pocket money

Today was payday and during the course of a stressful morning (essential errands impossible to finish and the sense of a ticking time bomb) with my lovely fresh pay check burning a whole in my pocket, I hit up Superdrug.

I felt a little like my 8 year old self, a wee jovial soul every pocket money day, though this time I opted for some shamelessly girly goodies. Rather than the pointless Pokemon cards or copious amounts of Woolworths pick n mix that way back when were the norm.

And so may I present you with my new dusty pink hair extensions (clip in, for realz, stupidly excited) and three nail polishes in 'twinkle shine', 'button moon' and uh, 'number 19'.

yessss.

back soon, off to play hopskotch outside and find somebody's hair to braid.

Handbags and Gladrags

An email from my sister Mags:

You probably don't think of fashion and finance in the same sentence...but let me tell you what's been going on here in Citi Ireland. A Fundraising Day for the Irish Cancer Society (Citi's 2009 Charity of the Year) happened today with the theme "Handbags and Gladrags". The selection would make any fashionista's head swirl with all the rails of designer handbags and clothing donated for a raffle including worn-once eveningwear and a love-me Aideen Bodkin coat. It wasn't just for the ladies as some of the Citi men were treated to a selection of ties and cufflinks (most of them Louis Coupeland). What's more, we raised €2,000 for the Irish Cancer Society!

Irish Cancer Society shops are dotted around the country. Donate or buy - all for a great cause.

Free Overnight Shipping on Kids Clothes at Zappos!

Zappos is offering free overnight shipping on clothing which is great news for last minute shopping!

Check out this adorable Riley the Puppy Costume by Le Top and don't miss the gorgeous Pettiskirts by Kaiya Eve Couture!

shit, what do I wear!?

Put your hands up if with one day to go you're still unsure what to wear for Halloween? Here are some quick ideas that don't involve rushing to the fancy dress shop and throwing excessive amounts of money at a solution. phew!


It's a bit of a given that if you don face paint at Halloween, you put sufficient effort into your costume and shall command respect from others for the rest of the night. And wearing Day of The Dead face paint in honour of the Mexican festival gives you cool points. You look good and weren't afraid of looking a little bit silly. Wear a garland in your hair and a hawaiian shirt just for the sake of confusing floral nations.

Duh, how bloody cool did Iekeliene Stange look in October's Dazed and Confused. True, she has killer cheekbone structure and fabulously nonchalant platinum blonde hair on her side, and well, you may resemble a green sweating mass, but it's worth a go isn't it?


Wearing ears at Halloween can be risky business; you don't want to toe that 'Sexy Cat' line. But I'd say choosing to pay homage to a character well loved by generations of children means that with nostalgia on your side you can ace it in the costume department. Watch the video below for a how-to guide. Wes Anderson fans may smile and nod along at the film references.

Read article: "Suri Cruise: The Stylish Closet of a Hollywood Toddler" by: Scarlett Jewel

On April 18, 2006, little Suri Cruise made her stylish debut to parents Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. Unbeknownst to her, the world had been anxiously awaiting her arrival too. While most girls are considered a little princess to their parents, Suri was born into Hollywood royalty. In the beginning, people were naturally curious to know what the little girl looked like, and if the little darling resembled her celebrity parents. After she landed her first magazine cover with Vanity Fair, the attention shifted from Suri’s confirmed cuteness to her chic clothes. Although she’s never actually walked the red carpet, everyone began to ask: What is she wearing?

Read article written by Scarlett Jewel, from My Baby Clothes Boutique - offering Babies Designer Baby Hats and Cute Hair Bows.

Get What You Wish at Hanna Andersson!

Hanna Andersson is all ready to dress your little ones this Winter!

Get What You Wish at Hanna Andersson! All regular priced merchandise is 20% off! This includes our ever-popular long johns, holiday dresses and sweaters for the entire family, and much more.

The offer is good through November 15th.

Everything But The Princess - Spooktacular Specials This Week

Everything But The Princess has some Spooktacular Specials this week!

Create your own European holiday with thier amazing winter collections.

