Some trends keep popping up again and again, and snakeskin is no exception.  Celebs and fashionistas alike constantly refer back to python, so if you’re ready to acquire this sort of accessory, you’re in the right place.

The whatshewears team has done some Internet window-shopping for you and found our favourites, in a range of prices. As always, if you spot any similar bags or wedges in Ireland or elsewhere, so let us all know!

Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie’s impeccable style grabs our attention every time. In Beverly Hills (pictured above) she accessorised with a vintage, snakeskin clutch. Find your python perfection with this Botkier purse from ASOS.

Mary Kate Olsen

Mary Kate Olsen was one of the first to rock the over-sized clutch trend a few season’s back, wearing this Prada purse  (pictured above). Luckily large clutches are back in so if you like Mary Kate’s style, consider this natural-look, faux snakeskin clutch (£8) from Boohoo as a thrifty alternative.

For those of you who love shoes (who doesn’t?), Terry de Havilland’s towering (5 inch) wedges are hugely popular with the Brit “It” pack . Sienna Miller and Kate Moss have been wearing them religiously since 2007 whereas Mischa Barton wore the metallic snakeskin wedges to Australian fashion week in 2008.

The Margaux Pewter wedges (€525) pictured above are from Lara (1 Dame Lane, Dublin 2, 01 670 79 51), direct from Terry DeHavilland himself and in other boutiques around Ireland. Dehavilland footwear doesn’t come cheap, so you may want to wait for the summer sales.

For a cheaper  snakeskin wedge, try these Kork-Ease wedges at Yoox (€65).

Kate Moss at Glastonbury 2011

Fashion Icon Kate Moss embraced the mud at the weekend and worked festival chic in her usual stylish way, teaming her signature leather jacket and wellies with a pair of chic, snake print skinny jeans.

Dressed head to toe in Balmain (apart from her Hunter wellies) her outfit may be out of our price-range but we did squeal with delight when we found these Limited Collection snake print jeans for only €54 at M&S !

Roz Purcell

Meanwhile while the rest of the UK was waking up to muddier Glasto fields last Sunday, Ireland’s top model was getting ready for a day at the races at The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

We love her take on race day dressing – no matchy matchy-ness or hats in sight.  Just sky high gold wedges, a dusty pink coloured maxi and a snakeskin kimono jacket from Topshop (sadly for those of us lookin to steal her style,  it’s no longer available).

Purcell transformed her simple maxi with a kimono jacket which also nods to this season’s boudoir trend. Nicole Richie’s Winter Kate collection has many kimono options (which we recommend as an alternative to a dress, to wear to a ladies charity lunch) but you’ll also find purse friendly alternatives chez ASOS.

Pictured left to right Camilla Belle, Sienna Miller, Alexa Chung

 By Ann-Marie Proudfoot

Talking about spring summer’s trends is one thing, but translating them into something you can wear is what we here at WhatSheWears.ie enjoy most.

At Penneys press room last week, there was strong Moroccan theme and real holiday feeling about their summer collection – not something that we can wear everyday here in Ireland  – but we do think that certain key pieces stood out to inspire today’s Styling Tips instalment, something we hope to bring you more often.

Style tip #1:  Team white dresses & crochet with chunky brown boots to nail off-duty cool

White is always around during the summer months but this year especially, the catwalks are full of it. This time it comes with a strong 70’s influence with fringing, tassels and crochet coming to the fore.

Neon accessories will add a punch of colour to your white look but for casual wear or festivals, brown boots add that real cowboy feel.

Brazilian actress Camilla Belle shows us how to wear this look at the Coachella music festival in the US;  layering a delicate crochet cardigan over a floral dress, and toning down the girly elements of her outfit with a chunky pair of boots.

To recreate Camilla’s look, liven up the brown boots you already own by layering Penney’s fringed crochet waistcoat (€14, in stores now) over a Jasper Conran for Debenhams tea dress (€67.50).

Penneys crochet waistcoat €14

Style  tip #2:  Moleskin is a great alternative to suede; it’s lighter & easier on your purse too

The colour palette  of nudes, khakis, sand and soft earthy tones of rust are yet again key colours for spring summer.
Penney’s have a gorgeous pair of nude hot pants (€15, in stores early May) in moleskin, sometimes referred to as suedette, which can be worn a la Sienna Miller with a grey crop tee from American Apparel (€24), a stainless steel ck dawn cuff by Calvin Klein jewellery at Arnotts (€110) and Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony buckled wedges (available at Brown Thomas, Dublin).

