Cos AW14 Menswear Collection

Today I'm talking menswear once more...although I ended up buying a piece from the collection for myself! But such is Cos. Infinitely wearable, hard to (impossible?) to get wrong and wonderfully androgynous.

Scandinavian and Irish design actually have ties going back to the sixties and, I think, that's why it's so popular here. Both are somewhat simple, restrained though prehaps imbued with a little more of a sense of humour in an Irish context because we're so good at laughing at ourselves and not taking life too seriously. But, I digress. My point is that Cos suits a modern Irish palate. It's metropolitan, durable, not overly caught up in trends and unfussy.

So, Irish men, if you're feeling a tad lost style-wise, I reckon you should hit up their AW14 collection. It's got some great investment pieces in the form of blazers and coats and some slightly more on-trend pieces with sixties inspired prints, cuts and footwear. The palette is largely in neutral tones with the pops of colour here and there that they do so well - one of my favourite sections in the store was the schlubby grey area. I may not be a 50 Shades fan but there's probably that many in my wardrobe. And the silhouettes are largely traditional and recognisable with less innovating in this area than the women's clothes tend to see. However, to update these pieces, give them a modern twist, the details are key; a leather panel here, interesting use of zips there.

My essentials have to be the simple black bomber, the navy suit (looks good on EVERYONE - all genders should feature one of these bad boys in their wardrobe), Chelsea boots, canvas backpack, navy peacoat, classic Breton striped tee, tweedy canvas slip-ons and a sturdy duffle coat. It's what boy-me would wear/live in!

Use of materials - classic bomber in scuba fabric.

Use of zips.

Leather details.

So, what do you all think of the collection? Should I cover menswear more? 

AW14 Shopping List

I've already posted on the looks I'll be going for this AW but I thought I should also mention some of the key pieces I'll be injecting into my wardrobe. To me, these are indispensible for the coming season and some will also be great investment/non-agey pieces to boot!

1. Penney's/Primark Coats.

Love the Irish landscapes of the AW campaign, love the outerwear even more. They killed it this year. I want all the coats. The three I've gone for here are a pale pink Celine-esque number, a vintage-inspired faux-fur mod-like piece and a timelessly androgynous navy duffle.

2. Sailor Moon themed everything.

Because that equals cute, ne? This tee is from Lookhuman.com and is one of many, many tees, sweathers, bags and pieces of jewellery centred around Sailor Moon that I've fallen crazy in love with. Gimme.

3. A solid midi.

The mini may be the cut of the season but I like the proportions of a midi more at the moment. The khaki Topshop number is cute and manageable but the Lennon Courtney is the real one I'm after.

4. A pair of New Balances.

They've been on my list for a while now. Practical enough to run in...cute enough to wear when that inevitably doesn't work out.

5. Witchy/Nineties School Shoes.

These types of shoes were all the rage when I was eleven or twelve. I direly wanted a pair but my much-cleverer-than-I mother refused to buy them for me as she knew I'd never be able to run around the playground in them (ie What was I thinking?) Now I think (probably) I could do it. Vagabond were the brand of the day and I kinda wanna commit to the full childhood dream and get a pair now.

6. Grown-up heeled Chelsea Boots.

I live in ankle boots in the winter/always and I've been working my way up to a kinda proper heel so a classic Chelsea with a bit of height is what I'm after next. 

7. Hats.

I always want more hats but I've two sorts in mind: A classic Irish tweed number specifically from Evelyn the Arty Weaver and a stetson like this one from HIGH. NEED.

8. The Statement Jumper.

Specifically, this one from NATALIEBCOLEMAN. In love from the moment I first saw it.

9. Capes.

Yes, they're a thing again! I'm still searching for the perfect one but this Lennon Courtney capelet would sure go a long way towards quenching the need!

So, what will you guys be buying this AW?

First Streetstyle in Quite A While...

I encountered the lovely Alice as I was walking back from the shops, laden with far too many bags and with the nagging feeling my grown-up shoes had done a number on my heels (they had). She was waiting for the bus and looked so perfectly put together that I had to turn around and ask her if I could take her photo.

TBH, it was her feet that I noticed first. Not a huge wearer of animal prints myself and the shot doesn't do them justice but those chelsea boots are killer. A little gold hardware, a perfect amount of heel.

The real coup here, however, is that there's so much going on (when you look properly) and yet its not overdone. Multiple textures, colours and prints are seamlessly put together and tamed by a lively but somewhat subdued colour palette.

I also love that each piece is great in it's own right. Those jeans, that scarf.

All this might lead you to wonder (if you're a longtime reader) why it's been so long since I last did any streetstyle shots. Is Dublin no longer stylish? Mais, of course it is! Then what's up? Well, (here's the bit with excuses) all last year I was working on my dissertation and being a final year and spent a lot of time on campus. I just felt weird about going up to people I knew vaguely/probably had friends in common with. Then this year I've been doing my Masters and, again, felt weird about asking people around campus. Mostly because (and I realise I'm only 22 here) I feel like I'd be some old creep, stalking the undergrads.

I get that all this is more about me overthinking shit and stuff. 

But today (and recently) I've been better about not being so in my own head and awkward and have been putting myself out there more. And you know what? EVERY SINGLE TIME it pays off.

Moral of the day kids: challenge yourself.

Peace out.

Maybe expect more?

PS DISCLAIMER: This post is not sponsored by Fine Gael, nor an ad for them. Vote whatever way you want.

Afternoon Tea.

Afternoon tea in Killashee House with the family and the granny a couple of days ago. The cakes are pretty damn good and the building is super interesting and pretty. Light seems to fall perfectly everywhere around it.

Boots - Topshop - Jeans - Topshop - Shirt - Dunnes - Jacket - random boutique.