APC Madras

I took a look at the APC website the other day and happily discovered the new Madras collection is up. The Madras collections are always lovely and summery and happily more affordable than the main line.

I fell in love with this blouse, but it was sadly sold out:



(the print looks much better in this close-up:)



Luckily they still had this t-shirt in stock:



and I couldn't say no to yet another summer scarf:



Finally, since the lovely April weather has given way to a much cooler May, leading me to wonder whether there's any chance of a warm summer this year, I had to pick up this sailor pullover:



Loving the button detail on the hip!

A little taste of luxe with Marni and Ladurée

A Marni handbag for Christmas might be a bit of a stretch, but these Ladurée macaroons designed by Marni are definitely an affordable treat and would be very welcome in my Christmas stocking come December 25th...

Available from today in the Luxury Hall at Brown Thomas in Dublin, prices start at €14.90 for a box of 8.

Shiny new Mulberry (not so shiny new prices)

If you had a bit of cash to spend on something purely frivolous this Christmas, you could do a lot worse than the Mulberry Bayswater Clutch (€580) in Antique Gold Cracked Metallic Leather. And if gold is just too obvious for you at Christmas, I also rather like the Midnight Blue version (though I do wonder how well the cracked leather finish on these bags lasts). If you'd prefer a more traditionally-sized clutch, the Small Bayswater Clutch in the Rouge Noir Wrinkled Patent Leather (€420) is a lovely option (and one I'll be watching the post-Christmas sales for).



As I browsed the Mulberry site, however, having been drawn in by the shiny, seasonal clutches, I was pretty shocked to see that my ultimate Mulberry bag, the traditional Bayswater in the oak natural leather has shot up in price from €650 to €750 overnight! Apparently Mulberry wanted to bring the prices of their traditional bags into line with the more expensive newer styles, but what a strange time to do it. It seems Irish shops aren't quite jumping on the pricing bandwagon just yet. Brown Thomas has increased the price of the natural leather Bayswater from €650 to €675 and from what I've heard, House of Fraser hasn't increased the price at all at this point. So if you had a purchase in mind, now might be the time to do it!

Images courtesy Mulberry.com

Earning my stripes

I have a terrible tendency to buy the same type of clothes over and over again once I find a formula I love. And so my not-very-fashion secret comes out - if I had to pick one outfit to live in, it would be jeans, a long-sleeved stripy tee and Converse. Not very creative or individual, but so damn easy when you don't know what else to wear on a quiet Sunday.

So when I spotted this perfect example of the striped tee in Gap on Saturday, I promptly bought it. In three colours (oh yes, my other fashion secret is my slightly OCD tendency to buy multiple colours of items I really like - I also got the dark blue merino wool cardigan which I already have in brown). Navy, red and purple all caught my eye, and I must confess I might have even got the grey too if they'd had it in my size. These are soft, warm, satisfyingly long in sleeve and body and very accommodating of my growing bump. And when they're past their best for outdoor wear, they'll make fantastic pyjama tops.

Good work, Gap (despite the fact that you wouldn't let me use the 30% discount on your cashmere range).

Price: €22
Image courtesy http://www.gap.com

I want this (pt. 1)

If the rather damp August didn't set me off early, then the very chilly mornings this week have definitely started me thinking of Autumn/Winter dressing. Just how cute would this French Connection Kitty Coat be with some dark skinnies and riding boots? I know this gorgeous cherry red shade would definitely cheer me up on an otherwise dark and dreary morning.

The September Issue - 1 month, 1 day and counting

You know The Devil Wears Prada is going to pale into insignificance when this comes out... I AM SO EXCITED!!!

SMG looks chic, shops

I ♥ Sarah Michelle Gellar and I ♥ this outfit.

The blue skirt really stands out against the neutral navy and black and the cut of the jacket is gorgeous. I also covet the boots.

Who'd have thought maternity wear could be so fashion-forward?

I love a bit of wit with my daily dose of fashion

Love Carine Roitfeld's No Smoking shoot for the April issue of French Vogue, and love Jezebel's take on it even more...

