Babette & Eddi

Reiss is one of my favourite High Street brands; it is my go-to store for glamorous dresses to wear on stage with my band & for cool, easy to wear separates. My most recent Reiss purchase is the 'Eddi' daisy print shirt. I love it's relaxed fit & the delicate pastel hues of cream, dusky pink & blue against a dramatic black background; it's a great, versatile piece that will see me through many Seasons.

I styled the shirt with my favourite shorts; denim cut-offs purchased ever such a long time ago from Zara. Best sellers at the time, a variation of them has appeared in every Summer collection since. They are the perfect Summer shorts & seem to get better as they get older! My red satchel comes everywhere with me these days; it's a fabulous accessory that always causes quite a stir.

I added a quirky Victoriana inspired twist to this casual look with the fabulous 'Babette' lace-up boots from Parisian brand Maje. I'd had my eye on these beauties for a while & was earnestly waiting for them to go on sale; my patience paid off & I got them with a terrific 50% off! The boots strike a perfect balance between vintage Victorian style and cool, on-trend androgyny.

Get The Look:

Shirt: Reiss 'Eddi' Shirt

Shorts: Zara Denim Shorts

Shoes: Maje 'Babette' Lace-up Boots

Bag: The Cambridge Satchel Co. Classic 11" Satchel in red

Snapshot: Manley Leather

Snapped Wearing:

Top: Manley 'Erin' Studded Leather Jacket in wine

Jacket: Manley 'Erin' Studded Leather Vest Top in wine

Skirt: Manley 'Dakota' Studded Silk & Leather Skirt in navy

Shoes: Dior 'Extreme' Sandals

Bag: Reiss 1971 'Selvi' Gold Box Clutch

Necklace: Alex Monroe Bee Necklace in gold

Note: The beautiful leather jacket & vest will be available to buy in Ireland's Brown Thomas stores from late August for one month. The perforated leather comes in wine, navy, black and clay. There will also be a metallic leather option in silver and old silver.

Fine Wine

I think it's fair to say that I am now a Manley Girl; I have awarded myself this honour & to warrant such a fabulous, boasty title I have added two gorgeous new pieces to my ever expanding Manley collection; the 'Erin' perforated leather jacket & tank, both in a delicious shade of wine. They are from Manley's A/W13 collection entitled 'The Bees Knees'.

The jacket is so unusual, not a typical leather jacket at all. Made from the softest, perforated leather, it is longer at the back, shorter at the front and features short sleeves, scalloped edges, snap fastener closure to the front. It has a relaxed fit and is beautifully embellished with dome shaped brass studs throughout.

The tank, made from the same buttery soft perforated leather, also features the cool stud detail & has snap fasteners on both sides. The pieces look great together and they mix and match as separates equally well. The styling possibilities are endless!

These beautiful leather pieces will be available to buy in Ireland's Brown Thomas stores from late August for one month. The perforated leather will be available in wine, navy, black and clay. There will also be a metallic leather option in silver and old silver. If you can't wait that long, click on the links below to see where you can order similar pieces from Manley's S/S13 collection online right now!

I styled my super-cool leather pieces with my favourite denim shorts & comfy shoes boots for a gorgeous blustery day on a beautiful pebble beach. Trust me though, these stunning pieces can be dressed up to the nines just as easily; I'll show you sometime soon!

Get The Look:

Jacket: Manley 'Erin' Studded Leather Jacket in wine (similar)

Top: Manley 'Erin' Studded leather Tank in wine (similar)

Shorts: Zara Denim Shorts (similar)
Shoes: Karen Millen Stack Heel Boots (similar)

Hey Mr DJ!

It seems to have become something of a tradition that every time I go into London with my lovely Husband, he buys me something beautiful in my favourite French store Maje! My most recent treat is the absolutely delicious 'DJ' playsuit and I love love love it; it is Parisian style at its very best.

