By Gillian Brett

It is with great honour that we announce the sartorially gifted Roxanne Parker as our first ever guest editor.

With over 10 years experience in the fashion industry, Roxanne is one of Ireland’s most eminent style experts. She has an incredibly artistic vision and the unique ability to build an enchanting narrative around her fashion editorials: “When possible I like to create characters and build a story about who they are, where they live, what they are like and where they hang out. I want my stories to grab the viewer and spark their imagination. I find this approach helps me to imagine original shoot ideas,” Roxanne reveals.

Her style credentials speak for themselves as she lists Prudence, Confetti, Tatler and The Independent as clients, as well as frequently lending her fashion expertise to TV3’s Ireland AM and Xposé and RTE’s The Afternoon Show.

Roxanne was recently crowned ‘Best Stylist’ in the judges award at Ireland’s Most Influential in Fashion Awards and she has just been announced as the new fashion editor of every Irish woman’s style bible, Social & Personal magazine (her first issue hits the stands in June).

We’re delighted Roxanne managed to take time out of her insanely busy schedule to do a little Guest Editor work with us. Read on for all of her stellar selections for the summer season…

Spring/Summer Designer Collection
Roxanne is going all girlie this season by embracing feminine silhouettes and pretty details. This season she is lusting over “Victoria Beckham for sculpted dresses, Prada for stripes and printed skirts and Isabel Marant for easy, breezy, off-duty cutie weekend wear- particularly her sweet baby pink denim short.” 

Highstreet Shop
For her summer garden party ensemble (doesn’t everybody have one?), Roxanne is hitting the highstreet. She plans to tick off the colour blocking trend by teaming bold blazers with bright dresses choosing “Zara for their cheap and chic colour pop blazers and great leather bags and Warehouse for their pure silk summer dresses and sexy studio 54 inspired jumpsuits.”

Sunglasses
We weren’t surprised to learn that our guest ed has an affinity for Prada’s unique new style of sunglasses. Always keen to push the fashion/art boundaries, Prada commissioned three artists to create quirky illustrations for the label’s new limited-edition ‘Minimal Baroque’ sunglasses range. “I love the simple yet glam black over-sized frames with the quirky design detail of the loop at the side,” praised our honorary editor.

Accessory
For a touch of glam in the office, Roxanne adores the Chanel iPad cover. Mixing technology with taste, this luxury accessory is “The chicest way to tote your iPad around town! This quilted baby with iconic inter-locking C’s will ensure you will look the business at all your meetings!” ($1,555, available at Chanel boutiques.)

Jewellery
In terms of summer adornment, she’ll be paying homage to the all-important seventies with Nicole Richie’s haute hippie jewellery line, House of Harlow. “70′s style jewellery is perfect for this summer.

I’ll also be wearing anything turquoise and my bespoke pearl-claw ring by my jewellery designer brother Carl Parker.” Carl’s incredible pieces can be found in the Castlecomber Estate yard in Co. Kilkenny. You can also have a peek at them online before making your visit on www.carlparkerjewels.com .”

Make-up
Roxanne has every woman’s dream scenario: a best friend who happens to be one of the country’s top make-up artists. “I have been lucky enough to be used as a guinea pig for my close friend, make-up artist Ken Boylan’s brand new make-up range, Ken Boylan make-up, so I’ve been using and loving this line for the past few weeks!

There is nothing Ken doesn’t know about make-up and this is really reflected in his carefully chosen collection which will feature limited edition seasonal colours as well as all the basics. My favourites are his delicious rage of coral lipsticks- so pretty and summery.” The range is being launched in September,  check out www.kenboylan.com
 
Skincare Secret

Despite her hectic schedule and long days on shoots, she always manages to look refreshed and well-rested. Her secret to eternal youth: Jan Marini Bioglycolic facewash. “This ‘cosmasutical’ cleanser exfoliates using glycolic acid, derived naturally from sugar cane,  instead of a gritty, abrasive exfoliant leaving my skin plump, clear and youthful- I’ve used it for the past 7 years and SWEAR by it!!”