Carte Blanche by Sportmax on Yoox

Sportmax has involved French artist and art director Christophe Brunnquell in the first chapter of their Carte Blanche project - a limited edition collection of 600 pieces sold exclusively on yoox.com. As the name of the collection suggests, Carte Blanche gives total freedom and creative power to the artist, and Brunnquell's abstract linear drawings are perfect partners for these pieces.

The monochrome collection includes 3 key items: a minidress, a top and a T-shirt, each made from silk and jersey. Priced from €99 to €139 - not bad value for something you're not likely to spot on anyone else. I particularly love the t-shirt, with it's off-centre v-neck.

Yoox.com also have free standard shipping until April 7th.

FBB gets on the bus

A select band of hardcore fashion bloggers braved pre 9am alarm calls on Saturday morning and ventured beyond the pale to a very foggy Kildare Village for a spot of browsing and some lovely Italian food, courtesy of L'Officina by Dunne and Crescenzi. With brands such as Reiss, All Saints, Nike and Anya Hindmarch available, it might be surprising that this is what I came home with...



It was so cute that I couldn't resist, particularly at 50% off the already reduced price in the Le Creuset store! However, I will definitely be heading back to Kildare for a longer look in the Anya Hindmarch boutique next time...

Marc wears a hot pink tie on Ugly Betty

I don't usually do any blogging for the menfolk, but this dashing ensemble of Marc's very much impressed me while catching up on Ugly Betty last night. Pretty restrained in comparison to some other outfits he has sported, it was the hot pink tie against the sober black suit/black hoodie/white shirt that caught my attention. I love the splash of colour it provided.

On a slightly related note, I vote for a Marc/Amanda spin-off show. How fabulous would that be?

Spring shopping at Massimo Dutti

I went shopping in Massimo Dutti recently and the red, white and blue of these three items all caught my eye. The shirt is washed cotton, with a nice relaxed fit and is ultra soft and light on. This will be perfect with jeans when the weather gets warmer.



I love the pleated tuxedo detail at the front.



The scarf is also light and will add colour to neutral summer outfits. I really like the pattern and colour combination.







And the tank is for wearing under the shirt. I like the longer length of this one.



Shirt: €49
Scarf: €35
Tank:€12

My new(est) bag

I'm usually quite practical about choosing bags that don't need to be held in my hand - shoulder straps or cross-body straps make life so much easier. But I fell in love with this embroidered bag by APC, so when I saw it in the sale I had to have it. The handles are mother of pearl and the bag is lined in cotton with a zipped internal pocket. There's also a magnetized closure at the top. With plenty of room for magazines, sunglasses or umbrellas, caution will probably result in me waiting for a sunny day to take this new acquisition out...

The psychology of sale shopping

I'll tell you a little secret - I'm not very good at sale shopping. Some people have a magical talent for rifling through racks of clothing and picking out amazing pieces for 70% off. I have a tendency to see a wall of mismatched and uncoordinated rags that look like they were last on a hanger in the shop three years ago and have only been brought out of dusty storage at sale time every year since.

I suppose it's not surprising, therefore, that sale shopping online is so much easier. Everything is laid out nicely on a clean white background, grouped into categories to make searching easy, and on the APC site they even make your shopping basket look like this:



It sort of reminds me of when I used to dress paper dolls in cut-out clothes and I like the way you see a whole outfit come together on the page. A lot more fun than those picked-over heaps of clothing in the shops, it has to be said.

Golden Globes Red Carpet

Yes, it was a bit frustrating that so many attendees at last weekend's Golden Globes award ceremony chose to wore very neutral or nude-coloured dresses. I do like to see something a bit out of the ordinary on the red carpet (and I'm not even asking for egg-laying swan dresses all of the time, just something slightly unusual). Having said that, however, my two favourite looks at this year's awards were Amanda Seyfried (of Mamma Mia fame, although she'll always be Lily Kane to me) and America Ferrera (aka Ugly Betty).

Amanda Seyfried looked luminous in pale dove grey and I love that she didn't feel the need for a fake tan (actually, the overdone tan/bronzed look was mainly noticeable for its absence, which I was pleased to see).



I also loved her very simple makeup - softly smudged eyeliner and the focus on a strong pink lip. Very pretty and not overdone, perfect for a younger actress.



Again a pale grey/taupe dress - but the shorter length and defined shape really worked on America Ferrera.



