City Chic Styling Solutions: The Look-book.

 

Look-book Lowdown:

Leisurely park strolls and seeing the sights calls for comfort but that’s no reason to skimp on style!

I’ve pulled some looks featuring some of summer‘s hottest trends and staple items that will take you straight through into Autumn for the latest edition of my ‘Styling Solutions‘ Series: City Chic.

*Content is not sponsored.

The Basket Bag Trend:

My bag is vintage and is my take on the massive basket bag trend that is everywhere this summer. It has a chic Italian vibe to it and I’ve noticed this type of wooden handle feature is bang on trend going into Autumn/Winter 2017 gracing several bags that I’ve seen. One thing I adore and embrace about the fashion industry is when vintage style, is deemed on trend again! Rehashing styles instead of a focus on fast fashion is gathering momentum and is something I‘ve always embraced. Focus on attaining a collection of classic pieces that never truly go out of style and ‘shop your wardrobe’ to make the most out of your wardrobe pieces and get the most bang for your buck!

My white leather plimsolls with gold trim (pictured above) add a smart yet comfortable approach to footwear when exploring the cityscape.

Head–wear:

I am an avid wearer of hats and this particular style and material is ideal for hot, summer styling or warding off crisp autumnal chill. Lightweight, and adding a chic flair to any outfit, this piece is from Marks and Spencer (last year’s collection). Keep an eye out for their S/S18 collection as they typically carry similar styles each summer season.

{Pictured wearing: Belle sleeved denim jacket from Penney‘s (Primark).}

Belle of the Ball:

Belle sleeves are also a massive trend that is going nowhere this Autumn/Winter season. This lightweight belle sleeved denim jacket features such feminine details as the belle sleeve coupled with a pretty bow detail on the arms. The sleeves can be hiked up to shorten sleeve length if desired and it is the perfect transitional piece to take me from cool summer nights into crisp autumnal weather before Old Man winter takes hold and the cashmere makes an appearance!

My top also continues the 70‘s style belle sleeve trend so whether I have my jacket on or off I’m rocking a belle sleeve!

I’m very particular when choosing a floral print to wear and I’m not usually one for larger prints but this one spoke to me plus the colours and print can be styled right into Autumn, perfect for a hint of the elusive Indian Summer weather!

Throwing Shade:

White shades – were a massive trend this summer and this continues into the coming season. This pair from Guess (via TK Maxx) embrace two trends; white frames coupled with the cat eye trend, and with no shortage of compliments on these shades it’s safe to say they’ll be gracing my face for another while yet!

Shop the Look: 

Jacket & Cargo Pants: via Penney‘s  (Primark)

Top: via Swamp Fashion.

Watch: via Caravelle New York. 

Chain: bespoke piece via Liwu Jewellery. 

Shades: Guess via TK Maxx.

Earrings: via Accessorize.

Hat: via Marks and Spencer.

Shoes: Plimsolls via River Island.

Bag: is Vintage.

Tell me what are your key transitional pieces that will see you through from Summer to Autumn! Find me on Twitter: @DublinGail  Instagram: @littlegforce  Facebook: GlamForce Blog by Gail O’Connor

Until next time…

Gail. x

Photography: Cormac Pow.

New in Fashion: COS AW17 Preview.

Androgynous silhouettes, fluidity of material, frayed hems, “neutral” colour blocking – these are just some of the key trends I saw at the COS AW17 Preview. In this write up I’ll be taking you through a ‘Collection Overview‘ with a focus on ‘Key Trends‘ for Autumn/Winter 2017.

The Event: COS AW17 Press Day.

The Location: show space at 72 Grafton Street, Dublin.

The Date: April 27th 2017.

KEY TRENDS:

Frayed hems: on collars, hems and cuffs adorn key, minimal pieces giving them a subtle, fresh edge.

Blocks of Colour:

Colour blocking and neutrals are front and centre throughout this collection with COS turning the tables and giving the ‘colour blocking‘ definition a spin… encompassing deep red as a member of the “neutral” palette!

Smart & Cosy:

Soft merino wool makes an appearance once again in the form of skirts, trousers and turtlenecks in muted tones that will complement any wardrobe. The collection includes a range of different textures, everything from merino wool to silk.

Minimalism:

is a staple with COS and this bib-style, collarless shirt is a fine example of it. This piece will slot into your A/W17 capsule wardrobe with ease.

Merino wool skirt with folded pleat.

Fluidity of Fabric:

is another key trend in this collection with a molten effect, super soft to the touch that simply glides over the skin, hugging the silhouette. This addition brings a feminism to the boxier silhouettes of the androgynous shape favoured in this collection.