Dress
Every woman has her all-time favourite dress and for Roxanne it’s an envy-inducing beige Azzedine Alaia fit and flare dress which she bought in Havana Boutique in Donnybrook, Dublin.

“This stunningly cut dress with a flattering flared skirt by the 80′s ‘king of cling’ fits in with this season’s trend for nudes, while it’s classic cut mean it will be a wardrobe favourite forever.” Chic and timeless: perfection.

Jeans
Finding a pair of jeans that flatter your shape can lead to lifelong brand devotion. For our guest ed it’s Topshop’s Moto Leigh ankle grazers which she owns in jet black. “These skin tight, ankle flashers are the perfect way to show off fashions new erogenous zone – the ankles.”

 Shoes
The most important part of any ensemble, shoes can make or break an outfit. Though they are sometimes treated as an after-thought, Roxanne knows the right footwear is fundamental. She wears quirky “Buffalo leopard print cowboy style ankle boots for off-duty weekend wear” and glams it up in lust-worthy “YSL Tribute sandals in tan” for a high-fashion evening look. She also cites “Nando Muzi, available from Cocobelle in Hibernian Way” as her staple shoe for the summer wedding/race season.

Handbag
A woman’s handbag is the most obvious indicator of her true style persona. It turns out the elegant Ms. Parker is a closet rocker. Her favourite bag is “Alexander Wang’s Brenda Zip chain leather bag- I’m a bit of a rock chick at heart and this distressed washed leather bag has a rock sensibility fused with the practicality of being a really wearable cross body bag, perfect for everyday use.”

Perfume
During wintertime, it’s the classic Coco Chanel perfume that captures Roxanne’s nose and heart. She likes to flirt with summer fragrances however and reveals that her “current fragrance crush is Theirry Mulger’s Womanity- it’s really unusual with woody, smoky under-tones that get you noticed for the right reasons.”
 
Hairstyle
This summer, a plumped up, seventies-style, bouffant (as sported by Cheryl Cole, Sarah Jessica Parker and Elle Macpherson) is the trendiest hairstyle. Roxanne doesn’t settle for anything less than “A big bouncy blow-dry with plenty of back-combing.”

Her voluminous do is created by Paul Davey at Davey Davey salon. “Paul knows how to give me ‘monied’ looking hair so I walk out of the salon feeling like a million dollars!!”  Book in for the star treatment with Paul at Davey Davey, 23 Dury Street, D2  – see www.daveydavey.com for opening hours.

See more of Roxanne Parker’s Picks in the gallery below

It’s that time of year again and we have had lots of requests asking how to choose a pair of sunglasses to suit ones face shape.

Trends change so quickly and it’s sometimes hard to keep up so, to give you a flavour of what’s out there, we have listed some of the most popular sunglasses trends and more importantly, which face shape they suit.

Cat eye Sunglasses

If you like the vintage look, then this is the style for you. Cat eye sunglasses suit heart-shaped and square face shapes.

Round sunglasses

Again, these have a retro, Jacki O feel to them. Retro sunglasses suit almost everyone, except round faces.

Aviators

Aviator sunglasses come in many sizes and lense colours. Choose between the Top Gun pilot style (with mirrored lenses) or the plastic, 70′s frames.

The great thing about them is that they suit almost any face shape. They are quite large though so make sure that they are not too big for your face shape.  

Butterfly shaped sunglasses

Like your sunnies large? Then the butterfly shape is for you. These  suit most face shapes as the butterfly edge draws the attention away from your actual face.

The original butterly style is by Prada and loved by the likes of Paris Hilton and Kate Moss but there are high street alternatives from everywhere.

One of our favourite oversized sunglasses shapes are by Tom Ford. Pictured alongside Reese Witherspoon above are the Tom Ford Simone Sunglasses which also come in three shades of brown.

Square shaped sunglasses

Square shaped sunglasses suit round faces – the square angles contrast with the shape of the face and the bridge on the nose widens the eyes.

