Nicky's Rag Tales

The weather is finally getting warmer and we can at last start thinking about Summer. For the last few days I have been Spring Cleaning my wardrobe. This is a really difficult job but over the years I think I have it mastered. So here is my fail safe way of doing a job that will ensure you have everything you need to hand in pristine condition.

Be warned though this is not for the faint hearted, it’s a ruthless pruning job but the results will be worth it.

Begin by grouping everything by Season. I put all my Spring clothes in storage because I don’t have room for them but if yours are all together start here.

Within each season group by item and then by colour. Now put all your Winter clothes aside and deal with those later.

Now comes the difficult bit. You need a full length mirror for this and some time. Try everything on and ask yourself why the item should stay. Have you worn it several times and it’s now looking worn out? If so OUT IT GOES. Have you worn it at all? If not OUT IT GOES. Is it something you bought but don’t like OUT IT GOES.

Start editing now. The tired and horrible bits for recycling. Clothes in the wrong size or out of date go to the Charity Pile. Good pieces that need taking in or repair work go to the Tailoring Pile.

If you are not sure, try it on and ask yourself if it suits you and if it doesn’t OUT IT GOES.

You need to repeat the same exercise for all your Winter Clothes and then put the edited keepers aside. By the end of this exercise you should have a realistic wardrobe. Not an overstuffed one and nothing to wear, you know the feeling when there’s lots there but you have nothing to wear??!! Now classify the clothes into items and then colour. You should have all trousers and Jeans together, all tops day and evening, all outerwear, coats and Jackets, all day and evening dresses and all skirts. Then you should be able to get a much clearer picture of what you truly have in your wardrobe.

Do the same exercise with accessories and shoes and you will be much clearer and more organised. You should now be able to see where the gaps are but don’t buy new Summer clothes without editing your wardrobe. Before I did this I used to keep buying the same items so I ended up with far too many skirts and not enough tops. Far too many high heeled shoes and not enough flats. Do this job and you will save money and end up with a really well balanced selection of clothes and accessories.

Just a couple of words to add. I know this goes without saying but always put clean clothes back on the rail and use garment bags for any light coloured items. They will stay fresh for longer. Wash white shirts, don’t dry clean and use a whitener in the wash. They will last longer.

At the begining of each season I hang a couple of complete outfits together (including accessories and shoes) so you can just access them at a minutes notice. Very useful if you are busy.

And While I’m on the subject of Spring Cleaning a great offer just arrived in my Inbox from one of the best Urban Day medi-Spa’s in Dublin. Urbana in Wicklow St, Dublin have just reduced their prices. This is not a special offer but an all over price reduction.

Here is a sample of the price reductions so why go to a cheaper salon when you can go to the best at Recession Busting prices….?

California Wax 20 euro

Brazilian 26 euro

Microdermabrasion 60 euro

Urbana 9 Wicklow St Dublin

Because of the day that’s in it and because of all the weird and wonderful green ensembles appearing on the streets of Ireland and around the world I thought that the very best you can do as far as the colour green is concerned lies in the handbag department. A green bag adds a splash of colour and goes with absolutely everything. After all the grass is green and it’s the backdrop to multi-colours.

I found this great leather one on The Find from Ebagset and it costs $79.97

Happy St Patricks Day everyone

OK OK, so I’m deviating here today. That’s allowed you know. Anyone who knows me well knows I am passionate about food, all types of food. Cooking, baking and eating. I once spent three full days cooking an ‘authentic ‘Indian Dinner which involved grinding my own spices and making my own naan bread. I have Madhur Jaffrey to thank for that! It was delicious but a never repeated exercise as I can’t bear anything done by halves and it was so much work.

My sourdough starter was begun with organic grapes taken from a very famous persons greenhouse (I can’t say whose because he didn’t know) The sourdough bread was amazing but the problem was I was making so much (and eating so much) it had to end.

The fact that Fallon & Byrne are next door (literally) to my showrooms means that I’m in foodie heaven every day. With Easter just around the corner and my abomination of those supermarket eggs that are all wrapping and sickly sweet and very little chocolate, my eyes have been fixated on a fantastic range of real chocolate Easter eggs.

So these are the ones that I predict are the very best. They come from The Chocolate Alchemist from West Sussex in the UK and can be bought online at Beneficial Health or if you are in Dublin at Fallon &Byrne, Exchequer Street Dublin

This is the one I bought…..

And these are some of the others available…

Enjoy……

The Shirt Dress has never gone away but it’s certainly on trend for this Spring Summer and is a really great value dress. Just a few words of caution though. It looks fantastic on stick thin models but sometimes hangs like a bag on some of us without a little tweaking. If you aren’t in the thin category (and lets face it if you are like me and love your food then you are in the normal zone) then wear it with a proper belt and discards the tie belt that comes with it. Don’t try to do sexy so always button up. Pair with heels for a city or evening look and flats for a casual day one. If you are on your hols then a straw floppy hat and sun glasses will add all the extras you need. All we need now is the Summer…..!

Shirt Dresses On the Button by nickysragtales featuring Marni bags

1. Alexander Mc Queens death took place with his collection 80% completed. Of course the final 20% is a huge part of the design process but SarahBurton who worked alongside Mc Queen completed the pieces which were shown in a sombre and fitting tribute in Milan. His vision called ‘The Art of the Dark Ages’. It’s worth taking a look at the video for a view of just how talented this designer was. Gucci who owns the Alexander Mc Queen label have not made a decision yet as to just what the future holds. A poisoned chalice I think for any designer who takes up the mantle (presuming there is one) with Gareth Pugh’s name being mentioned in dispatches as a likely candidate for the title.

