Dear Ask the Stylist

I’ve heard that a peplum is one of the key trends for this spring summer, how can I wear it? I’d like to spend very little on this look and have it in a colour that easily goes with other items in my wardrobe. N. R, Galway.

Yes the peplum  is back with a bang. Jason Wu and Preen were all over this look on the AW11 catwalk  and Christian Dior (pictured) has revived the fashion house’s trademark which first came to prominance in the ladylike 40s and 50s.

You’ll be glad to hear that it’s no longer regarded as a prim ladylike look, it can be trendy and figure flattering too.

Here are three ways to wear it:

As a dress

A peplum on your waist will slim your hips. This dress is ideal as black on your bottom half is slimming so it has a double skinny affect!  The cobalt blue adds a pop of on-season colour too.

Two tone dress €40, Savida at Dunnes Stores. In store now.

As a top

If you’re more of a separates kind of girl, opt for a peplum top. This is the figure flattering SS12 catwalk trend that celebs love to wear (Emma Watson wore it on the red carpet recently).

The peplum affect below a waistband makes your waist look smaller. Wear this red peplum top with a black skirt or trousers. You surely have a pair of black smart trousers or pencil skirt right lurking in your wardrobe?

Style tip: add a skinny belt to sit just above where the peplum veers outwards and it’ll shrink your waist even more!

Red peplum top €25, Savida at Dunnes Stores. In the shops now. This top is a dead ringer for the Christian Dior SS12 look, pictured above, which has the built in belt.

On a coat or jacket sleeves

As seen at Roksanda Ilincic SS12A coat with three-quarter-length sleeve which ends in a peplum or tulip,  is a cool take on the look. What bingo wings you say?

Let me know if you’ll be adding peplums to your wardrobe this season.

By AnnMarie Proudfoot

Dear Ask the Stylist

I picked up a faux leather dress in H&M a few weeks ago for my Christmas party. It looks more expensive than it was fits perfectly and is really comfortable to wear, and I would probably wear it again. I was thinking of wearing it with black tights, suede ankle boots and a black blazer.

However now I’m panicking like mad that I will be totally off the fashion radar, as the trend seems to be for velvet and lace for the party season and I’m wondering if what I was thinking of wearing with it makes me look like I’m heading to a funeral instead of out for the night? I would really appreciate any help you can send my way, before I run out and spend money on something that I’ll probably not wear again and that everyone else is already be wearing! G.

Hi G

Firstly, don’t panic, we’re here to help!  To start, you are not off trend; you can’t go wrong with black as a base colour. I do understand your concern that all black can look a little funeral like or can tend to make us look a little pale in the winter.

Before running out to buy a whole new outfit, let’s work with what you have. The dress sounds great and for €20, what a bargain! I think you have the basis for a really nice outfit; I would just add a little colour or design into it, to lift the overall look.

Here are four options to add to your current outfit. I have taken examples from ASOS, River Island and Topshop, but if you can’t get to these stores you should be able to pick up similar options from other high street stores.

1. A statement scarf . This Aztec print scarf will work great with all black.

2. Statement tights.  They will add interest and a bit of fun to your outfit. Wear some stacked up bracelets with this look.

3. A statement bag. Gold metallics look great with black. Team this with stacked bracelet from above.

4. A statement belt.  Adding a belt over your blazer with give it a nice feature and also add a good shape to your figure.

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on with the outfit. Enjoy your night out!

AnnMarie

 This Ask the Stylist was brought to you by stylist AnnMarie Proudfoot – read more about her on Proudfoot Style.

My daughter is making her First Holy Communion this year, and I haven’t a clue as to what should I wear.  I’m a young mum (30) and I just had a baby a couple of weeks ago so my figure is a bit bigger than usual . I haven’t a clue as to what would be appropriate so… any ideas? 

With communion and confirmation season just around the corner, your question is very timely. The same type of outfit suits both a communion and a confirmation.

The “rules”

Just as the rule for “you can’t wear white to a wedding” comes into play at weddings, unfortunately there is communion and confirmation etiquette to adhere to too.

This is not a place for short hemlines on dresses or skirts nor for showing off cleavage (imagine trying to cover yourself up from the bishop when you go up and greet him as guardian in the case of a confirmation?).

The same goes for cocktail dresses and bare arms are out too –don’t wear anything strapless or too revealing.

Communions,  although not cocktail or wedding attire, are still quite dressy. Mums dress up for this and usually turn to boutiques which have matching seperates or modest pieces from the high street.