Tips to find the perfect sunglasses to suit our face shape

Step 1. Find out what your face shape is

Figuring out your face shape is key to choosing sunglasses. The old wives tale of looking in a mirror and drawing the shape of your face with lipstick is a bit misguided.  Instead, we suggest you log onto Lenscrafters.com, upload a photo of yourself (the photo must be less than 200k in size) and you get the answer.

Step 2. Look for a contrasting frame to your face shape

Round face (Kate Bosworth): Go for sunglasses with horizontal lines to create angles and lengthen your face. One word to keep in mind is rectangular.

Square face (Jennifer Garner): Choose sunglasses that soften your face angles. For example, choose curving lines like cat-eye frames. Lanvin Crystal Sun Sunglasses, Brown Thomas, €381 are a perfect fit for a square face.

Heart shaped face (Reese Witherspoon) :  Round frames balance out a stronger forehead with something that draws the eye downward.  .

Oval face shape: Think Chloe Sevigny. You lucky thing. Oval face shapes can get away with whatever they want in the sunglasses department. One word of warning however, is  not to choose sunglasses that are too small.

Step 3. Choose a colour

Choosing the shade of your sunglasses is easy. Black frames look great on everyone. Apart from that, search for a pair that is similar to your hair colour:  brunettes look for dark tortoiseshell or silver metal detail and blondes should go for gold metal.

And finally, enjoy your essential summer accessory!

Which type of sunglasses will you be wearing this summer?

So you thought it was OK to wear runners and a comfy, velour tracksuit on your next flight? Think again girl. Despite the fact that you have comfort (tracksuit and socks), warmth (blanket) and accessories (pillow) to think about, imagine being in the limelight where you are bound to be photographed stepping off an 8 hour flight ?

The celebrities and  seasoned travelers know exactly what to wear when going on a trip, but for the rest of us, creating an outfit that’s both pratical and glamourous is not an easy task.

Here, the whatshewears.ie team brings you the ultimate in how to look like you’re famous at the airport. From stopovers with large sunglasses (à la Kate Bekinsale) to transatlantic flights in scarves, here are our top four choices for how to look like a trendsetter – even in an airport terminal.

Pictured left to right:

Charlize Theron
Charlize has always wowed us with her airport panache jetting from Europe to America.  Seen here at LAX (no, its not a laxative, it’s LA International Airport for those of you not in the know), she exudes coolness in a blazer.  Theron’s blue scarf gives her outfit some texture and wraps her up on an air-conditioned plane. Check out her lovely pair of Converse Sequined runners.

Whitney Port
Have you seen the programme The City? The star of the show, Whitney Port, is great at translating trends into wearable outfits. Here, Whitney Port looks positvely laid back,  looking refreshed even at a stressful scenario that is the airport (she should visit Dublin airport!).

Here she is waiting for her baggage wearing an Opening Ceremony Cropped Cable crewneck jumper and a pair of Current/Elliott boyfriend jeans in the Natural Denim Destroy wash, both cool, laidback choices. Her flat shoes are great for long distance flights when you have to kick off your shoes and take to the flight ahead.

Fergie
What do you think of Fergie’s new brunette look? It’s kind of covered here by her hat as she makes her way through New York’s JFK airport in a brown leather Kenneth Cole jacket, belted tunic top and matching brown boots.

Kate Beckinsale
The chic British actress adds some welcome red to her all-black ensemble while leaving New York’s JFK airport. We are loving her American Apparel leggings.

So next time you are due to jet off, grab your oversized of sunglasses, a cool scarf and hide your face from the crowds with your hand, as if you were famous.  And people will actually think that you are! Fact.

By Ann-Marie Proudfoot

I’m sure we’d all love to be able to fall out of bed, throw on ‘that old thing’ and look like a million dollars or have unlimited time to get ready each morning, but the reality is both are pretty hard to achieve, especially if you’ve more than just yourself to get ready. 