The Images of these stunning pieces speak for themselves and show just what a loss this genius of design was.

2. Madonna is launching ‘Material Girl’ ( it couldn’t be called anything else now could it) in August in Macys USA. The clothes are for teenage girls and her ‘Inspiration’ is her daughter Lourdes. Madonna’s collaboration with H&M a couple of years ago was a disaster and the teen market is a notoriously difficult one to tackle so it’s a wait and see on this one. You’ve got to hand it to Madonna for her tenacity at least.

Madonna and Daughter Lourdes

3. Patricia Field, stylist on ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and a celebrity in her own right was interviewed on the walk way into the Oscars last week. I particularly liked this quote from her on the night ‘Style is, you know who you are and you show it’

4. Who knows what a Zentai suit is? and who is wearing them? Apparently this isn’t new news per say but it certainly is to me. Skin tight suits that cover the whole body including the face. This is the sort of cat suit woman look that I assumed is good at a fancy dress party but isn’t the sort of thing to do your supermarket shopping in. I came across it on the net but it’s spreading across the world with websites devoted to wearers who apparently wear it every and anywhere zentaiproject.org A bit scary I’d say but who knows what catches on these days, fun or fetish. Take your pick.

5. And the winner is…… Brenda Flaherty who has won a fabulous pair of leather gloves.

I’ve been working in London all week and it’s been a pretty good yet tiring experience. I’ve been situated just behind the wonderful Liberty Store, ( around the corner from Carnaby Street and a stones throw from Regent Street) which I haven’t been able to explore properly this time but always yields several surprises in it’s many nooks and crannies.

The only time I have ventured outside is to get some fresh air and food, both absolute requirements. So I was very surprised whilst on Carnaby street to find myself in the shoe store ‘Office’. I know we have Office at home in Dundrum and Grafton Street but I have never found anything I was tempted to buy though I have often looked. This store had several pairs of shoes well priced that certainly hit the Summer spot. I’m not sure whether we get the same styles on offer at home but there was certainly plenty here to fill any summer shoe wardrobe.

So to complete my mood which is Summery in outlook if not in reality I bought these for 55 pounds. They are woven with removable flowers and above all they are extremely comfy….

By the way if you find yourself in Regent Street or in the Carnaby Street area and are feeling peckish head to ‘Thanks for Franks’ for sublime lunch food and divine cakes and coffee. 26 Fouberts Place London W1V 1HG

Who would have guessed that Kate Winslet is linked with Ennis. Well we all know that Mohammad Ali has close links with the Fashion Capital of Ireland but now it seems we can add Kate Winslet to the list (or at least one of her handbags) A Prada bag to be precise. Not only did she send said bag, but also a poster of the movie Titanic signed by Kate and Leonardo Di Caprio.

Prada bag courtesy of Kate Winslet

The organisers of Ennis Fashion Week are holding a Fashion show next week on the 18th March. It’s being held in Glor with pre- show drinks and exhibition stands, tickets are 25euro each. Proceeds are going to The Haven Partnership for Haiti which has been working building houses in Haiti for the past nine years and which has risen to meet the huge challenge following the devastating earthquake.
To tie in with the Fashion Show and to raise as much money as possible Kate Winslet’s Prada bag plus the signed poster which arrived yesterday are up for grabs.

The Prada bag will be raffled at the Fashion Show. For 20euro per entry you hand in your mobile number and you can enter as many times as you want. One number will be drawn at the end of the evening and whoever gets the call gets to bag the bag! Bidding starts at 9.00am on Thursday 11th March for the poster and ends on the 18th March. Phone 00353 86 2222274 to place your bid….Good Luck

If you’re wondering what you might do over the Easter Bank Holiday week-end, 2nd, 3rd and 4th of April and love the City of Kilkenny ( and lets face it who doesn’t) then this just might be for you. A three day Festival organised by fellow Fashion blogger and Interiors and Fashion writer Blanaid Hennessy.

The Beautiful Blanaid Hennessy Photo by Eoin Hennessy www.ehp.ie

Absolut Style at SET ( the new fabulous theatre at Langtons Hotel) will have three days of Vintage Fashion, furniture and films, along with makeovers, style talks, live photoshoots and performances followed by fun nights out. All in association with Absolut Vodka.

Inside SET at Langtons Kilkenny

For further details contact Blanaid Hennessy (083) 3346996

Langtons House Hotel 00353 1 56 7765133

E. styleatset@gmail.com

http://www.set.ie/style

1) I don’t usually post about brands that I have a business interest in but I’m going to make an exception today. Shape-wear is BIG business and Yummie Tummie is going from strength to strength helped along by stylist/designer Heather Thomson who is unique in the fashion world having come up with a completely new product. Brown Thomas in Dublin are planning a new Shape wear boutique with Yummie Tummie one of three anchor brands. New for fall and coming soon to Ireland are the simply amazing leggings which make not only your tummy but your legs slimmer! Turtle neck and long sleeve T-s with the ‘hold you in’ bit on the inside

2) Style Sample Magazine is a great online and print magazine for Fashion Bloggers. This is the place to read all the information you need if you are thinking about starting your own blog and a great resource for bloggers. You can contribute or just use it to check out what’s happening. Click here to read Issue 5. Issue 6 is available from next Tuesday. Style Sample Magazine

3) The Telegraph Newspapers hardest working and most knowledgeable Fashion Editor Hilary Alexander offers her Top 10 Fashion rules for the Oscars tonight and how to rise to the top in the Fashion Stakes. Hilary Alexander’s Top 10 Oscar Fashion Rules

4) Here is the Burberry Womenswear Catwalk show that was live streamed at London Fashion Week. Check out the fabulous jackets and new bags