Lisbeth Salander, the hard hitting anti-heroine character is to set to light up the cinema screens soon in the Movie based on Stieg Larsson’s brilliant best selling novel ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. Lisbeth’s street style look has now been interpreted and is due to to be launched soon in H&M stores around the world.
It won’t be difficult for any girl to work this look and the fab Muubaa leather jackets soon to be available from Lara, Dame Lane in Dublinwould be just perfect.
Last week I headed to Deborah Ruddy’s recently relocated Boutique Chic Unique in Ratoath Co Meath for an evening of fashion and style. The event was hosted by Ireland’s favorite TV stylist for real women Cathy O’Connor and with Pippa O’Connor one of the models.With nibbles and drinkies in hand and a packed room (the boutique has that living room feel) there wasn’t a seat left to be had. Great Winter puffa coats by Damo were a definite winner, warm scarves by Irish designers Electronic Sheepand plenty of great dresses, tops and skirts from labels including Laundry Room and Sinead Doyle Designs make this a lovely boutique with that all essential personal service we women need.
Divine Boutique was where I spent the whole morning. Usually when I drop into a boutique I’m interested in I am usually there for an hour or so. This morning took a while longer and this was due to the constant stream of customers who were busily choosing items of clothing, trying them on and heading for the till!. Mary Greene, owner par excellence and her assistant Elaine McDonald (who also modeled for me) were happily serving women and guiding them into the right clothes. Mary Greene opened Divine Boutique in the Manor Mills Shopping Centre Maynooth, Co Kildare in 2005 and her Malahide shop a year later. Always stylish, Mary has constantly been in the fashion press ever since. Divine started out stocking high end designer fashion, recently Divine have managed to change their offer without compromising on style or quality which is no mean feat. Check out the video interview where Mary tells me frankly how she has adapted to the change in her business through the recession.
Mary Greene wearing a Totem Maxi Dress
Elaine in Dress by Totem
Dress La Rochelle €109
Jump Suit Neurotica exclusive to Divine
Dress BDBA Bracelets Crystal Wishes
Gown for hire €80 for three days.
Model; Elaine McDonald ; all accessories Divine Boutique ;photographed at Manor Mills Shopping Centre, Maynooth Co Kildare, Ireland
Following a brilliant weekend which involved a grand house in the Cotswolds, two Ferry trips, one Magnum of Chateau Margaux and one seriously exciting rugby match in Cardiff which involved lots of screaming and shouting, oh and jumping up and down, I decided to have a quiet Monday and found myself visiting Sorrento Boutique just beside the Manor Mills Shopping Centre in the busy University town of Maynooth in the lovely county Kildare.
The owner is Tanya Cumisky whose mum is Sandra, owner of Venezuela in Skerries. Tanya spent many years learning from Sandra and opened Sorrento over a year ago. Her customers are from all around the Kildare area. Labels to note include Selected Femme, Moloko,Sarah Pacini, Annette Gortz and Myrnie &Me. There are lots of great accessories and shoes to complete the outfit. I took some pictures and a video so you can get an idea of whats on the rails at this lovely light filled Boutique.
Monochrome, the new buzz word for ‘black and white ‘ has always been a stylish move especially at the start of the spring season when we are bursting to inject a little summer into our wardrobes but aren’t ready yet for the brights. This season it’s not only stylish but definitely in fashion too. Whether that gives you any comfort or means anything at all one thing is for sure, Black and White is a look we can all do and look good in. Makeup early in the season will work the look with red lipstick and simple eye makeup. Chanel’s new nail polish colours for Spring due out soon are,I’m told, pearlised black and pearlised white which sound gorgeous.
Jaeger is paving the way with its monochrome to start the season off and deliveries are due into the boutiques and Stores in the next couple of weeks. Key pieces heralding the new season?Jaeger London‘simpeccably tailored ivory blazer with black asymmetric lapel, the elegant and utterly cool waistcoat dress, the thoroughly modern silk geometric shift and the monochrome one-shouldered floral dress.
Irish Jaeger stockists include: Serena, Sandymount, Isobel Adare, Mezina Drumcondra, Kokoon Malahide, Nestors Galway, Couture Naas, Mc Elhinney Ballbofey, The Whyte House Westport, Modern Fashions Dundalk, , Arnotts Dublin, Boutique Belle, Clintons Clonmel, McElhinney Ballybofey Donegal
I met Helen O’Connor and Annette Waldron, sisters-in-law and owners of Maternity Boutiques Nelo recently. Seven years ago Helen was living and working in New York working as PA to supermodel Claudia Schiffer whilst Annette was here in Ireland having started her family. Helen spent some of her time sourcing maternity wear for Claudia, a much easier task in NY than in Dublin. Helen and Annette both saw an opening for a great Maternity Boutique which would offer Irish women that same choice and a plan was hatched and executed seven years ago.