We were staggered at the results of a recent Debenhams survey which asked their Irish female customers what they wore on the school run:

• 6 out of 10 women admitted to feeling pressurised to compete in the fashion stakes thanks to ever increasing numbers of yummy mummies in the press. Half of this group admitted to taking tips from celebrity super mums like Elle Macpherson, using her as a benchmark of how it should be done.

It seems most celeb mums dress to impress when taking the kids to school, at least if these pictures of Elle McPherson and Stella McCartney are anything to go by. Designer McCartney looked chic in a belted trench coat, aviator sunglasses and knee-high boots while on the school run in London while McPherson opted for a white blazer, scarf, jeans and Monica Vinader bracelets and pendant. The top accessory for both? Dark sunglasses.

• 4 out of 10 women were managing to get their children dressed and ‘doll themselves up to the nines’ before dropping the kids off and returning home to change into more child friendly outfits

• The majority of women (79%) said they wouldn’t be seen dead in their track suits on the school run, 88% said they would never turn up without make-up on and 57% agreed that runners or Uggs are not appropriate footwear

• Mascara and lip gloss are viewed as the absolute minimum when it comes to facing other mums at 8am, closely followed by concealer and bronzer

Statistics aside, if you want to achieve a stylish yet casual look, here are our tips for Mum’s on the school run…

1. A coat or ¾ length jacket

You can hide a multitude under a ¾ length jacket.  For those chillier mornings, this oversized parka will look great with your skinny jeans and a pair of converse trainers. If you want a slightly smarter look this knitted rib coat can be worn with jeans or leggings. For later on in the season this lighter weight parka is a great casual option from Awear. Or again for a slightly smarter look, make like stylish Mum of four Stella McCartney in a Mac which is always a really good basic to have in your wardrobe as it can be dressed up or down.

2. Knitwear

Cardigans work for practically, comfort and look smarter than throwing on a sweatshirt. This Asos long line cardigan can be worn loosely or with a belt added to give a little more shape and add some detail.

3. Dresses

Dresses work really well because you have an outfit in one. Here are some casual styles that can be worn with leggings

 -  For a nautical look,  team this striped-shirt dress with denim legging and flat pumps or boots.

 - This oversized knit dress is great with black leggings and a bright contrasting scarf.

 - This denim shirt dress can be worn with black leggings or black skinny jeans.

4. Jeans

Whether you prefer skinnies or boot cut, make sure you have a pair that fit you well and can be worn with flats.

5. Leggings

A good quality pair of black and denim leggings are great staple pieces as they go with lots of different looks.

6. Scarves

For those days when you need a pick-me-up, throw on a coloured scarf to lift your complexion, like this printed option from River Island.

7. Flat pumps

Flats are a must for Mums. A black and a tan pair are always good basic colours to have in your wardrobe. Rockport have comfortable yet stylish ballet pumps with a built in wedge due out for this autumn winter.

8. Flat boots

Whether you like a slender or a chunkier style, a comfy pair of flat boots are always a good option to have in your wardrobe. Here’s great biker boot style from Red or Dead or if you prefer something more chic, opt for a riding boot.

What do you think is a good option for the school run?

Image credits: Getty

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

By Gillian Brett

This season Monsoon has been going to great lengths to embrace the seventies trend: long floaty maxi dresses, slinky jumpsuits and floor-skimming flares are all key pieces in their spring/summer 2011 collection.

Channel Seventies Siren Farrah Fawcett with a a cute cami and a fringed waistcoat (€102), tucked into wide leg jeans (€85), flaring over towering platform heels, topped off with a wide brimmed hat (€30.50) and accessorized by a macramé bag (€54), stacked bangles (€30.50) and a pair of Perspex framed sunglasses (€25.50).

Modelled by face of the moment, Lily Donaldson, the new collection oozes a carefree approach to summer styling, in which just one or two pieces are needed to make a big sartorial statement.

Take for example the stunning ‘Delano Jumpsuit’ (€161, pictured on Lily above right). Shrinking violets look away now, as this palazzo pants style all-in-one features a flower bed of botanical prints. Florals are a wardrobe essential this season and you’ll look like a walking Monet in the adorable water lily print shift dress (€203, pictured left) from the Monsoon Fusion range (a partnership with Topshop).