Penneys moleskin shorts €15

Style tip #3:  Dip your toe into this summer’s neon trend via accessories

With so many exotic colours around this spring – burnt reds, tangerine oranges, and bright turquoises – wondering how to wear them can seem daunting.  Jeanie-like harem pants in hot pink and electric blue are not for the faint hearted, hence our first styling tip comes into play!

Accessories are a safe way to wear these bold colours, and Penney’s Square Lock Box Bag (€8 shown below, in stores end May) reminds us of  Alexa Chung at Matthew Williamson A/W 11 at London Fashion Week (pictured right).

Penneys Yellow Bag €8

Alexa’s minimalist approach to spring’s bold colour trend is simply refreshing.  Chung wore a Celine Breton striped dress, Burberry trench coat and Topshop’s Pippin Suede Heel Ankle boots with a vintage yellow cross body bag and coral red lipstick.  This is a great look for conservative dressers, adding a sartorial twist to a nautical striped top which you probably already own.

After all, it’s about adding affordable pieces to revamp your existing looks without investing in an entire new season wardrobe. What do you think?

As well as contributing to WSW, Ann-Marie Proudfoot is a stylist over at Proudfoot Style.

Irwin & Jordan has been worn by some of the world’s most stylish women; including Natalie Imbruglia, Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller, Rachel Bilson, and Jessica Biel.

The woman behind the label, Zoe Jordan, daughter of Formula One supremo Eddie, was in Dublin today to launch their pop up store at Brown Thomas.

The label mixes Savile Row tailoring, contemporary cuts and heritage fabrics – think tailored jackets and slouch waistcoats, a delicate lace t-shirt (pictured right), darling dresses and cropped silk trousers – creating an eclectic look that pushes the confines of every piece of its collections.  If simplicity is the ultimate sophistication then Irwin & Jordan is the embodiment of that simplicity.

WSW Style Tip: Our favourite piece from the spring summer collection is a lace top (€265, pictured) . It’s the perfect feminine accompaniment for the contrasting masculinity of tailored trousers – wear with black ones now and white trousers come summer time.

Availability: Irwin & Jordan SS11 will be in Brown Thomas Dublin for one month from 28 February. See the full collection on http://www.irwinandjordan.com/

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Collection We Covet: Peter Pilotto

Collection We Covet: Lanvin for H&M

By Siobhan Lam

One of my absolute favourite colour combinations of all time is the powerful pairing of aqua blue and dark navy – in my humble opinion this is the most stunning and complementary colour combo EVER.  No doubt many would disagree but to me it positively screams SPRING! NEW! BRIGHT! BEAUTIFUL!

Designer label Peter Pilotto kindly took this information on board and incorporated it into their stunning Spring 2011 line.

The collection is no one thing, - it referenced sportswear, menswear, the beauty of a stark white palette, as well as the “chic minimalism of Seventies Yves Saint Laurent and his playfully polished lady”.

Draping and prints also featured heavily in this collection – the label teamed their intriguing yet always wearable prints with cropped biker jackets – a playful way to bring any outfit from day to night.

Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos are the design duo behind Peter Pilotto; they met when they were both studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.

The fashion label was launched in spring 2008 and since its launch it has been recognised as a rising authority in the fashion world, it is renowned for its use of vibrant prints which are often created through taking inspiration from natural elements – celebrities such as Kate Bosworth (pictured), Michelle Obama, Kirsten Stewart, Claudia Schiffer, Rihanna, Sienna Miller and Kim Kardashian are all fans of the label.

A lot of attention is being paid to Prada and Celine this season, which is understandable, nobody does block colour and neutral shades quite like them – however if you have a extra couple of shekels this season and want to invest in a piece that will be just as desirable and relevant now as it will be in ten years time, look to Peter Pilotto – the future fashion power.

Peter Pilotto silk dresses start at €1375 and are available in Ireland at Brown Thomas.

As your diary brims with social engagements this party season, spare a thought for your fragile winter skin as it endures late night schedules, more makeup than usual and maybe even a spot or two of over indulgence!

A favourite of party girls Sienna Miller and Sadie Frost, REN Skincare will help you and your body through the busy events calendar with the support of two of their must-have beauty products – Keep Young and Beautiful SH2C Serum and the luxurious Moroccan Rose Otto Oil.

And now for the good news – we have two REN Party Kits up for grabs for two lucky WhatSheWears.ie readers! Each kit is worth €96 and includes a Keep Young and Beautiful SH2C Serum and a Moroccan Rose Otto Oil.

The serum is the perfect product for under foundation to correct and even skin tone and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Skin looks plumper, firmer and lifted with a healthy glow. It’s also a great product to use with just your moisturiser to revive tired skin the day after the night before!