Save 20-30% this week only on Chipie, Catimini, Mim Pi, Jean Bourget, Monnalisa, Jottum & Paper Wings

Chloé Winter 09 Collection by Gaby Aghion at Childrensalon

Chloé was founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion, an Egyptain born Parisiene with a dark beauty and bohemian spirit.

Rejecting the stiff formality of the 50s fashion, she creates soft, body conscious clothes from fine fabrics and called them "luxury pret-a-porter".

Below Outlet Priced European Children's Clothing @ Sophistikidz.com

Sophistikidz.com offers handpicked classy European children's wear at below outlet prices.

Shop Sophistikidz.com for stylish European brands including:

- Alphabet
- Berlingot
- Butterscotch
- Charabia
- Clayeux
- Marese
- i Gianburrasca
- OOXOO


Shop now for the best Holiday selection....

Plus get FREE SHIPPING on any order with code FreeShip.

Why We Need "Jedward"

Irony. Such a lost art. Derided as a Gen X hipster accessory, the term has become almost obsolete, so much so that its definition has imploded. A bit ironic in itself, dontcha think? Thankfully where Ms. Morrisette failed to point the semantic finger, we have the Irish Xfactor hybrid Jedward. The pointy hair, the loud PVC suits, unwittingly likening their distinct lack of vocal talent to a brakeless bike. In a synthetic pop world filled with PR-styled soundbytes, Jedward are the antidote, the anti-heroes and ironically (albeit packaged by Louis Walsh) anti-manufactured. Let's face it, there's only one of them! Heck, if they bomb in the charts, they've always got a career in fashion - maybe with Jean Charles de Castelbajac? I'm thinking David Bowie 'Let's Dance' circa 1983 meets Vanilla Ice 1991. Us fashionistas love our irony. You've got a home with us Jedward.

eBay Fun!

Interested in buying a vintage dress...or three? I'm flogging some of my prized clobber on eBay - mainly that which I bought in a magpie frenzy. The end result? Clothes that don't quite fit. So very pretty though; like this fab 70s dress. On my six foot frame, the hem hits my ankle bone so sadly its too short with heels. I also need someone to zip me up as I suck inhale like a corseted Scarlett O'Hara. The late night snacking has to stop...seriously.

Biya - Fashion's Fiercest First Lady

The latest Gmail thread from the boys:

Andrew
to Annmarie, Neil
8:04 AM
Read this on a blog;
Last Thursday Vic Mizzy, the songwriter behind The Addams Family theme tune, died at the age of 93.
Obviously the family of the President of Spain were mourning his passing when they recently met the Obamas.


Neil
to Annmarie, Andrew
9:14 AM
Some people have been hitting the patatas bravas in a bad way. And the mother isn't that bad looking, if in a mannish way. Placing her beside the Uber-mannish Michelle was a good move so. Is Michelle wearing a monks cassock? This whole photo has an air of extreme recession asceticism: bring back glam I say!

...Talking of which, can we please compare this with the shot they took with the Cameroon president? This b*tch Chantal Biya knows how to dress for the occasion, I'm sorry, but she looks savage.

...And to prove it, here she is rocking a ecumenical-stylee hat for Pope Pius earlier in the year.

Annmarie
to Neil, Andrew
9:23 AM
In fairness, I'm liking Michelle's frock. The glitzy bow injects a soupcon of 'yes we can' to an otherwise sober dress. And you cannot fault those killer pins.

I'm hoping Chantal was just caught blinking and not taking a cheeky nap. Perhaps she's smug in the knowledge that she's the only one boasting an eco-system in that stacked hair; or maybe a selection of travel size hair products. Handy that....

As for that statement hat, shouldn't there a law to state you can't out-Pope the Papa; much like a bride at a wedding? Speaking of which, imagine if she docked up to the church on your big day? The wedding photos would either bear a hazy shadow from the height of her hair; or a searing flash of light from her blinged out baubles. Still...she's one fierce b*tch. Gotta love her!