The blurry, floral print is very like those favoured by Erdem in his spring/summer 2011 collection. The British-Turkish designer’s digital print dresses have been the toast of the fashion scene since Michelle Obama flaunted his frocks throughout the American presidential election.

Prada also appeared to have played an influence as the kitschy banana earrings from their spring/summer jewellery collection (as seen sported by Miuccia Prada herself) were reincarnated in Monsson as a juicy little necklace (€10.00). Coming in at a mere fraction of the Prada-version’s price, it’s the perfect way to add a dash of fun and some high-fashion know-how to your summer wardrobe.

Other highlights of the collection included Studio-54 inspired, maxi dresses (€238) in a vibrant colour palette of hazy pink, orange sunset, sky blue and fizzing fuchsia and a variety of prints from paisley and stripes to tie dye.  Teamed with pretty flip flops (€59.00) and a statement necklace (€30.50) from Accessorize, these are the perfect dresses to take you from afternoon barbeque to night-time glamour—just pack a pair of platforms in your bag for later.

A little birdie told us that the fashion scenes’ youngest and savviest stylista Willow Smith (the nine-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith who sat front row at Dolce & Gabbana and Armani this year) was spotted buying the Amalfi Map Weekender on a recent trip to Dublin, so be sure to pop that at the top of your bag wishlist!

Monsoon Accessorize spring summer 2011 Image Gallery

Dear Ask the Stylist

My husband would love to wear a white linen suit and panama hat to a wedding in Naples this September.  As I am not a fashion trend follower but more of a follower of hippy/vintage/bo ho styles, I really need us both to look reasonably sane.  Can you advise what we should do as a couple, can he hire such a suit to bring with us and what shall I go for?

Thanks for your Ask the Stylist question. I read this one with gusto, as I myself had a destination wedding, in Gozo (Malta) and a group of guys turned up in panama hats. It’s a great look!  One of them even checked with us beforehand to see if it was OK to wear white…a white linen suit that is! The Italian wedding sounds fantastic and I’m very reminiscent and excited writing this.

It’ll be hot where you’re going (mid twenties at least), so you’ll need something stylish and comfortable.  Men in dark heavy suits tend to stand out a bit as they look very uncomfortable in the heat.   I think you can also be more adventurous when it comes to colour as it’s so sunny, so you can really go for it with bright colours you may not normally wear.

For Him

Yes, your hubbie would be spot-on in a linen suit (Debenham’s is your best bet) or a linen waistcoat/waistcoat (try Topman) instead of a jacket is also a good look.
Other than suits, guys can go for blazers (in lighter colours) and open white linen shirts with slacks.

For nicely tailored suits, try Zara. There may not be linen and the fit is quite slim fitting, so won’t suit a larger fella. ( But you can shop online on http://www.zara.com/ from today!).

Suit Rental Ireland

A linen suit is probably not something that your man will wear again, so try Blacktie for renting a suit – if they don’t have linen they should have a lightweight suit in a neutral colour (think oatmeal or light grey) with a white shirt  – you can always introduce the linen via the shirt  (Marks and Spencer’s have long and short sleeved lined shirts).   Suit rental will cost you approx. 80-100 euro whereas buying the suit will be double that.

Panama hats

The Hat Shop, a booth on the ground floor of St Stephen’s green shopping centre in Dublin stocks Panama hats, the colour you choose will depend on the rest of the outfit.  There have been some straw trilby hats ( in brown or cream) in Urban Outfitters over the summer and Topman is another option.

Pashmina

Italian churches are strict and catholic when it comes to covering your shoulders, so a pashmina, wrap or shawl is key and you may need it again in the evening, if chilly. Penney’s do cheap and cheerful pashminas for less than 10 euro. Otherwise, try Tie Rack (there’s one at the airport).

Italian Wedding

Some women wear the same style dress they would wear to an Irish summer wedding – but  tend to go for brighter colours and in general the style is a bit more laid back. The colours can be super bright,  with maxis in particular giving that laid back island/coastal feel.