I also loved her pretty makeup - strong brows, rosy lip and cleanly-lined eye. It's a classic look for a reason.



Now, roll on the Oscars...

Comme des Garcons for H & M

If previous H&M collaborations with Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney are anything to go by, the Comme des Garcons collection will disappear in a flurry of buyitnowandthensellitonebayatvastlyinflatedprices as soon as H&M opens its doors tomorrow morning. But on the offchance that Dublin's shopping public is more restrained than that, I'll be popping into the new South King Street branch of the chain tomorrow evening to check out the cute polka-dot cardigans and slightly off-kilter tailored items that this collection offers.

I'm not sure I'd be able to pull off the pantaloon-esque trousers, but love the idea of the layered polka dot items and fitted tuxedo jacket, as well as the crisp shirts which will be perfect for the work wardrobe. Prices start at €22.90 for a simple long-sleeved top and work their way up to €299 for the fabulously gothic dress.

See the full collection here.

Peter O'Brien for A¦Wear Winter 08

Peter O'Brien's third collection for A¦Wear launched last week and I'm happy to report that it's a good bit younger than last year's collection was. His collections generally tend to be ageless in appeal, but the one last year seemed to be quite a bit more mature and less versatile than this collection is.

If you like the tailored look, then there'll plenty to please you here, from high-waisted sailor pants to a beautiful vintage-y ruffled blouse or a fabulous frock coat with what seems like a hundred buttons.

I also like the new colour palette of nude, heather and navy; shades which are a bit more flattering than the blacks and browns which have dominated previous collections.

Most of all, though, I am in love with the hair and makeup styling for the ad campaign. I may not dare to recreate the multiple giant bows, but I think they compliment the collection beautifully for styling purposes. The pink lips, glowy pink cheeks and strong brows are definitely a look I can recreate for the office however...

Orla Kiely Fashion Targets Breast Cancer collection

I love, love, love Orla Kiely's signature graphic prints and her new collection for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer is no exception. Based around the bull's eye target symbol used by the FTBC organisation, this capsule collection includes a shoulder bag (€160), book bag (€165), wallet (€90) and makeup bag (€85).

All proceeds will go to Action Breast Cancer (who provide services for younger women diagnosed with breast cancer) and Europa Donna Ireland (who campaign for better cancer services for patients), so you get the double bonus of donating to a very worthwhile cause while picking up a lovely new bag for yourself!

Oh and if you needed any more excuses, the waterproof coated canvas on these makes them ideal for rainy weather. Just sayin'...

Silk Scarf from APC

Accessories are invaluable when it comes to refreshing your look. Who needs a new wardrobe every season when you can make classic outfits look brand new with a well-chosen scarf or belt? And it just so happens that accessories is where my own wardrobe is sadly lacking, so I think I may just need to remedy that, starting with this leopard-print silk scarf from APC.

A little bit fun and a little bit retro-glam, this is just what I need to inject a bit of fashion into the many basic staples in my wardrobe. A plain t-shirt and jeans (or, in this weather, a nice cashmere jumper and jeans) will instantly look more interesting with the addition of this scarf. Now I just need to decide on the colour...



Sandwashed silk
100% silk
200x35cm
€65

Hot on the heels of the big brands

If you and your bank balance have been idly wondering what the It Bag for Autumn/Winter 08 might be, then wonder no more, for the It Bag, it IS. NO. MORE. But fashion being fashion, this doesn't mean we can put our credit cards on ice. Oh no. The It Bag, she has been replaced by The Statement Shoe.

What to do if your cashflow is more M&S than Manolo (soon to be opening a concession at Brown Thomas!)? Well, don't automatically jump to thinking "granny shoes", but Clarks is the place to be this season...

Just take a look at some of these beauties up above? When Balenciaga brought out their very architectural wedges last year, little did we think this was a trend that would make it to the high street. But there they are, and in Clarks of all places. And if those wedges are a little bit too much statement for your liking, check out the red patent peep-toes or the black patent courts - the pretty almond-shaped toe and solid heel make these a practical as well as pretty choice.

Most styles are priced at €100 or below, so if you want to add to your shoe wardrobe without making your bank manager cry, Clarks might be the choice for you (but not if I get to those heeled patent Oxfords first...).