Day dress with matching cardigan, jacket or coat

A day dress with matching cardigan or jacket is a safe option. At the the upper end  of the scale , Jesire  (pictured) at Brown Thomas is good for matching seperates. Otherwise check Marks & Spencers for a dress with a skinny belt and a nice Chanel style boxy jacket (Per Una Boxy Tweed Jacket, €88.00) which are always elegant and in style.  H&M have a black boxy jacket with a white trim at the moment too.

Monsoon have lovely outfits too (see dress pictured), try an empire line (cut for the bust) to hide a yummy tummy and as with any outfit, be sure to wear a pair of shapewear! Monsoon also do skirts which matching cardigans/tops/jackets which is also a good option for a communion.

A day dress with a coat  also appropriate, as the weather here can often play havoc if youre planning on just a dress on its own.

Shift dresses also hide a multitude of sins including “ jelly bellies”. The key trick is some shapewear to smooth and hide everything – Spanx is good (Arnotts, Clearys and Brown Thomas) but if not, Marks and Spencers do shapewear well.

Marks and Spencers have some lovely smart shift dresses at the  moment, I particularly like this one (pictured) in pink or navy. With its shoulder detail (ruffle sleeves), it’s very complimentary and will hide both belly and arms if you’re conscious about them and keep the focus on your shoulders. Pair with a brocade detail or plain light weight coat from Penneys.

For example,  if you choose the pink dress I’d get a black coat or if you chose the navy dress I’d get a cream or white coat – both very elegant combinations.

Another option is a wrap dress.  I like this one from Monsoon.

Accessories

This all sounds very strict but by wearing accessories, you can show off your personal style. A multi strand necklace (if you’ve a mono coloured outfit) or some nice earrings – but don’t get experimental. The same goes for a trendy hairstyle and bold coloured lipstick, today is not the day for them.

And finally, I hope you find the outfit of your dreams and have a great “first communion”!

WSW nieces Chiara & Molly

With the racing season kicking off this weekend at the Hennessy Gold Cup (where Jasmine Guinness and Philip Treacy will be judging the Best Dressed Lady competition) we get in the mood with some racing outfit inspiration.

I got as a gift an animal print dress and matching shoes from Karen Millen.  I have been trying to match a head piece/bag/umbrella to it as I would like a nice outfit for the racing season. Any tips? S.

For this Ask the Stylist query, we turned to Martha Lynn for her expertise. Martha has won quite a few Ladies Day competitions herself, most recently at Leopardstown Races. She also happens to be a milliner (hat maker) and works out of her studio in Dublin.

The dress and shoes are amazing. Animal prints are very popular this season.

As the dress and shoes are matching I would probably go for some neutral accessories ie nothing too busy, to bring the outfit together.

I would suggest focusing in on either the black or the beige colours in the animal print. This also means that you will be able to wear your headpiece and accessories with a variety of different outfits.

I would also recommend going for a simple headpiece to compliment the pattern on the dress and shoes, as the pattern on the dress and shoes in themselves are the showpiece.

It would of course be ideal to get your hat or headpiece made to order to compliment your individual style, but if that was not an option there are a great variety of headpieces and fascinators available from some of the high street shops, like Accessorize and Marks and Spencers.

Avoca do a range of coloured umbrellas and occasionally have matching gloves.

I make hats and headpieces to order, to suit the character and individual taste of the costumer. I take into consideration their outfit, hair style and of course, the occasion. There are a variety of sample pieces on my website www.marthalynnmillinery.com

Each of them can be customized to suit your own style.

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Style City Galway

Dear Ask the Stylist

I have been loving the skinny-puffa look this winter and, in anticipation of more extremely cold weather, I am looking for a down-fill with a difference. Can you help?

Ideally, I would like a bright (maybe cream), belted, three-quarter length coat with nice detailing. Is it possible you could do a feature on this as coats are a great item to pick up in the sales?

Our go-to shop for puffas year in year out is Benetton and right now, you’ll see their puffa coats reduced in the sale, especially in the length you’re looking for.

The brand from their motherland is always adopted by Italians as a winter staple and they tend to go for high shine finish version – yes you’ve seen them walking around Ireland in groups, puffa jacket and sunglasses clad – one can’t miss them!

You’ll find Benetton in St Stephens Green Shopping Centre in Dublin, in Mullingar and many other branches nationwide.

Otherwise, I’ve found these two styles for you in cream (both pictured):

New Look short belted puffa jacket (£29.99) comes in cream or red (New Look online)

Miss Sixty Belted Padded Coat (£140, Miss Sixty online)

Alternatively, Marks and Spencers have a purple or black puffa coat (£49.50 pictured) style and their Per Una line also has one in caramel (£79). Phone ahead in store to see if these are in stock.

