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?

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?

Evelyn the Arty Weaver - Weaving the hats of my dreams.

I love me a good hat. And, if you've been reading lately, you'll know I've come over all patriotic when it comes to clothes. I have this idea of a romantic, neo-Irish style implementing sturdy traditional materials and construction with modern styling.

Over the weekend, I came across a craftsperson producing pieces to provide for all these tastes. Situated on the grounds of Russborough House in a studio which attracts with rag time tunes floating out the windows, Evelyn the Arty Weaver makes and shows her wares. I had been inside the main house for an uncle's birthday lunch when my Mam and I spotted some of Evelyn's hats on display. We posed for a photo with myself, mother and father bedecked in the hats while my brother placed a cooking pan on his head. Everyone laughed and we thought nothing more of the hats until I went for a stroll after eating.

When I stumbled into the studio, I ended up chatting for a very long time to the lovely, enviously pink-haired and immensely interesting Evelyn. She pointed out the unique "pepper and salt" pattern of Irish tweeds, we discussed the historic roots of fabrics and trades in Ireland, she showed me her production set-up and then she told me how she got from painting to weaving. It all started with a single image in a book, Weaving as an Art Form, which showed how much could be done with the craft, how it could be used to draw.

It's funny how such a thing can change your whole life path....

The hats are gorgeous. Traditional fabrics in twenties shapes with contemporary twists. Inspired by the Mitford girls who lived in the house in the twenties, there are six basic shapes in a range of colours and patterns. 

My particular fave.

I oohed and aahed and chatted before returning later with my mother who did the same and bought a crocheted headband which was beyond adorable. We're planning a return visit for my birthday or Christmas when we'll commit to an actual hat. If you're interested, check out the Russborough studio or Evelyn's facebook page. Pieces can be bought online and her new site will be up soon!

Chanel Couture A/W 2014-15

Chanel is a Stalworth of fashion and, even in such an ever-changing industry, it's easy to imagine it always will be. For as long as there are women, many will want to be the Chanel woman. That demographic. The club.

As much as I am one of those dreaming women, it is less the main season RTW and more the Pre/Resort collections and, of course, the couture shows that have me sighing. When I see the pictures of the Chanel Couture A/W 2014-14 collection are already up on Vogue, I eagerly and with shaking limbs, click to view them. Other shows I take in bit by bit but here I'm almost panicked in my need to see and consume. I hastily scroll through the page, too quickly for my crappy internet connection to keep up with and wait for the next images to load. Consuming is really the only correct word, I gorge and decide to come back for closer inspection once this dire need within me has been sated.

As if it ever could be.

Autumnal hues gradually freeze into icy cool tones as the collection floats by. A mixture of references and influences delight the eyes and add to my feeling of frenzy, entrancing and bewitching my senses. As one would expect from couture, it's impeccable, detailed and rich. Many Chanel standards and hallmarks are present but somehow he's done it again and found ways to make them fresh and to fit inside a collection that feels less like 20th century primness and propriety and more of 18th century extravagance and elegance.

Brocade trims grace the more simple pieces while full on embellishment swathes other garments. A gamut of fabrics and silhouettes. Eighties power-shoulders and pedal-pushers given an elegance no one knew they had in them. Punk hair with tweed suits and sweet dresses. Boyishness and ultimate princess moments. Necklines that are high and reminiscent of Eastern influences next to golden trims and shoulder clasps like something a Greek goddess would wear.

It seems almost a parade of beauty and grace through the ages and the globe, uniting all womankind in a cohesive collection. Perhaps clothing should be part of peace processes...

(Images via vogue.co.uk)

What do you make of it all? Has Colette run off on another imagination adventure or are you feeling it too?