Star Buy of the Week: H & M Faux Fur Jacket

Swedish high-street store, H & M is rapidly conquering the world in the fashion stakes- with new stores opening as frequently as Penney's (Primark- to all the non-Irish readers!) gets in new stock. Recently opened  H & M stores, include its first Lithuanian store in the capital, Vilnius, and two new debut stores in Estonian capital, Tallinn and Indonesian capital, Jakarta. This stylish, always on trend and super affordable store is forever churning out style gems that could be from designer boutiques or upmarket department stores- and has been a good friend and ally to not just cash- poor students, but to anyone striving to look stylish on a budget- which let's be honest, is the vast majority of the population at the moment. On the other hand, who doesn't like a good bargain?

H & M Faux Fur Jacket, e29.95

I snapped up this weeks star buy- a statement, soft-to- the- touch faux fur jacket, in H & M's Dundrum Town Centre store in Dublin. The tactile texture of this gorgeous natural brown jacket caught my eye straight away- and as soon as I saw the incredible price tag of e29.95, I was powerless to resist! Five minutes later, I was out the door swinging a giant green H & M shopping bag- and feeling very smug about the fabulous bargain I'd just snagged.

Furs, leathers, distressed denim and delicious pick 'n mix textures exuding personality, are key pieces worth investing in this season for a quick, hassle free way to add interest, style- and warmth to your wardrobe this season. This weeks Star Buy ticks all the boxes for me- retro chic style straight from the 70s (minus the smell of time and moth-balls!) for a cool, wallet friendly e29.95.

Mid- Season Sale Fever

Outfit from www.awear.com

It's official- the shops have lost the plot and gone into bargain overdrive, with 'Sale' signs glaring at us in neon brights from almost every shop on the high-street. Okay, first things first- try to keep calm girls and plan your shopping manoeuvres carefully before pouncing on something that looked totally divine in the shop- possibly because three other girls were looking at it while you were looking at it! When you examined at close quaters and at every angle physically possible it in the comfort of your own bedroom and in front of your tried and trusted full length mirror in the hallway- funnily enough, a pink mid-thigh skater skirt didn't seem like such a good idea after all.

So, before you read on and learn of the amazing, eye-poppingly fabulous bargains and discounts that are out there waiting to be snapped up out there right now as we speak- promise yourselves that you will exercise restraint (some, at least!) and obey the golden rule of sale shopping. Repeat ten times after me- 'I will not buy anything in the sales that I would not consider buying at full price'. If you stick by this rule with your life- I promise you, you will not be a broke and strung out babe in tears on, and with nothing nice to wear on a Saturday night, but instead- a rather smug style queen queen  with rails and rails of stylish options and a dazzling array of accessories to wear and wow in, for your night on the town- AND with money left over for cocktails!

Okay- so here's the lowdown on the bargain hotspots- read with caution and prepare to enjoy some kung-fu style bargain-busting! One of my all time favourite department stores, Brown Thomas are slashing 20% off of almost everything  until Monday, October 28th- with the generous discount applying to men's, women's and children's clothing and selected shoes, as well as 10% off of luxury beauty brands, Lancome and Clarins. Head to rival department store Debenhams for more great value, where for every spend of e60 or more- you'll get a e10 gift voucher to spend in store!You can definitely afford to wrap up warm this winter if you snap up their 25% discount on coats and boots. Avail of their 'buy one- get one half price'  offer on knitwear, and you'll be sizzling (in every sense of  the word!) in time for the big freeze!

If you're a fan of classic, quality high-street shop, Coast- get down there pronto! They have 20% pulled off of selected coats and jackets until Monday, October 28th- as well as a great mid-season sale with discounts of 50% and more, hanging on the rails waiting for you! You can also snap up the coats and jackets offer online by typing in the promotional code: COATS20 at the checkout.

If your wardrobe is in some dire need of some serious funking up and general bejazzling- totter down to to highstreet faves- River Island, AWear, Oasis and Warehouse where they have mid-season sales with up to 50% ripped off of the original prices. AWear are also knocking 20% off of new season arrivals for a limited period, to tempt you even further!

Finally, if  luxurious, preppy Americana in classic designs and colours is what floats your yacht- check out the Tommy Hilfiger mid-season sale, where they're slicing a cool 20% off of selected items. Their stylish handbags are on my lust-list this AW season- effortlessly adding a bolt of colour and touch of class to your wardrobe.

All images are from the Tommy Hilfiger store in the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick.

Makeover Magic!

As a stylist and slightly obsessed fashion maven, it is impossible for me to head into town and stroll around and get all those annoying 'to do' jobs ticked of the list without taking in the good, the bad- and the downright ugly of the fashion choices people are choosing to don (and inflict, it must be said!) on the world. The girl in the funky skirt, clumpy punk-rocker boots and bleached blonde hair, the tragic guy in the shell-suit, the glamorous 'yummy-mummy' is her skinny jeans and riding-boots ensemble and the pretty school girls caked in foundation and vampire eye-liner parading the streets on their lunch hour from the local convent school- they are all on my style radar!