Neil
to Annmarie, Andrew
9:48 AM
On mature reflection I too like Michelle's frock. She actually looks fantastic beside Chantal, though am not sure that's saying much. Am surprised there are any weaves left in the western hemisphere with the amount Chantal must get through. I'm sensing an as yet untold news story where entire villages of women are having their hair shaved off just because Chantal has some glitzy reception that evening. And I can't imagine under what circumstances she'd be coming to my wedding (although 3rd world dictators could be an as yet untapped dating pool, having exhausted every other channel), but if she did the only approach would be to out-Biya her; although I'm not sure there is enough gold lamé in existence to manage that feat.

daul kim

daul kim, along with dree hemingway and, in my opinion, racquel zimmerman are all examples of models whose switch to platinum blonde was the best. idea. ever.

image, models.com

Complex Geometries

I never was a star pupil at maths. I always maintained however that if they used fashion to elucidate the formula of an isosceles triangle, I'd be a genius. It didn't take me long to twig that this here top by Complex Geometries belongs in my wardrobe. The measured draping, the equilateral sides and asymmetrical racer back equal = 'must+have'². Just as well I nabbed the last one from Circus Store in Powerscourt. Click here to get your style soduku online!

chloe

just chloe sevigny looking big time gorgeous. and wearing her belly on show without looking like she has 3 baby daddies and an addiction to akon.

Agoo Apparel Launches Ultimate Active Kids Outerwear

Agoo Apparel has recently launched its ultimate active kids outerwear.

Designed to deflect the elements by keeping wind out and body heat in, each Agoo Jacket has a fully lined hood and thumb-holes in the cuff.

20% off Miss Sugar Pops' Couture Halloween Costumes

Miss Sugar Pops is offering one-of-a-kind couture Halloween costumes.

From funky to sweet...they have a look you won't find anywhere else!

Receive 20% off your total Miss Sugar Pops purchase with code: halloween.

the shorts suit

Anything that has a Virginia McKenna in 'Born Free' kind of vibe is alright in my book.
Which is why I've fallen just a teeny weeny bit in love with this Arnsforf shirt and short set. Perhaps not entirely weather appropriate for now, but come Spring it'll be just perfect. What's even more splendid is that if you're unable to find $360 down the back of the sofa (because that's how much it'll cost in aus dollars), you can quite easily recreate the look for yourself with shorts and shirts from the charity shop. Maybe an alternating coloured set for each day of the week? From dusty pink on monday right through to pillarbox red on sunday, I dare you.

Harvey Nicks & Grazia Event

an ode to the button up blouse

Ingrid Sophie Schram is one of my style pin ups.
Stylewise we're pretty similar with the whole buttoned up blouse, battered boy shoes and ankle socks look. Except she ups the anti by wearing a tacky sequined baseball cap and making it seem like the most natural and cool idea ever. Or by wearing her ankle socks in sunshine yellow, not plain old white. So doff your hats to Miss Schram who God bless her would probably never ripped tights or studded accessories.

Fashion Digest

Time - slippery little fella, isn't he? Before you know it a week has evaporated like the word 'tregging', leaving you with a handful of receipts and a few hazy retail memories. Refusing to capitulate to the vagaries of the clock , I've distilled the past week into a few snappy headlines. Check it out:

1. Hosted the first weekend of Fashion Me Fabulous style sessions at Kildare Village.
2. Stayed at The Kensington Hotel, London (divine!) - home to the most lush rooms on the planet, the wafting smell of Jo Malone candles and coeliac-friendly afternoon tea. I may want to live there.
3. Spotted James Brown (i.e. Kate Moss' haidresser; not Godfather of Soul) in a wide-brimmed hat walking a grey poodle-esque dog.
4. Spotted Westlife's Shane and Nicky at Heathrow; or rather I wouldn't have, had Shane not been wearing sunglasses indoors. Petite little fellas - but sure we still love 'em! :)
5. Missed the Fashion Bloggers' Brunch @ BT2 which was a super stylish sesh complete with choons from DJ Dandelion. Gutted!
6. The arse of my new Zara trousers ripped after wearing them once. Insult to injury? The gaping hole could well have revealed my green lace knickers to the entire Kildare-Dublin train passengers. Nice.
7. The sole of my Carvela loafers lost their fight for life. Not even Superglue would save them. A bit miffed given I only got them in July. Sigh.
8. Which explains why I had to get a new pair of tapered trousers and black patent brogues in Topshop. Taking advantage of the exchange rate I saved a whopping €47. Hah! Take that Sir Philip Green!
9. I'm not talking to my Blackberry Storm (in a teacup). This is the second time the camera has refused to work - 1) My sister's wedding 2) the world's most beautiful hotel room of which I have no pics. Grrr.... A mediator might be necessary; or an iPhone come Dec 9th when my contract ends.
10. The oversized mirror in the sitting room fell off the wall - a potential beheading. Maybe it's a cosmic warning about vanity; or the perils of reality TV. I haven't watched the America's Next Top Model since.

