BELINDA JANE KEEHN
1. Who is Belinda Jane?
Hi, my friends call me BJ. I built my brand, BJ’s PJ’s, from wanting to be comfortable and yes still look and feel good. It is about inspiring women and men (having recently added a men's collection) to feel more confident in their pyjamas and loungewear.
We offer the finest quality Australian organic cotton, ethically Australian made garments with classic designs, and we've stripped back (yes, we’ve removed all those annoying buttons, bows, collars, etc.) to maximize comfort and provide you with support where you need it. With our wire-free breast support, you can wear them just about anywhere.
I have skin sensitivities so synthetics and irritations are something to avoid if I want to be comfortable, and content!
2. How do you define fashion and or style?Fashion and style is so individual, it is a form of art that each person can create their own uniqueness and personality to show to the world on the outside. To me, personally, comfort, design, practicality, and natural fibres are essential.
I’m an active, practical person so I want to have movability without feeling like I’m constricted, and they need to be practical. I have skin allergies so organic cotton offers chemical free, soft, natural fibre that is also kinder to our environment than just about any other fabric.
I guess smart casual is my style; I can dress up basic classic styles with a few lovely accessories and you can go from casual to smart in a matter of minutes - and still be comfortable!
3. What influences your style? ie travel, work, movies, magazines, social media trends, celebrities, color, etc.I work from home, so comfort is key - buttons, zips, waistbands and underwires digging in whilst sitting all day makes for an unpleasant (almost painful) long day. I also love yoga, walking, movies and being with my family and friends, so feeling and looking good is important also, especially on my zoom meetings.
I like to feel supported (having a larger bust) but underwires and nasty pinching elastic are awful so I wanted to provide a soft brushed bra shelf for bust support in my garments. I've come to realise that there are many who also like support and discretion and dispose of underwires too!
I love base colours and dressing it up with colourful accessories; you can really change your look with a few simple pieces and then depending on how you feel or what you have planned for the day you can create something that stands out with a few accessories on your classic base.
4. How has your style evolved?Over the years I have realised that simplicity is key, you really don’t need much, you just need to be creative, go with what you enjoy and what makes you feel good - confidence is key and it shines through when you are authentically YOU!
5. What does your dream wardrobe consist of?
Core basics and loads of accessories to mix it up. Timeless pieces. Classic styles that can be used to mix and match. I love casual sandals in summer with a light flowing dress, and in winter there is nothing like a classic black pant with a cami and white shirt. Add some stunning jewellery and a big scarf then top it off with a long black boot or ankle boot for a more fun feel.
Hats are a wonderful compliment in summer or winter ….. from a lovely wide-brimmed summer straw beach hat to a funky fedora felt hat in winter, the options are endless.
6. If you were to give fashion advice to your younger self what would it be?Don’t dress to impress others, dress to feel good and wear what you love! Embrace your own unique character and style then your confidence comes naturally and your inner personality comes out, and that is a very attractive admirable strength.
Be more body confident, we are all unique, have different body shapes and sizes, the unrealistic expectations that society puts on us is terrible and can cause great harm and distress for so many - I was one of them and wish I had learned earlier that self worth and self confidence are not about how you look on the outside.
Be more tuned in to what you love and enjoy wearing, not what the latest style or trend is.
7. How important is it to be body positive and to appreciate the skin that you're in?Essential, but not so easy in a world that creates so much pressure to be a particular way. This topic can’t be answered in just a couple of sentences, it is a really hard subject to deal with and to learn the importance of body positivity.
8. What do you love about jewelry? What is your absolute favorite is it earrings, necklaces, etc.I love that jewellery can really dress up an outfit, can make you feel glamorous and gives you a way to express your mood and project a ‘look’ with very little effort. I LOVE THEM ALL! From gorgeous diamond stud earrings to big fun bright coloured varieties you can dress to impress whatever your mood or occasion is.
Necklaces and bracelets are the same, small petite chains with a lovely fine ornament to lovely big large beads or gems that you can mix up and create a look and feel that works for whatever you desire.
9. How do you incorporate accessories and jewelry into your daily looks?Sometimes I keep it super simple and love the freedom of wearing no accessories at all - that in itself has its own character and place in our daily lives. I do love to dress up, it gives you something fun to create, you become more extroverted (being a bit of an introvert this can be a nice change) and lift your confidence with the added accessories or simply enjoy a day off feeling the need to ‘dress up’. It means you appreciate dressing up all the more when you do!
10. What are your non-negotiables... What must you have / wear / do? and what are your, “I’m never ever doing or wearing that”?Non-negotiable's are very clear for me, I am a staunch supporter of eco ethically sustainable fashion, so if it doesn’t tick all the boxes then I do not purchase it - no matter how much I might love the look! Fabrics are another one - only natural fibres with no nasty chemicals. My skin and ethos, on saving the planet, do not agree with it at all.
11. Tell us why you choose fashion and style. So what we mean by that is, we don’t have to dress up, we don’t have to adorn ourselves with jewels and embellish with accessories, but we do, we choose to… why do you?Mood plays a big part in what I wear. When not having to dress for occasions that are often dictated to i.e. business meetings, weddings, cocktail party etc… I will dress for the weather, comfort, and to feel good.
12. What’s your favorite fashion/style quote or mantra?Keep it simple, authentic and wear what makes you ‘feel’ good.
13. How and where can people connect with you?We’d love to hear from you, please join our tribes below and share your photos and stories too.
Our websites: BJ’s PJ’s & Baby Origami Double Wrap™ https://bjspjs.com.au and https://babyorigami.com/.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/bjspyjamas and https://www.instagram.com/babyorigamidoublewrap/.
FB: https://facebook.com/bjspjs.com.au and https://www.facebook.com/babyorigamidoublewrap.
We love all the accessories too, BJ! Wearing whatever you want and using jewelry to dress it up or down based on your mood is very freeing. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
XoXo
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