Ireland and small-town Ireland has definitely become more stylish of late- BUT, I still think that the motto of 'less is more' could be applied more liberally than the fake tan and foundation is! When I observe all of these different style offerings perambulating the streets, browsing the shops and indulging themselves in the cafes- I am always, as a stylist subconsciously assessing and musing over their choice of attire, and musing of how I could completely transform them with a few relatively unpainful tweaks- or staring in horror and morbid fascination at how they could have contemplated leaving the house in that rigout! Were they trying to outdo Lady Gaga? Well I suppose it is coming up to H'alloween- which I'll reluctantly have to factor in when scouting the streets for potential makeover victims!

This month, The Guardian- a great Nenagh based weekly newspaper, commissioned me to style, organise and write up a makeover feature for their Autumn/ Winter issue of their Fashion and Lifestyle magazine which I had great fun organising and running. All the shops I featured and outfits I styled in the makeover are from boutiques in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary- an excellent town for boutiques and occasion shopping- and with a tempting range of cute cafes to fuel up in as you shop 'til you drop!

Pop into New Moon for accessories and hats to die for, 5th Avenue boutique for funky fun, Adeline in Lisa Baker for quality sopistication, Marion Murphy Cooney in The Design Atelier for a piece of designer heaven and Mary in Slattery's of Nenagh for sheer class and top to toe style. Capture your stylish new look with professional Nenagh photographer, Tom Doherty who captured the girls' new look post makeover. A magician with the camera, the girls' were thrilled with their new looks and how Tom captured them with such ease and professionalism.

Treat yourself to a style consultation and personal shopping trip- or perhaps a wardrobe overhaul. Call me on: 087- 1348618- for a new, more confident, glamorous you in time for Christmas!

Maiken wears: pleather pants, neaon top,  houndstooth jacket, Guess bag from 5th Avenue boutique; shoes as before; necklace e29, Slattery's

Freda wears: Frank Lyman dress e275, cuff, Shira earrings e35 from Slattery's; black pumps e135 from Lisa Baker ; clutch bag e29 New Moon

Maiken wears: Navy/lace detail dress, e70, Cathriona King hat, e150, from The Design Atelier; shoes Lisa Baker.

Teal dress, e150 from The Design Atelier; Suzie Mahoney hat e220, New Moon, clutch bag and shoes as before.

*All makeover photographs are courtesy of Tom Doherty Photography, Nenagh. Tel: 087- 75 18 601

Irish Fashion Designers Wow

Moi wearing an outfit from Marion Murphy- Cooney''s debut ready-to-wear label, MMC (available in The Design Atelier, Nenagh and selected boutiques nationwide)

On Tuesday morning last, October 8th at 5am- I blearily reached out of my bed to put a gag on my mobile phone alarm which had been bleeping non-stop for ten minutes flat- clearly on a mission to drive me insane! Okay guys- there was a very good reason for getting up at this unearthly hour of the morning- fashion glorious fashion, and top Irish couture fashion at that!

Talented Nenagh based Irish designer, Marion Murphy- Cooney's trademark supremely tailored, luxurious designs have lit up the red carpet at high-profile events such as this years IFTAs-at which five of her dresses were worn! MMC ( the name of Marion's first ever ready-to-wear collection!) has dressed top Irish stars like Kathryn Thomas, Karen Koster, Miriam O'Callaghan, the quirky, inimitable Jennifer Maguire- and the eternally elegant TV presenter, Maura Derrane.

Renowned Irish fashion designer Marion, had asked me a few days previously to attend the CIFD (Council of Irish Fashion Design) National Media Event in the Peter mark Hair Academy on Dublin's South William Street a few days previously, as her muse! So here I was- with the help of MAC, Elnett and all the rest of my make-up bag buddies, primping and preening at 5.30am in a bid to somewhat resemble Marion's muse!

The fashion show- which comprised of 19 'hot off the runway' Irish designers Emma Manley, Heidi Higgins, Richard Lewis, print-genius Lisa Ryder, Galway milliner-of-the-moment, Mark T. Burke and Marion Murphy-Cooney (who showcased her debut ready-to-wear collection, MMC) was beautiful- wearable yet quirky- a sumptuous 'dessert-trolley' of Irish design which left me wanting more.

The show took place in a white, light-filled room overhead the Peter Mark Style Club, and was compered by ex model agent and fashion business veteran, Eddie Shanahan. The lightness and whiteness of the airy chair-lined room added oodles to the designers' creative offerings. It conveyed a relaxed, chic atmosphere that was picked up on by the designers loyal customers whom trickled in chatting and enjoying the eye-catching canapés and pastries and coffee before and after the show. The Peter-Mark goody-bag full of Redken and Kerestace products snapped up by all guests was a suitably stylish touch to the event. And yes, in case you're wondering- I snagged one too!