Bling-a-Bib for the ISPCC

I'm no designer. Unless you count that time circa 1988 when I made a lycra body con dress for Home Economics. Took me two months and buckled like a legless Christmas reveller about every two inches. When asked therefore by the ISPCC to Bling-a-Bib for their Christmas fundraising drive, I was determined to redeem myself. A box of beads, tube of Bostick and rubber gloves later, et volia! Check that bad boy out! So if you happen to see an ISPCC volunteer over the next few weeks wearing one of these charity couture creations, drop them a few quid and a massive 'where did you get that?'

For more information about the ISPCC's €1 million fundraising drive, or to register as a volunteer, please log on to www.ispcc.ie/getyourbibon or call 1850 50 40 50.

Freedom Galway - Sale!

Attention Galwegians. Check out Freedom's new home on Lwr. Abbeygate Street and net yourself some cool savings this weekend. Happy shopping!

happy birthday abby!

Happy Birthday to my lovely Abby!

She is celebrating her birthday in the coolest fashion, spending two weeks in New York and playing catch up with lots of friends. For my last birthday I ended up getting drunk, doing karaoke and singing Afroman. Not cool. Luckily Abby can balance out my blip as she will be eating out in a little french bistro and being much more sophisticated.

So here's to a fantastic 2-0, I love having you a part of my life, love, and here are too many more special birthdays.

image sources; kingaburzablog, purple diary, skullset, dan heller photography, abby's photos, my photos, teenage unicorn, various unknowns

just an observation..

I'd say Charlotte Dellal is currently beating her sister in the 'Best Hair' stakes..

pic; yvan rodic via the fashion spot

some things I think you ought to know..

Roll up, Roll up! Watch as he sticks feathers to his shoulders and louches about in pink floral shorts! Andrew from Pull Teeth is one of the coolest and best dressed guys of all time. OF ALL TIME.


Nude Lumiere is a bloody ruddy fantastic Tumblr page. Because of her great eye you'll probably end up dragging half of the images she handpicks directly into your inspiration folder.

Top three models. Fact.
Missy Rayder
Lara Stone
Sasha Pivovarova

If you're anything like me, you'll have millions of scraps of paper around your room and word documents permanently up on the computer containing the addresses of blogs you never ever want to forget about. So in homage to this obsessive compulsive attribute, here are a load I have scattered about the place and that I utterly love.

1. Velvet Scientist
2. Karla That's Me
3. Blood Roses
4. Sometimes I Just Need Quiet. Blog with a naughty URL but great photographs
5. Mood. Bloody fantastic for menswear references
6. Raspberry and Red. Cutest polish girl ever. She kind of makes me wish I was 14 again. Or at least that I had dressed like her.
7. Aprilgatan. Nothing like a bit of Scandinavian crushing. I give you 5 seconds until you have the desire to wear breton stripes and attend a Danish music festival.
8. Slash Magazine I really really like this online magazine.
9. Magic Molly. Not only has this girl got the best case of effortlessly cool streetwear disease, she's also an amazing writer. The kind that has me skipping along that 'Oh fuck, I'll never be as good/wow, she's inspiring me to pick up a pen and better myself' borderline.
   
