Step Inside Sarah Corbett-Winder’s Joyous World
- Photography by
- Eva K. Salvi
- Words by
- Caroline Ferry
I believe that all women deserve to feel fab, and I think that wearing a great suit does this. I wanted to create a brand that was chic, timeless and flattering, yet affordable. Suits are a forever classic that will work hard in your wardrobe. They are totally ageless. I wanted Kipper to be British and always be served with a side of fun – it’s all about empowering women through great tailoring. I love most to wear a suit on a Monday morning.
My shapes stay the same, so the fabrics are my trend. I want to design suits that are original and haven’t been seen before. I want my creations to bring you joy and empowerment. They are all crafted in London and created with a twist of cheekiness/fun. Good quality fabrics are key. I try to ensure that my collections will cater for all your suiting needs.
I like to go all out and create a full look! I see an outfit like I do a painting – like a piece of art. I would say that I am a maximalist – more is always more. I LOVE accessories and believe that they can really bring an outfit to life. I do admit, though, that I take one accessory off before I leave the house – just to keep the minimalist look from being too over-the-top! I would say my style is classic, eccentric and very often tonal, with flashes of colour. For me, an outfit should be a conversation starter.
I was adamant that we weren’t going to get bored of our house, and one never gets bored of stripes, so they play a HUGE part in our interiors. Our house is very tonal and earthy; we wanted to create our own world. Each room very much has a colour palette and, often, rooms are only allowed to be filled with one colour. Everything goes together in our house, a bit like my wardrobe – it all needs to be from the same family.
Flats over heels, for sure – I always think they are way chicer. I have a real soft spot for a Mary Jane, ballet flats and pretty sandals. Red would definitely be my favourite shoe colour – it goes with everything. When it comes to shoes, I’m all about comfort, as well as the way they look. I think good-quality shoes are a great investment.
For me, the kitchen is always the heart of the house. I love our table and I have so many happy memories around it – lazy breakfasts, dinner with friends, long lunches, our kids doing their homework. I also love our larder – I have OCD, so having everything organised and labelled makes me so happy!
I love layering rings and enjoy creating a new formula each day. These double rings are by Shyla, and the bomb ring is filled with stones from my engagement ring – I recently had it reset. The blue band was my mother’s. I am forever foraging and collecting rings for my stacking game.
We lived in a flat while our house was being done up and it had limited space, so I had no option but to store my bags in a bookcase, and I quickly realised that this was a genius idea – you get to see them all, so you get to wear them more. Also, I love clothes and accessories so much that to have them out on display is heaven for me. I love Anya Hindmarch – classic yet playful – and also Reformation.
For me, glasses are a huge part of my identity; I think, if I’m really honest, I see them as a form of protection (as well as loving the way they look, I also have very bad eyesight!). I try to pick frames that are unique and that I haven’t seen worn by loads of people before. I often turn sunglasses into glasses, as the frames are often bigger and more fabulous. I have a real soft spot for glasses, and they’re always the finishing touch for my outfit – like the cherry on top.
I love different-length necklaces layered together. Gold goes with everything, so it’s perfect for playing the layering game. Kaaren Buchanan recently made this yellow necklace for me and I couldn’t love it more.
DL1961 jeans are super-flattering, cool and always nod to the slightly more masculine shapes. They do a great Bermuda short and always have fab high-waisted wide-legs. I love their denim colours, too – they’re very wearable and always have a luxe feel to them.
As I have OCD, I am VERY organised. Having an organised wardrobe means that it makes getting dressed super-fun, I think the trick is to be able to see things, if you can. My wardrobe is my favourite room in the house, I often spend my evenings trying on outfits and have a good play! I share it with my husband (I say share – he gets a quarter), and I love that we spend time together getting dressed in the morning. It feels a bit like my studio where I create my work!
I am a huge fan of the Greek islands, especially Paxos, but we’re trying something new this summer and going to Lech in Austria. I’m excited about the mountain air, cold-water swimming, cycling and hiking – and also my wardrobe for this holiday! We also love the south of France; we often rent a villa with friends (and lots of kids) and totally switch off. Heaven!
I started Kipper Club because I felt like I wanted to have another string to my bow. I love creating content, but there was a part of me that wanted to create something more. I always wanted to share my love for suits and make women feel and look fabulous.
So, I have my ‘holiday’ wardrobe and ‘occasion’ wardrobe in our spare room. These are the two parts of my wardrobe that I use the least. The weather here is so inconsistent that I struggle having a summer and winter wardrobe – there are so many crossovers. I love to have everything together, as I would hate to miss something.
I recently discovered Farm Rio, which is such a fun brand, and this is one of their pieces. I love a two-piece and particularly love the sheerness of this outfit – it adds a real cheekiness to the chic ensemble. It’s casual but with an air of glam. I am loving a half tuck these days – it shows your waist but keeps it cool. The open neck is screaming for necklaces – layered coloured beads, of course.
You never need take as much on holiday for the kids as you think – let’s be honest, they don’t wear much! I always get them to pack with me (obviously I do an edit first), so they then know what they have to play with while we’re away. I also make sure that their clothes work well together as often they dress themselves. Is that being a control freak and teaching them about tonal dressing?!
My engagement ring means so much to me. I recently had her re-set by Philippa Herbert. I love the chunkiness of it – something I wouldn’t have chosen when I was getting engaged, but now I would. I bought myself a Cartier LOVE ring when I got a bonus at work. I’m a real Cartier LOVE fan and super-lucky that I have a rather wonderful Cartier LOVE bangle collection – one for turning 30 from my husband, and one for having each of our kids. I’m not going to lie, it makes me want to have more! I also wear my Lucy Delius T-bar necklace all the time; she’s a real forever piece.
I was trying to think of a unique way to communicate styling solutions to my followers – and, thus, the banana phone was born! She was quite hard to hunt down – she came from the US and her import duties weren’t cheap. It’s like my own style hotline. I often wish she was a burger phone.
I’ve done a lot of work on myself recently at trying to be in the moment, and it’s really helped. I have to put on my work hat, mother hat or friend hat and give it my all. Exercise is very important for me – I get up early and do a Caroline’s Circuits class with a cup of miso soup (the best probiotic). This is like my meditation and time for myself. It puts me in a great mood for the day. I try not to overthink things or dwell on things and really enjoy the journey. And I try to congratulate myself and be kind to myself. I’m not going to lie, life is very busy, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I’ve recently learnt to switch off (I struggled before to even watch a film as I always thought that I had things to do!) and now I understand the importance of having time out. You then come back to the game with more petrol in your tank and ready to drive even faster. Also, never underestimate the power of laughter – it helps so many situations become far more enjoyable. It’s also great for wrinkles!