#SP – When Kildare Village asked me to be part of the ‘Your Style, Your Way’ campaign, I knew their brands would suit my lifestyle perfectly. Here’s how my outfit checks out. CLEAN LINES Tailoring needn’t be too serious. This subtle floral jacquard print makes a classic navy blazer pop – perfect for heading into […]
#SP – Who were you 5, 10, 15 years ago? Did you have the same job? Perhaps you’re living in a different country; maybe you’ve had kids – triplets even? Have you gone from corporate banker to kitchen start-up; jacked in the rat race to set up an Alpaca farm? OK, maybe not but you […]
August 2018 marks my ten-year anniversary as Irish Examiner fashion editor. Not bad going, given the industry’s reputation for change. And things have changed – a lot. The past decade alone has witnessed a global recession, the spread of social media, and a complete restructure in shopping behaviours – all of which allude to a […]
This month I turned 45; I also signed to the Image board of Not Another model agency. Not bad for an old broad.
In 45 days I’ll turn 45. With that, I thought it was timely to share an article I wrote on Cougar Style for the Irish Examiner shortly before my 40th birthday. For me, a cougar isn’t the risible caricature of a toyboy-toting older woman; she’s a demographic disruptor who plays by her own rules, especially […]
There’s great footage of The Rolling Stones performing ‘Lady Jane’ on the Ed Sullivan show back in 1966. What’s great about it? Brian Jones playing the electric dulcimer in a black, white and red striped suit with a contrasting polka dot pocket square and tie. A total peacock legend.
I can’t begin to tell you just how cold it was the day we did this shoot; even the brass monkeys fecked off inside for a hot chocolate. After #TheBeastFromTheEast took its leave, I prematurely jumped at the chance to shake off the cabin fever and bask in the snowless sky. Rookie mistake. After Mother Nature took an unseasonal dump on our small island, she left us a parting gift of Baltic winds – the kind that slap you across the face, laugh and point when wearing anything besides YakTrax and a full-length Polar fleece-lined puffer coat.
Pleats are elitist. Fact. Their geometric rigour is designed to highlight and shame anything that doesn’t comply with their rigorous lines. As our girl Shakira put it, ‘The hips don’t lie,’ especially in the presence of a sharp knife fold. Ouch.
Maybe it’s the 70s child in me, always looking to her older sisters with their Dorothy Hamill centre-parted hair flicks and andro-hippie cool. Perhaps it’s a more ingrained rebellion against the prescriptive levity of the season. In any case, I prefer to channel ice-cream shades in a tailored suit and turtleneck – with an ice-cream and some shades. (See what I did there?)
Whether it’s a keepsake or an old reliable with an incomparable cost-per-wear ratio, the things that have us dialling 999 are those which we determine the true value of our wardrobe. The prospect of loss has a unique way of concentrating the mind which comes in handy when you find yourself moaning, ‘I have nothing to wear.’ Simply shout FIRE and you’ll soon find out what you really value.