   
   Wearing a pair of simple jeans, preferably skinny with a soft or maybe even cashmere rollneck is quite an appealing idea for a lazy autumnal day outfit. courtesy of 1990s Kate Moss and Vanessa of Pandafck
   
   
10. Romance of Thoughts After having spent the last couple of days reading (I've started Shoplifting from American Apparel by Tao Lin; so smart and cynical but in a fresh and intelligently witty way) and overanalysing the way I write (that's what being forced to define yourself for a Personal Statement does!) I've decided to take the plunge and create a Tumblr account. But rather than using it to post inspiring photographs, I'm going to be posting short observations and small creative pieces. If this sounds like your cup of tea, take a look. It's quite nice to have a bit of a balance and write about something that isn't related to fashion.
    

Joan Collins Does Glamour

When I was 8 years old, I wrote an 'About Me' essay. I lived in Blue Point, New York. I wanted to be a ballerina and my hero was Joan Collins. Even then I couldn't resist the outre glamour. Sequins before 10am was my kind of style protocol. Even still, I'm a firm adherent of the Collins 'you can never have too much fashion' theory. Hence the reason I'm waiting patiently for the mother of all makeover shows - Joan Collins Does Glamour - 9pm tonight on ITV1!

Grazia Style Hunter Awards

It's official. Dublin's got more style savvy than London! Ah well, not exactly but it makes a good headline, eh? But Dublin does have the most semi-finalists in Grazia Style Hunter Awards. Eight fashionistas from our fair city have been chosen to represent the capitol - including I Blog Fashion. Flattered - indeedy? What you didn't see was the slew of bags I had with me from styling that day. Hence the gloves - my hands were in tatters!! CLICK HERE to see more.

that autumn haze

Today I woke up from one of those perfectly vivid dreams that you wish more than anything could be real.

And was about to hold a grudge against the day for making it end until I opened my curtain and saw the city under a thick breath of morning mist with the autumn sun blazing through.

And it made me think of this Ryan McGinley editorial and then it was impossible to be mad.

image, the fashion spot

w magazine june 2007

kate moss by ryan mcginley

I know my blogging has been minimal lately, but for the first time ever I can put my hand on my heart and truly say that I'm putting academics first. Getting started on the university application process and my time is being spent scrawling ideas for a personal statement and pretending that aren't unread issues of Fantastic Man magazine and Vogue over in the corner.

I'm missing posting though so will be back asap!

Fashion Me Fabulous

Come visit me at Kildare Village for my free Style Masterclasses. First one starts Sunday 11th October. Check out the event blurb below. CLICK HERE for more info.

To celebrate the mid-season Kildare Village is mining fashion’s new maxim, less is more with the launch of Fabulous Fortnight. Throughout the Village starting on Monday 12th October until the Bank Holiday Monday 26th October, Kildare Village will be discounting its discounts with offers so good you save twice across over 50 designer outlet boutiques.

Fabulous Fortnight will also see top Irish stylist and fashion writer Annmarie O’Connor hosting “Fashion Me Fabulous” style sessions from 1pm-5pm on Sunday 11th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th October. One lucky lady will have a chance to be personally styled by Annmarie and everyone will get a sneak peek at star buys from the Village along with top tips on staying fabulous!

messing around in jefferson's office

You must admit, this little Dazed and Confused spread is rather a fantastic concept for an editorial..
Anouck Lepere frolicks about in her boyfriend's office (that would be his office at Dazed and Confused HQ, no less..) taking powernaps on piles of back-issues and running her fingers over the moodboard collages while, like a naughty child, keeping half an ear out for the sound of the office door opening behind her.

I have a bit of a crush on Miss Lepere, she has that exact European beauty, the kind that speaks for itself, requires minimal make up and only the most simple pairing of Gallic basics. Having said that, Anouck looks equally as mesmerising in a busily patterned Peter Pilotto dress. She has the kind of beauty that I think other girls in particular notice; it's so effortless and easy, yet she is very often overlooked, and I must admit sometimes I do just that. despite the amount of times I've scribbled her name on my hand as a reminder to post about her..

So this editorial really acts as both a confirmation of her greatness aswell as a kick up the arse to go cruise her fashion spot thread and gasp and coo over her style. And a obligatory scratching of the head in wondering why on earth you don't flick through it more often..