Nelo now has two shops, one on Dublin’s Clarendon street and the other in Limerick on Roches Street. They also have an online shop which sells their own label Ooh Mama. It’s 17 years since I wore Maternity clothes and what I do remember was that awful reality when my own clothes didn’t fit and I had to resort to clothes which from memory seemed to have vast quantities of fabric which only made me feel even bigger than I was. Today the choice is fantastic, great jeans and tops, beautiful dresses all in fabrics that are flattering and comfortable and most important of all cuts that really work.
I picked out a really great and very affordable capsule wardrobe which you could wear right through the big months. The total (minus the optional though very smart coat) comes to €450. All the tops are €45 or €69 each, the jeans are €79, Ruffle wrap dress €89 whilst the special occasion dress is €185. The coat is €235. Nelo also stocks all the lingerie you will need and bras and tops which accommodate breastfeeding which I am a great supporter of, having nursed all my babies for eons.
Whilst I visited the Dublin shop yesterday several Mums to be came in and bought, the atmosphere is relaxed in a lovely way. Pregnancy is a wonderful and special time in a woman’s life and a time when feeling good about yourself is extremely important. All the clothes and accessories here have been chosen with extreme care with a large emphasis on value for money. The lovely Holly who works in Nelo modeling my capsule wardrobe choices beautifully (with a false bump!)
Jeans with two alternative tops, Capsule Maternity wardrobe
Ruffle wrap dress, from day to night, Maternity Capsule
Special occasion dress, Maternity Capsule Wardrobe Collection
When Mary-Kate Ryan, one of the fabulous Chica sisters asked me along to the launch of their latest venture in the Westbury Centre this evening I just had to take a look. Always with their finger on the pulse and reacting to an obvious gap in the market for dresses that look the part but are very reasonably priced. Ingenue are a range of dresses in looks not unlike Issa, flattering shapes and draping in the right places in sizes 36-48 in prints and plains and coming in full and knee length. The difference of course is in the fabric and the price points which are very keen indeed. All around €90-€100 for that money you get a dress that will go from work to dinner. As the fabric is quite fine I think the use of a slip will work with them perfectly especially in the larger sizes.
I’m such a lazy person, no actually that’s not exactly accurate. I don’t waste time in order to have more leisure time,( that sounds better). I always thought that I had a lazy streak but the reality when I list what I do in a day does not tally with that notion. When I was young I used to fall in love with beautiful things, they could be art, buildings, clothes, books. Now that I’m older I’m still falling in love. This week I’ve fallen in love with soft toys! I never thought I would have even a passing interesting in things that I associate with dust collecting space wasting items of no discernable use, until I passed Smocks window and spotted these amazing toys. Trust Karen and Susan with their fantastic eye for beautifully crafted clothes to spot these simply gorgeous soft toys. They come from LUCKYBOYSUNDAY from Denmark and are being sold at quick time as passers by spot them in the and like me just can’t resist. Smock also now has a great childrens wear range of simple practical clothes. I couldn’t resist a pair of shorts and a leopard print pair of tights for my niece. There are sweatshirt tunic dresses, hard wearing denim jeans and simple tops for boys and girls and all very reasonably priced, a sure winner.
Party time is drawing near and I’m in love with my ‘Stop Staring’ dress which is made from some stretch material and fits like a glove. It just seems to flatter my curves and feeds my need to look like one of the cast of Mad Men.
I know we’ve all seen the scene in the movie or sitcom where two women arrive wearing the same outfit and one leaves in an embarrassed hurry. Well, that was the exact opposite of my experience at a party two weeks ago in Dublin when I came face to face with a beautiful and very well known blond wearing my exact dress. Even the fact that her dress was a size smaller than mine didn’t matter a jot. We hit it off immediately and congratulated each other on our good taste! I’m wondering now if those stories of angry women in identical dresses are true and if any of you have had a similar experience? Did you take your leave? Feel uncomfortable or did what I did and laughed out loud and made a new friend?
Danielle McCrosssan may be blond, may love pink but is anything but dumb. Her CoCo Boutique on Dublin’s Clarendon Street is the haunt of Rosanna, Glenda, Amanda and Virginia as well as every girl who loves party wear and goes all out when picking something wow for that special event. The latest venture for young business woman Danielle is the launch of fabulous jewellery collection, Sparkle. Prices from €29-89 are reasonable for this high quality very glam collection. The expression ‘Bring on the Bling’ certainly apply here. Great earrings and bracelets/cuffs with amazing statement neck -pieces and over sized cocktail rings in bold and bright colours as well as diamond and black combinations make this a very complete story, perfect for present shopping or a treat for self.
All Jewellery from Coco Boutique, 40 Clarendon street, Dublin