{Quirky geometric shapes abound: this handbag takes a boxy shape with an envelope type of style to it which caught my eye.}

Geometric Shapes:

From jewellery to handbags, to shoes and belts – geometric shapes abound in the collection in the form of materials such as perspex and steel.

With clean lines and geometric shapes COS have your staple wardrobe pieces covered. A classic colour palette of burgundy, black, pale grey, navy, cream and white these pieces are easily adapted into your work and weekend wardrobes this A/W season. An androgynous theme is softened with the addition of more feminine  style tops, sweaters and shirts in various fabric such as silk and cotton.

Tell me what pieces caught your eye from the collection preview? I’d love to know!

Remember you can catch me on •Twitter: DublinGail •Instagram: littlegforce • Snapchat: DublinGail & •Facebook: GlamForce Blog by Gail O’Connor.

With thanks to COS & the Baluba Team for having me!

Until next time…

Gail.xx

Photography: ©Gail O’Connor.

DUBLIN FASHION: The 2016 #DublinFashion Festival Launch! #GalaxyStyle

Essence of Dublin:

The Event: The Launch of Dublin Fashion Festival

A humid, wet summer’s eve saw the annual launch of Dublin Fashion Festival take place in conjunction with Galaxy Ireland hosting Ireland’s finest fashion industry folk, assembled at the same time in the same place, to celebrate Dublin and it’s shopping and fashion offerings. The venue was packed to the rafters despite the dismal evening and I was delighted to be amongst those invited to celebrate!

The always uber dapper, Darren Kennedy was in attendance as this years ‘face‘ of Dublin Fashion Festival – the first time a male has been selected to represent the festival!

The Location: City Hall, Dublin
The Date: August 17th 2016.

The Outfit: I styled my outfit around this gorgeous cold shoulder kimomo – kindly gifted to me by Boohoo.com. I’m obsessed with it! I channelled my inner Penny Lane – Kate Hudson’s character in Almost Famous and went for a seventies style look (a huge trend right now), with a modern twist! I absolutely love this outfit choice and I felt stylish and comfortable – so important. 

Hat: Penneys (Primark)

*Kimono: gifted from Boohoo.com

Top & Arm Cuff: New Look

Bag: H&M

Jeans: H&M

Choker: River Island

Watch: Caravelle New York

Shoes: Korkys

Upon arrival guests were greeted at the door with a warm welcome and informed of various hubs within the venue such as the Galaxy Ireland #GalaxyStyle hangout, the Dyson Supersonic area and the West Coast Cooler bar!

The Galaxy Style Hangout Area: a welcome hub to relax in and chat whilst waiting for the event to start and afterwards to reflect on the show with some chocolate and West Coast Cooler. How swish and stylish is this set up? Just look at the seating!

There was just enough time before the show to allow guests to snap some pictures, mingle and catch up over a refreshing offering from West Coast Cooler – I opted to try the rosè (I’m usually an original WCC kinda girl!) with a blackberry and lime zest twist. Delish! I’ll definitely be trying this concoction at home!

Hanging out in the Galaxy Style Hub: Raising a glass to the Dublin Fashion Team, Galaxy Ireland and everyone else involved in the production of the festival – it’s a highlight event in my Fashion calendar year! 

The Show:

Overview: The show opened with an acoustic version of Royals by Lorde – sung busker-style, paying homage to scenes on the streets of Dublin such as Grafton Street. The room was still, only the flash of photographers could be heard, the audience were enthralled and models marched down the runway in unison to the beat of the music. The lyrics punctuated the air like exclamation points and with a roaring applause and change in pace of music, the show had well and truly begun!

Offerings from stores such as the Stephen’s Green Centre, Powerscourt Centre, Brown Thomas, Penneys (Primark), Dunnes Stores, and various other shops and boutiques around Dublin featured with bright jewel toned hues, coupled with gold hues as seen from the likes of Swamp Fashions, as well as winter white (always a fave!), mustard, burgundy and browns littering the runway – tulle, lace, fur and suede also made a striking and prolonged appearance.

Military style influences, sports luxe options as well as formal evening wear also showcased for the women as well as country gentleman chic in the form of various style of suit, for the gents from the likes of Magee and Louis Copeland amongst others in the Menswear section of the show. Lastly, as with every winter wardrobe the colour black was never far away!

A diverse mix of styles sashayed down the run-way from mid-length and long swish coats, high neck tops, pleated midi skirts, silk/lace camisoles, gladiator sandals, culotte style trousers, fur stoles, embellished garments, co-ords, skirts with slits, chokers and platform heeled sandals in a variety of heights featured in a showcase of AW16 styles available in a host of Dublin shops.