And all in time for the snow comeback this weekend…Let us know how you get on.

Dear Ask the Stylist

I’m looking for some autumn / winter boots for everyday day wear – something stylish and not too boring. A wedge heel is what I like best. And going on last winter’s freezing paths, something with a bit of grip and water-proof would be exactly what I need!

Wedge boots are the practi-chicks answer to boot heaven. Perfect for pounding the pavement, wedge boots were seen on the runway at Celine and Rick Owens (both available at Brown Thomas) and give you height while still allowing you to walk. 

This season, the wedge boot comes in ankle length, knee high and calf length  – the latter is currently popular amongst the fash pack who wear them with socks!

The difference this year is in how you wear them. Yes, you can continue to wear them with dresses and leggings but this season it’s all about adding woolly or ribbed tights, and bare legged with socks until it gets cold enough. 

For a stylish ankle wedge, try River Island style snakeskin boots (€114, pictured) which is lightweight with a plastic gripped sole.  They would also look great worn with leather trousers or jeans.  For evening, wear with your favorite little black dress and opaque tights.

For knee high boots, Aldo fits the bill perfectly with their Barcia style –pictured right- leather with a gripped sole and they come in black or brown.  The wedge heel is 2.5” high so they’re not so high as to be impractical either.

If you’re looking for a calf length boot, then these chunky heeled shoes by Schuh will keep you dry all winter long.

And finally, my favourite pick for suede wedge boots – the Minky Linky from Office (€130), pictured below.

Minky Linky @ Office €130

See more on how to wear winter boots over on our guide to wearing winter boots.

Dear Ask the Stylist

I am looking for the perfect white shirt. Can you help?

Every woman’s wardrobe should have a good white shirt. A simple crisp white shirt never goes out of fashion and can be worn in any number of ways.

This season, Preen show us how to wear the minimalist trend, worn buttoned up to the neck with a structured skirt or high waist trousers (pictured left and centre). If you don’t fancy yourself in high waisters, you could wear it with cigarette trousers.

Trends aside, a simple menswear-style white shirt will never date. It will look great with jeans at the weekend or you can dress it up with accessories and a black pencil skirt for a sleeker look.

Bib front white shirt

Bib front white shirts (also called tuxedo shirts) are one of my favourite styles. COS offers the perfect long tuxedo shirt (€69, £35), pictured far right.   Karen Millen (at Asos €131.03,  £99) has this lovely one with a round Peter Pan collar, while Figleaves (€70.70, £45) has a more masculine inspired version.

Round Collar

If you want to ditch the masculine and opt for a feminine look, then a blouse is better than a shirt.  See by Chloe at Matches Fashion (€301.86, £258) has the perfect  round collar blouse.

Simple White Shirt

And finally, for a plain white shirt, Marks and Spencer’s have a few different styles, including this Autograph Essentials Long Sleeve Stretch Shirt (€40, £25) which comes in stretchy material which is always good news!

By Ingrid Hoey

Dear Ask the Stylist,

I have a high profile summer charity lunch coming up and I’m wondering what trend to go with as most of the dresses I’ve seen are super short?!

I wear dresses all the time but don’t like above the knee- I’m channeling a bit of mad men style usually with fitted dresses.  

I’m tall and a big size 12 with big boobs not sure how to translate my usual black structured look in to a summer look?  There is also a prize for best dressed so I would like to make an impact! Any suggestions?

Thanks so much for your email.

Summer lunches don’t have to mean a dress – another great alternative is a pair of trousers which you can team with this seasons must-have – a cream tuxedo jacket.

I would suggest that you opt for a toffee coloured pair from Reiss (pictured) who have some really good tailored trousers in at the moment. I found this pair which I own myself and love.

Bt2 and Brown Thomas have a great label at the moment called Selected Femme which have a really good cream tuxedo style (pictured and also available on ASOS)  – team this with a nude coloured silk tank top and nude peep toe heels and you will be right on trend. Oh, and don’t forget to accessorize with a fab clutch handbag!

If the nude trend isn’t your thing, then another alternative to the cream tuxedo look is this silk kimono jacket from Nicole Richie’s line, Winter Kate, available at MyWardrobe. This will look equally as well with jeans and a T-shirt in the summer.

However, if your heart is set on a dress which has structure and length, Joanne Hynes always does dresses to the knee – check out her dresses on www.joannehynes.com. They are also sold in Brown Thomas.