For aching dancing feet, a hot bath using REN’s Moroccan Rose Otto Oil is the ultimate indulgence. The oil nourishes the skin leaving it lightly fragranced with the sensual scent of roses known for its stress relieving and soothing properties. The product turns to milk when in the water which results in your very own Cleopatra bath.

These  REN hero products will leave you ready to tackle the next event refreshed and revived and can be found at Arnotts Beauty Hall or by calling 01 461 0645 for local stockists.

To be in with a chance of winning, leave a comment below and we’ll pick a winner at random using Random.org.

The Rules

You must be signed up to our newsletter to be eligible; you must be a resident of Ireland; one entry per person; no cash alternative is possible and the competition will close at 6.30pm on Wednesday 24th  November  2010.  The winner will be selected  and announced in our next newsletter. Good luck!

It’s no secret that here at WhatSheWears.ie we are huge fans of wedges. So when I heard that Terry de Havilland finally launched an ecommerce store today, I yelped for joy!

My favourite pair of shoes in the world is a pair of red Lola wedges and until now, these 70’s inspired shoes were only sold in limited places in Ireland, (namely boutiques such as Lara where you can pay anything up to €450 for a pair of the infamous Margaux wedges).

The new online shop, called Terrydehavilland.com, sells the python Margaux style (pictured) for £370 (plus shipping) and £280 for normal (non snakeskin) style.

De Havilland has been making shoes for fifty years and first made the Margaux style back in 1973.  Since then they’ve also been seen Sienna Miller (pictured) and many a WAG alike. Singer Kate Nash even commissioned a few pairs of Terry de Havilland peep toe boots to get her “into character” on stage.

Kate Moss’s PA even rang up de Havilland herself when La Moss couldn’t find her black pair of Margaux. “We had a frantic call from Kate’s PA at 3.30am once. She needed them for a function in New York that evening,” he said. “We got them made by 10am the same morning, just in the nick of time!”

Ankle boots and peep toe boots also feature in the mainline collection. Check out Terrydehavilland.com for yourself to see what all the fuss is about – my new must have are the Lola wedge in nude.

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Nude Wedges

Snakeskin Trend

As you know, at WhatSheWears.ie, we have a real penchant for celebrity style. We also love giving fashion tips, especially on how to dress for your body shape.

So this week we’re combining the two, by bringing you a two instalments of how to best dress for your body type based on your celebrity doppelganger.

Remember the game on Facebook where you had to pick a celebrity doppelganger and use it as your profile picture? Well, this goes a step further as we show you a quick reference guide for choosing your own celebrity doppelganger and thus, which clothes suit each body type. Today we’ll start with two body shapes:

Short and Curvy

Think Kelly Osbourne and Scarlett Johansson.

Go for high waisted skirts. A solid coloured high waisted skirt will show off your curves and give you some added height. With shoes, you need all the help you can get, so if you can manage it, opt for shoes that have 3 inch heels or higher.

Steer clear of anything voluminous and tuck in your top or blouse to show off that beautiful hourglass figure.

When it comes to underwear, a corset will pull you in a show off your waist. With accessories, a belt can do this too.

Short and Slim

Look to Nicole Richie, Sienna Miller or Rachel Bilson

If you have this figure, you’re very lucky as you can channel the current mini dress trend, which will be the envy of the other body shapes. Wear your mini dress with flats, otherwise try this look with ankle boots or heels.

The short and slims can also pull off wide leg jeans and trousers well and if properly tailored, these can lenghen your legs. Better still, if you wear wedges under your wide trousers, you’ll create the illusion of having even longer legs.

Skinny belts look great on you (think 2 inch wide or less).  Avoid a thick belt which will take up most of your waist, hence making you look shorter.

So who’s YOUR Celebrity Doppelganger or who can you relate to when it comes to style?

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Mini dresses with ankle boots

The September Issue is a film which gives us a sneak peek into the mysterious offices of USA Vogue magazine. The behind-the-scenes movie features matriarch Vogue editor in chief, Anna Wintour, and her team of editors who create the issue and rule the world of fashion.

Anna Wintour is pictured here at the film premiere in New York in her signature oversized sunglasses alongside Sienna Miller.  Ironically Wintour is wearing Prada!

Competition

The film hits the IFI cinema on 11 September but BT2 have kindly offered us one set of tickets for a lucky WhatSheWears.ie reader and a friend to attend a private screening of The September Issue which will take place on 8 September.