{Not the best quality photo but I just had to include it! Galaxy Ireland treated guests to a personalised bar of chocolate – how cool is that?! It’s so hard to track down anything with my name on it! #delira #loveit }

ABOUT: Dublin Fashion Festival takes place in conjunction with Galaxy Ireland #GalaxyStyle this year. It kicked off today and runs from September 5th-11th with a schedule jam-packed with events (most open to the public) including on-street catwalk shows, a fashion photography exhibition, Luas Style Spotters to name just a few!

Head on over to www.dff.ie for all the details on the upcoming festivities!

Tell me: have any of you seen any Dublin Fashion Festival activities on the streets of Dublin in previous years?

I cannot wait for a week of  fashion, fun and frolics! 

Thank you to Clyde Carroll and the Dublin Fashion/Dublin Town Team, Galaxy Ireland, West Coast Cooler Ireland, Sadhbh and team at Elevate PR, and finally Boohoo.com/Burrell PR for kindly gifting me the kimono piece.

Thanks for stopping by guys!

Gail. Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor
Twitter: @DublinGail
Instagram: @littlegforce

*Kimono is a gifted PR item.

Classic Summer Style Lookbook: The VACATION EDIT!

Reflective Style:

They say style is reflective of who you are and where you’re going, an extension of yourself and who you want to be.

For me, style can be mood dependant, I adore styling outfits and expressing how I want to present myself on any given day  – meaning boho vibes/preppy/edgy styles are plucked from my wardrobe on the daily. My own style is constantly evolving, however they’re are some style preferences that are innate to me such as All-American preppy, Hamptons-esque style with Spanish and French influences. 

I’ve also become known for my love of and consistent sporting of a leather jacket to add a touch of edginess to an outfit. Another style I have an affinity with is Boho/Beach/Festival style – I’m talking 70’s influences of “Almost Famous” Penny Lane style as well as maxi skirts and dresses, play-suits, denim skirts, kimonos, fringing, head crowns and head-chains.

I decided that whilst on holidays this year I would bite the bullet and get started on my style posts and after a bit of a blogging hiatus I’m back and refreshed!

I am often asked where I get my clothes from and how to style certain items of clothing and accessories for various events people have in their lives. I’ll be sharing my styling tips in my outfit posts so feel free to share my content with anyone who may benefit from it!

I hope you enjoy guys!

{Style shoot: Soaking up the rays and getting those poses down, on the steps of Russborough House.}

Giving the Cold Shoulder:

Cold shoulder, off the shoulder bardot – these are the styles of the summer when it comes to summer tops and tees and I for one am embracing it all!
Fun fact: In seventeenth century France reigning monarch King Louis XIV favoured the off the shoulder look with the décolleté exposed on the women in his court at Versailles – and it seems the feminine allure of this type of style is continuing to unfurl, having a bit of a renaissance centuries on.

These styles are all over the high-street this summer with some beauts in Zara, Primark, H&M and so many others!

The Outfit:

For my holidays I wanted to exude an “off-duty” preppy style which for me is a Hamptons-esque style – preppy, smart casual attire featuring lightweight materials that are easy to layer, the addition of a stylish hat to make outfits pop and to hide behind from the sun’s rays, comfy footwear for all of the exploring and an eye-catching, classic bag to hold all of my essentials.

These key pieces have become part of my summer capsule wardrobe and are staple pieces that work time and time again for many different occasions or excursions from running errands at the weekend to hanging out at a falconry!

{Getting up close and personal with some Birds of Prey with species such as: Snowy Owls and White Tailed Eagles to Falcons  after a wonderful in-depth tour of the falconry at Russborough.}

Classic Summer Capsule Wardrobe Pieces:

Top: Primark
Skinny Jeans: H&M
Shoes: Primark

The Accessories:

Bag: Fiorelli

Hat: Marks & Spencer

Sunglasses: Primark

Chain: Accessorize

Bracelet: Pandora

Midi-Rings: H&M

Tan is: B Bold Tan a must have accessory!

Tell me are you a fan of the cold shoulder trend? What are some of your favourite summer pieces?

Thanks for stopping by guys and I hope you enjoyed this style post as much as I had fun shooting it!

Gail. Xx

Photography: © Gail O’Connor.
Shot on location in Russborough House & Parkland.

Santorini Vibes and a Goddess Glow: Summer Style Inspiration!

{Santorini Vibes: shades of blue and pops of white, taking fashion inspo from the picturesque, hillside vista of Santorini, Greece.}

When a colour palette compels you to blog about it…

As a writer and blogger I find inspiration in everything. From nature, to a conversation, to trend forecasting in Fashion/Beauty etc – however when a colour palette inspires you to write an article on it you know you’re obsessed and you may as well give in and do it!