Boho Maxi Dress

For your own style preferences, I’d suggest a bright maxi dress.  Halston Heritage certainly has that 70’s boho look boxed off with their maxis (Brown Thomas and Harvey Nichols are your go-to shops).   If that label is out of your reach, as it is for most, the kaftans shape of this purple one from Asos makes it a good option and a ringer for the designer equivalent. The fabric on this is not silk though and you’d need to be tall (well over 5.4) to pull it off – I’m 5.2 and it’s far too long for me.

Silk maxis with skinny straps look fantastic but sometimes require a great figure. The Grecian (or Neapolitan in your case!) look is a great one and Monsoon have some beautiful silk maxi dresses, as do Debenhams.

Alternatively, a simple maxi in jersey material would look modernday hippie – this  House of Fraser purple dress would look great with gold gladiators or wedges if you need more height. Team it with a neutral coloured pashmina and a gold, double strapped hair band (from Accessorize).

Vintage

You could splash out and rent a vintage maxi from Covet.ie (from 140 euro a dress rental).

If a maxi doesn’t rock your boat, then you could opt for a vintage Mad Men look which would look very “Roman Holiday” appropriate in Naples. The blue and white print 50’s dress that Scarlett Johansson wears on Mango.com looks much like this season’s Prada version but comes in under 100 (and it’s currently in store).

Sunglasses

Shades play a bigger part in your outfit as you’ll be wearing them a lot, so splash out! Sunglasses Hut at the airport do good deals, like 25% off when you buy a second pair, so if you don’t have any nice ones, make time for some airport shopping!

Beforehand, do your research on the sunglasses hut website and check which sunglasses shape suits your face shape.

Enjoy x

Apologies for making you jealous as you sit at your desk today, but some people are off on their holidays.

And no better people to rub it in our face than the paparazzi who love to take pics of the jet set hanging out in their bikinis.

Take for example, model Kate Moss who was seen last year holidaying in Saint Tropez (the south of France destination, not the fake tan brand).

This celeb-with-designer-holidaying is no coincidence – apparently it’s that time of year when designers are joined by famous folk on holidays – Kate Moss and her beau Jamie Hince joined designers Karen Mulder and Stefano Pilati on their yacht for a spot of topless sunbathing no less. The year before that she holidayed with Marc Jacobs and his fiancée Lorenzo Martone.

Kate Moss Bikini

We are loving her gingham and denim bikini which we found out is from the lovely lingerie people at Agent Provocateur.

Considering that the supermodel Moss launched the White Wedding lingerie collection with Agent Provocateur last year, no doubt the bikini was a freebie.

Copy Miss Moss’ yacht style with the exact match Kerry Gingham bikini bottoms  bikini top . The bottoms were €65 but are now even cheaper, as they are on sale).

For the savvy shoppers amongst you, turn to Asos, who stock a red and white gingham bikini  €61 for the top and €30.44 for the bottoms, half the price of Agent Provocateur.

Ray Ban Wayfarers

Meanwhile Kate chilled on the yacht sipping her Martini while wearing her cool Rayban Wayfarers sunglasses. 

To snap up her Ray Bans which normally retail for €139, head to the designer sunglasses boutique that is David Clulow in Kildare Village where you can nab them for €92.76.

They also have Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses for the same price, and this offer runs from Saturday 31 July until Monday 02 August only. See the pics in our gallery.

Eva Mendez Kaftan

Later on, over at the Isle of Capri, designer duo Dolce & Gabbana were out on the water with actress Eva Mendez followed by a visit from fellow Latina Jennifer Lopez.  Eva obviously read our piece on beach cover ups and looks demure in her leopard print Kaftan.

We found a similar Kaftan to Eva’s – Melissa Obadash for sale over at The Outnet (60% off, down to €153).

Jealous, us? No.

