generously to support the rescue helicopter service - they rely on corporate sponsorship and public donations to keep their choppers in the air.