For big boobs, the ideal shape for you is a V-neck or wide strap dress that accentuates your waist.  Again, Reiss comes to the rescue with their Zena dress; a cap sleeve, electric blue wrap dress that would give you a great silhouette.  It also comes in cream. Team with of-the-moment nude accessories (peep toe shoes and a clutch).

If you fancy splurging, then Costume (2 Castle Market, Dublin 2, Tel. 01 679 4188)‎ have an amazing Roland Mouret cream dress in stock which is also to the knee and his dresses always give the perfect hourglass shape. 

An expensive dress yes, but it’s a designer timeless piece that suits your shape and which you will have forever !

Dear Ask the Stylist,

I am looking for a gold pair of high heel sandals under €100 that I could wear with a plain strapless red dress (pictured).

I love the look of the Jimmy Choo “Jag” heels in gold however they’re not in my price range. Do you know of anything else suitable?

Also, do you know of any decent places in Dublin (not expensive) or online that I can find gold jewellery in?

Gold Strappy Sandals

Wow, the Jag leather sling backs by Jimmy Choo are beautiful and at €252, not many of us can afford this splurge.

Luckily, I spotted a similar pair in Dunnes Stores (€20) last weekend – they’ve just hit the shelves, so much so that I don’t have a product shot for you yet but will send on as soon as they have it ready.

New Look (£18, €22) also do a pair of gold strappy sandals in this shade of gold, but they are more of a “caged” heel than the Choos and Dunnes sling backs.

A third option would be these Dune at House of Fraser strappy gold sandals (£75, €88.40) with a mesh detail.

Gold Accessories

Funny that you should ask about gold accessories because I recently spotted some fabulous gold accessories in Aldo, a place I went to looking for shoes, but was blown away by the array of dramatic, accessories there. Check out the pics below which I took on my phone in-store.

Their earrings range from chandelier types to Grecian, hooped, “coin” detail and studs.

Not only that but they also have some fab clutch handbags and great cuffs and bracelets including the “Chanel stacked bangle” look that is popular at the moment. This is not suitable for your outfit however, so I’ll get back to the point in question….

For this outfit, I’d choose the following gold accessories (they also come in silver), all of which you’ll find in Aldo (Grafton St, Henry St and Dundrum Town Centre) -

• a pair of statement earrings
• a gold cuff bracelet
• a mock croc detailed clutch bag

Enjoy putting your outfit together and let us know how you get on!

[View with PicLens]

Dear Ask the Stylist,

I have an evening even coming up where I have to wear a maxi length dress due to the fact I’m getting knee surgery. I am on a the lookout for a one shoulder dress but I can’t seem to see one that jumps out when browsing either online or in the shops. I’m open to other styles also. I tend to like classic styles in how I dress and present myself in general.

Poor you and your knee surgery, I hope you’re recovering well. It must be something in the water as you’re the third girl I’ve heard of having knee surgery in the past while?! What are you all doing…wearing your stilettos too high?

A maxi dress will certainly cover your knee and is a firm favourite of most fashionable femmes. While printed maxis have long captivated the bo-ho set, for this occasion I suggest going for a long dress in a solid colour.

In the realm of dress shapes, the one-shoulder style is officially unstoppable. It’s flattering, appropriate for all ages, and can be easily adapted for night or day.

Grecian Goddess Look

Celeb stylist Rachel Zoe (pictured) is the first person who springs to mind for this look; in this case she wore a vintage Halston dress.

The Grecian goddess look, as seen on Zoe, is a great one to channel and the one shoulder column dress shape makes accessorising easy – just choose heels and bag in metallic’s and some bold earrings to complete the look.

Find your piece de résistance on Farfetch.com (£525) in the form of this Halston Heritage one shoulder number in cobalt blue.

You’ll find a high street version of Rachel Zoe’s dress at Wallis (£55) in purple or black and Coast, again in the colour du jour, cobalt blue (Elita, €195).

Black one shoulder dress

If you’re leaning toward a black maxi, there are some stylish options at Chica where you’ll find a black full length one shoulder dress with disc embellishment detail (€280) or you can choose a black one with a “crystal corsage”.

Coral dress

Coral is a gorgeous colour that’s popular again this season. Make like Colette Fitzpatrick at the VIP awards, who wore this beautiful dress from Fran & Jane, (€299). Alternatively, Monsoon has a magnificent maxi dress in coral too.

Green one shoulder dress

And finally, your friends will be green with envy if you wore this stunning one shoulder Grecian inspired dress from Star by Julien Macdonald (£160).

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