[View with PicLens]

Related articles

Swimwear Guide

Top 5: Kaftans

Images

Kate Moss, Eva Mendez: Fabsugar

Rayban: Kildarevillage

We are very excited to be bringing you the first instalment of “Festival Style” – from clothes, to must-have beauty fixes to who is wearing what at a festival near you. Festivals are the new fashion shows you know.

Research shows that last year one third of festival goers splashed out on a new wardrobe spending about £500 (€586) at each festival trying to get what is now being called the “Kate Moss” effect.

So, with that in mind, we’re gearing up for festival season and Glastonbury next weekend. Depending on the weather forecast you may want to pack your Hunters wellingtons and waterproof jackets right now. Check out some welly options here.

Today we give you one particular festival look which consists of boots, short shorts, a T-Shirt and waist coat.

A few leading ladies are also wearing army boots – like Bristish DJ and TV presenter Fearne Cotton seen here at the Isle of Wight festival last weekend. This kind of footwear may seem like a weird choice for summer, but they will see you through the mud and into winter 2009.

She teamed her boots with a floaty summer dress and bowler hat. We found a similar pair of army boots online by cool brand Belstaff , and have listed our favourite summer dresses here.

Alternatively, you could fall back on your Doc Marten Boots if you’ve kept them since your teenage years (my feet size hasn’t grown since!).

Short shorts are a good thing come Electric Picnic time. If you’re not brave enough to wear hot pants, you can always opt for denim shorts instead. Pictured here is a pair from Diesel. You can also opt for a studded pair, we especially like these ones from New Look (€24).

With lots of time to walk around the grounds and socialise, you will look bang on trend with this seasons fringe detailing. Pop on a waistcoat over your graphic T-Shirt to complete the look.

On the off chance that the sun decides to shine, don’t forget your sunnies. Not sure which sunglasses suit you face shape? Find out here.

Question: What to pack for a sailing holiday?  I have been thinking about this for a while and was hoping you might be able to shed some light on the subject.  A little advice would go a long way right now.

Ahoy there matey. That’s an interesting question.

Usually your sailing holiday provider should give you a list of essentials to take with you for the sailing part of the holiday – this may include:

 - Sailing “booties” or something you can wear in the water if there are rocks
 - They should supply the drysuit or wetsuit, if not, you can bring you own – check up on the temperature of the water as you may only require a thin one (3mm) or none at all
 - Two towels, one for sailing use and one for accommodation use. (Your hotel or accommodation may provide these, best to check)
 - A sunhat or cap for when you’re out on the water helps – you will be very exposed to the sun when you’re on the water so take care and ensure that you are covered in a high SPF sun cream
  – A spare bag to hang your shower stuff in
 - A plastic bag – you may have wet gear to carry back 

Sunglasses

If you want your sunglasses to stay on as you sail, buy an elastic sunglasses headband that will keep your sunglasses on your head while you splash around.

See which sunglasses suit your face shape from a previous “Ask the Stylist” article.

Swimwear

A nice bikini or swimsuit is always good to have, as you may be stripping down to this on the boat, situation permitting.  Find out what swimwear suits your body shape from our Swimwear Guide which was published on WhatSheWears.ie on 14 July.

Après sail

You didn’t mention if your sailing holiday was at home or abroad?

If it’s in a sunny destination check the Holiday Packing Guide article here where most items are applicable.

If it’s in the UK or Ireland, pack a hoodie, raincoat and pair of jeans in case the weather turns bad.

Count the amount of days you’ll be away and how much spare time outside of sailing you will have, and pack accordingly. If you’ve 6 nights away, pack three outfits which you can mix and match on alternative nights, wearing each item only twice.

You will certainly need shorts and t-shirts, comfortable shoes (perhaps “deck” shoes if you have them) and flip flops (Havaianas are a great brand available in lots of colours).

Find out if the sailing holiday resort has evening entertainment planned for you, and if so, take along something “dressier” for the evening – white jeans and a sparkly top, or a dress.

Kaftans (beach cover-ups) can also be worn as evening wear and are light to pack.

Extras for your sailing holiday

A waterproof camera, waterproof mascara and lots of sun cream are recommended!

And finally, have a great holiday!