The playsuit, with its sultry combination of lace & silk, hints at a romantic, lingerie inspired look. It has short sleeves, a sexy open back, slit pockets to the side and a cinched in, food friendly (always a good thing!) elasticated waist.

I fell in love with it so much I literally wore it straight from the store! Luckily the accessories I was already wearing looked good with it! The gladiator sandals were a fantastic purchase many years ago from New Look and the Chloe 'Paddington' bag is my favourite handbag of all time! My much loved Chanel sunnies completed this cool, simple Summer look.

Get The Look:

Playsuit: Maje 'DJ' Lace Trim Silk Playsuit in black

Shoes: New Look Gladiator Sandals in tan (similar)

Bag: Chloe 'Paddington' Bag (similar)

Sunglasses: Chanel Bow Sunglasses

Snapshot: Winter Kate Vanilla 'Opy'

Snapped Wearing:

Jacket: Winter Kate 'Opy' in vanilla

Top: Whistles Seam Back Tee in white

Shorts: Zara Denim Shorts

Belt: Vintage Levi Leather Belt

Bag: Chloe Mini-Paddington

Boots: Ash 'Jalouse' Ankle Boots

Note: Photos taken with the Hipstamatic App on my iPhone

Pop Art

Andy Warhol's iconic work of art '32 Soup Cans' was produced in 1962 and consists of 32 canvases (32 was the number of soup varieties sold by Campbell's at the time), with each painting resting on a shelf as cans would in a supermarket. Warhol's work initially proved to be unpopular; his 'pop art' offended the art worlds sensibilities & to this day continues to be controversial and topical. Personally I love his simplistic serial imagery that single handedly changed the concept of art appreciation.

The Pepe Jeans Andy Warhol collection is steeped in cool, retro pop culture and is the perfect mix of art, music and fashion. The collection features iconic Warhol images such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Cars, Lips and of course the Campbell's Soup Cans, arguably his most recognisable image.

The 'Brenda S' dress was a birthday present from my best friend; it is just too fabulous! It features 80s style bat-wing sleeves, a round neckline, an unexpected deep v-back, zip detail to the back and an all over print of the iconic Soup Cans against a light pink background.

I styled the dress with a fabulous pair of silver shoes from Zara, Chanel sunnies & my go-too silver Tiffany trinkets for a cool, retro look.

Get The Look:

Dress: Pepe Jeans 'Brenda S' Dress from the Andy Warhol Collection

Shoes: Zara Laminated High-Heeled Sandals in silver

Sunglasses: Chanel Bow Sunglasses

The Who? What? Wear?

A few weeks ago, we were in the London branch of the Maje store and my lovely Husband bought me a very cool outfit (blogged here). While I was there, this beautiful shirt dress caught my eye & I suspected I would be back at some point to buy it. I soon returned and was delighted to find that the dress was in the sale with a whopping 50% off!

It's first outing was to the O2 in London to see legendary rock band The Who in action. The gig was absolutely amazing and my dress was so comfortable and easy to wear. It certainly got noticed! So much so, I now have a golden rule regarding what not to wear when attending gigs; do not wear an outfit that partially exposes your back as you WILL be groped!

Groping aside, I loved wearing my new dress. Made of 100% silk, in a delicious shade of teal, the dress features two front pockets, military style epaulets, three-quarter length sleeves with button cuffs, a high/low hem and a sexy, playful (now rather infamous!) open back that takes it from formal to fabulous!

I styled the dress with big, bold Dior heels. These are firm favourites, very Carrie Bradshaw. They go with everything & despite the towering 5 inch heel, are surprisingly comfortable to wear, even whilst shakin' my booty alongside rock gods Pete Townsend, Roger Daltrey et al; altogether now "Whooo are you! Who who, who who"!

Get The Look:

Dress: Maje 'Abano' Shirt Dress in teal

Shoes: Dior 'Extreme' Shoes in metallic (similar)