Daddy

My father turned fifty today and when these momentous moments happen to us or those around us, it tends to make us reflect. Of course, I thought on how lucky I am to have a father like him, on how much he has affected the world around him. But, as my blog is such a big part of my life, it gave me pause to consider the sartorial implications my dad has had on my life - as well as the many other ways he has enriched my life in general.

I owe a lot of my sense of style to both of my parents. They were only a little older than I am now when I was born, so for many of my formative years they were young, cool, still figuring everything out. We lived in France for six months during the first year of my life - when the people around them partied, Nirvana continued to take over the world and grunge style reigned supreme. Not only did this influence the bands I would later love but I also adopted my dad's formula of band tee and jeans - a classic. I've even commandeered some of the exact shirts he wore over the years. In fact, I've always robbed pieces from his wardrobe as well as my mother's; thanks to our similar aesthetics and his very slight frame in the nineties. We both have a fondness for striped tees, large overcoats and knitwear - especially a good aran jumper. And I have the same risk-taking approach to style that my dad has always had. His wardrobe sports leather jackets in an enviable and brave array of colours for small-town Ireland, a leather waistcoat I've stolen plenty of times and some of the only paisley pieces that I have time for.

Of course, as a father, and one of the most selfless people I know, Daddy rarely dwells on what he wears or spends lots of money on himself. But when he's not dressing himself in clothes for working outside, he displays a keen natural eye for shapes, colours and textures that work together and a preference for quality over quantity that I continue to try and emulate.

Me and Daddy - both in rather cool outfits.

Daddy lurking in the corner in a Metallica tee - the only shot of him in a band tee that I could find for some reason...

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Gift Guide 2014 - Irish Design

It's probably quite apparent for any regular, or even occasional, readers that I'm passionate about promoting Irish design and Irish-made products. Not all of the items here are made in the country or by small companies but some are and all are designed by Irish companies. Don't get me wrong, products from other places are also pleasing and worthwhile but I do so enjoy traditional Irish design and crafts as well as those with a contemporary twist.

The price range varies quite a bit from stocking stuffers under €5 to bigger gifts like the We Are Islanders clutch/I-Pad case. I also tried to make the items largely suitable for people across a range of age groups and genders. Several items are from Heatons and Dunnes Stores and their designer collaborations that I'm so fond of but there are also items from great Irish designers like Natalie B Coleman and small companies like Snow.

Next year is the year of Irish design so why not give someone you love a head start? I'm excited. Are you?

Little Gem: Cleo is too cute!

I did a post on a shoot produced by Irish stalwart of fashion, Cleo, in the nineties a few weeks ago. That focused more on the aesthetic and ideas behind the store but now I want to talk about the store as it functions today; what it looks like, what's in it, etc.

Based on Kildare Street in Dublin city centre, the store boasts a colourful window display and beautiful uncial script signage. Upon buzzing into the store, you're greeted and immediately confronted with a variety of toys, items of clothing and accessories made of traditional wools, tweeds, linen and more. The space is made up of two rooms, the one you enter into moving through an open doorway to a back room with more clothing, hats, scarves, I-Pad covers, cushions etc. Everything is Irish and handmade and the type of exquisite workmanship that will never fall apart and would find it difficult to age or date. 

My favourite pieces had to be these wool ties, the I-Pad and cushion covers and the little knitted mice dotted everywhere - so sweet! There's much more that's worth a peep and an investment but I'll leave y'all to pop into store and have a rifle through the racks for gems.

Going to pay a visit?

New Inspiration - Cleo.

Cleo is a family-owned and run shop on Kildare Street in Dublin. Many will know it, will have passed by it many a time. It appears touristy and is, thus, easily written off but it has been an important part of dress in Ireland for near on a century now. I'll do a separate post soon on the store and the treasure trove that it is but today I want to talk about a catalogue they produced in the nineties.

One of my lecturers, Hilary O'Kelly, has just written a book on the store (the go-to for more info and a great read) and weeks ago she gave us a lecture on it as part of one of our modules and to test out the topic for talks. The story of the shop I walked by mindlessly on my way to work each week was fascinating. The clientele included (among many other fashion icons and celebrities) Mrs Cary Grant and Carmel Snow. It had moved with all the shifts in the Irish and international economy and had managed to survive when others had not. And then Hilary showed us the aforementioned catalogue images. If I wasn't hooked already, this was the deal-breaker. It was like clouds clearing in my mind, a eureka moment. Here was what I had been looking for. Practicality. Ease. Timelessness. Rugged beauty.

The images were photographed by the now acclaimed Mike Bunn and styled by Elizabeth Clare with the Irish countryside of Delphi, Co Mayo as its backdrop. They are rich, striking images that may not be "fashionable" but are certainly stylish. It's a world that sucks me in, one where we invest in pieces and things last. Where there's that Hemingway sense of "honesty". Where tradition lives and breathes around us and beauty is in embracing the natural.

The images just speak to me in ways I cannot even express. They excite me. Make me want to invest in knitwear come A/W and try something not new but new to me. The way of dressing aligns with my love of normcore and restraint but with a fresh spin on it that's less gimmick more like growing up. Or perhaps I'm admitting that, at heart, I'm a little bit of a hippy.

Either which way, enjoy. Be captivated and join my little club of imagination where climbing mountains isn't sweaty, icky work and roaming the enchanting wilderness of Ireland styled in kniwear to perfection is totally commonplace.

Check Cleo out on facebook and do pop in! Anyone else feeling the clothes as much as me?

(Images courtesy of Cleo)

Knitlayers.

Even though it's getting warmer (wooop) it is still Ireland, after all. So, I'm not quite jumping the gun like that one guy you always see on the first sunny day of Spring who cracks out the shorts while we all shiver and judge him silently. This in-between period of warm but not hot is a great time for experimenting. Here I'm wearing a cardigan over a jumper for the cooler evening but the jumper is cropped and worn as a top by itself. The pants are a light material and also slightly cropped so they work for Spring as well. A lot of print is going on, especially for me, but I think it's still rather restrained due to the muted brownish-red, blue and black tones. On paper, that sounds disgusting but I rather like the result. The whole thing is quite playful - messing with lengths and mixing patterns.

Cardigan and Jumper - Zara - Pants - Urban Outfitters - Sneaker Wedges - Topshop - Earrings - Cos

I'm really loving this jumper. I can just imagine pairing it with a pencil skirt for summer nights out when it's chillier in the evening. 

PLUS: I'm pretty excited by how long my hair is now! It's been a work in progress for years and is the longest it's ever been. I never blow-dry it so the nice wave going on here is purely from plaiting it when it was slightly damp still and leaving that until it was dry.

The Lost Outfit Post.

I had forgotten that this even existed...an advent calender in the background and the amount of clothes stolen from my mother suggest it was while I was home for Christmas...christ, nearly a year on!

Knits.

There has to be some upside to it getting so damn cold. And here it is: knits. This year, in particular, is a good one for wrapping up. From statement jumpers, to body-hugging dresses, to oversized jumpers with pencil skirts (I LOVE), to patterns, to fuzzy - there's something for everyone. 

Or everything for me? Yes, please.

The best of the best (aka what I dream of):

All photos from Vogue.co.uk/Go Runway.