In addition, you will attend an exclusive cocktail party in BT2 Dundrum Town Centre to view the BT2 AW09 collection in their new ultimate shopping and beauty destination and enjoy premium Russian Standard cocktails and Yo Sushi!

BT2 Dundrum Town Centre has created the perfect girls world by introducing fifteen new labels covering two floors, a beauty and cosmetics offering including M.A.C., a Nails Inc. “Manicure & Pedicure Bar” a new “Lash bar” and a quirky “Blow Bar” that your locks will surely love.

All this together with a denim bar packed full of some of the best made jeans in the world, an accessories mecca bursting with beautiful bags and heavenly jewellery and a newly introduced shoe haven. We are salivating at the thoughts of it all!

To win this most glamorous prize, answer this question by submitting a comment below:

Q: How many new brands have been introduced to BT2 Dundrum Town Centre?”

A winner will be drawn at random on Wednesday 2 September from correct entries received and the winner notified by email.

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Coco Avant Chanel

Images courtesy of BT2.ie

Ankle boots worn with dresses is going to be a key look during this transitional time from summer to autumn. Already, a few fashion frontrunners are sporting the look. Here’s how they do it and where they buy their gorgeous gear.

Bare legged

1. Back in February when the autumn winter collections made their debut, moments after she saw it on the catwalk, Gwyneth Paltrow pre ordered this Preen dress.   Gwyneth showed off her enviable pins when she finally debuted the Preen dress and black shoe-boots at a benefit in New York City recently.

If you’d like to get your mitts on this designer dress, it’s coming to The Design Centre in Powerscourt at the end of August.

We’re not admitting that we stay in on Friday nights and watch The Late Late show, but our favourite Muse du jour, Amy Huberman wore a sparkly dress and black ankle boots on The Late Late 25 September 2009.

Sienna Miller has travelled all over the world promoting GI Joe wearing many different designer outfits. This is the one she wore in Sydney where to carry off the ankle boots with a dress look to perfection.  

Sienna went high-end in a pair of Chloe lace up boots in suede and leather ($775) but luckily, for the more frugal fashionista, we found a lookalike pair in Topshop (Astride Lace Up Ankle Boots).

As the focus of Millers outfit was on her boots, the dress was duely dressed down. The tea dress is in fact from Poltock & Walsh’s spring/summer 09 collection and regrettably sold out. However, as we are big fans of tea dresses we found some cool alternatives namely a floral drop waist dress from Gap ($70) and a Nan Floral Tea Dress ($90) from Topshop.

With Opaque tights

Never one to shy away from a quirky look, Katy Perry did the rounds in New York wearing a cute, patterned dress from celebrity favourite and best-kept-secret label, Mina UK.

Other celebs who favour this dresses and accessories brand include Fearne Cotton, Daisy Lowe and the Girls Aloud band members.

Katy completes her look with Steve Madden gold studded ankle boots and this season’s must-have sunglasses  -the Ray Ban Clubmaster style. Steve Madden is an American shoe designer based in Queens, New York. You may remember his gladiator sandals worn by Kate Moss this summer (see here). Wear these ankle boots now with a dress or come winter with opaque tights, just like Katy Perry.

I showed up at H&M on South King Street, Dublin 2 (off St Stephen’s Green) this morning for the launch of the eagerly awaited Matthew Williamson for H&M collection.  It was mayhem.

Although the shop opened at 9.30am, there were queues of girls there since 6.30am due to the fact that it’s the only shop on the island of Ireland to host the collection.  Some of them I spoke to had come all the way from Belfast.  Needless to say the ones at the front of the queue got the best picks.

I had my eye on a blue cardigan with peacock detail (€79.90) but could only find it in fuchsia pink (pictured).  

Gutted that they didn’t stock the peacock dress with mid length sleeves which  Nicky Hilton and Katy Perry wore, the next best thing was this cowl neck sleeveless peacock top for (€39.90).

I also had my eye on a peacock pendant (€22.90) which was being whipped up by everyone who went past.

Unlike the Dublin launch of the collection, London had a sneak preview launch last night where the man himself  Matthew Williamson appeared. Pictured here accompanied by his muse du jour, Sienna Miller, who, rather than wearing his H&M gear, looked radiant all the same in a Matthew Williamson dress from his Autumn/Winter 2009 collection.

Mischa Barton also rocked up in London wearing two key pieces from the collection  – a navy jacquard skirt (€59.90) which grabbed my attention this morning and a Matthew Williamson for H&M leather waistcoat.  Her studded ankle boots were Alexander McQueen.

Despite missing out on key pieces myself, it’s great to see such excitement about a new collection!