Santorini Vibes:

If I can’t go to Santorini, I’ll bring Santorini to me – taking inspiration from the islands colour palette in particular the white and blue hues associated with this Greek island!

Into the blue:

{Postcards from Santorini: The Santorini hillside vista that inspired this post.}

I can’t get enough of this colour palette…

I’m talking every shade of blue, paired with white for the ultimate holiday mindset. From washed out denim and cobalt to pastel and Santorini Blue (yeah I totally just made up that name) but you know the one, that blue that conjures up images of deep blue rooftops that majestically overlook an equally blue sea signifying a beaming beacon of relaxation, and an unequivocal Greek island experience of an island way of life of a by gone era. Coupled with white washed, glistening walls this colour palette simply screams summer and the blue and white sun soaked hillside, has immersed itself in my fashion subconscious and seen me dress in island blues on repeat!

Stripes, prints, block colours I’m loving it all – mixing and matching within the palette, block colours of white and blue with prints and stripes in the same hues – adding the odd pop of colours such as yellow, orange, nude, navy and tan to compliment the look.

The Goddess Glow:

These white and blue hues are off-set for me by a gleaming golden glow to the skin lending a bolder, crisper look with added “pop”, to any outfit! I get the ultimate grecian goddess golden/bronzed glow from a new release in the tanning world which I have been trialling lately!

I rarely sit in the sun in the summer months to “get a tan” and if I do you can bet your bottom dollar I’m smothered in Factor 50 because well you know, who needs the wrinkles? Especially nowadays, when self tanners have come such a long way!

The Tan of Choice:

I’ve been trialling *B BOLD Smart Mousse Tan for about 4 weeks and I have to say it never fails to give me major Mediterranean Island/Tropical vibes when I wear it. #vibes #thefeels

The colour pay-off with this tan is unreal. No really. From sunkissed glow to golden hue to a deeper bronzed tan, this tan is perfect to achieve any depth of tan you wish! It’s a one stop shop, making it perfect for travel – the high performance of the tan is a pleasant surprise and it is a welcome addition to the self-tanner market here in Ireland.

Look out for the FULL review on *B BOLD Smart Mousse Tan coming very soon!

All the usual suspects in fashion have variations on this summery palette and in an array of textures – such as Primark, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Marks and Spencer, Zara, H&M and Savida to name just a few.

There you have it, some summer style inspiration in the form of colours and textures in various hues of blue for a fashion colour palette that’ll take you through summer feeling like you’ve been to far away climbs even if you haven’t! My summer capsule wardrobe sorted.

Now all I need is an actual trip to Santorini…although it’ll probably be more like somewhere in the west of Ireland! I’m not complaining though, after all I’m channelling those Santorini vibes…

What is your favourite colour palette for summer? What inspires you when choosing pieces for your summer wardrobe? I’d love to know!

Thanks for stopping by guys!

Gail. Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor.
*Post contains PR sample – All views/opinions on the product are mine as always! .

FASHION NEWS: M&S skips Catwalk to Launch AW16 Clothing Collection!

High Street, High Stakes:

The Driving Force of a Forward Thinking approach to the Fashion World?

Fashion is entering a major transitional phase right now and following the lead from couture Fashion Houses including Tom Ford and Burberry, British high street chain Marks and Spencer have shaken off tradition in favour of current market trend: meeting the demands of consumer instant gratification. That said today saw the release of the M&S AW16 Collection – a full six months ahead of its usual release date.

What is behind this current trend to break with traditional seasonality of collections?

The reasoning behind such a move by a high street store is in tandem with the reasons and vision behind the aforementioned couture Fashion Houses who during February’s London Fashion Week, expressed their concerns and analytical decisions towards their business models. In short, it is a move to meet the instant gratification and satisfaction demanded by the consumer market.

I have previously covered this shift in how designers are shirking the conventional approach to catwalk shows and presentations in my Fashion Alert: Designers to Take Less Conventional Approach to Fashion Week Presentations? post recently – how the  digital and social media age, coupled with the rise in Influencer Marketing is dictating consumer demands and shifts, in how and when consumers want to purchase goods. Designers are now allocating budgets to Digital, as it is an area that is that is going to impact on business.

{The Big Easy Collection: an AW16 exclusive from British retail giant Marks and Spencer.}

Skipping Ahead: Shopping NEXT Season Now!

Defining seasonality in countries such as Ireland or the UK is often difficult, with weather patterns, particularly heat, differing drastically from other countries especially in the summer months – the beauty in the design of this twenty piece collection entitled the ‘Big Easy’ is that it incorporates, an array of hand-picked, exclusive pieces in neutral hues and soft prints, sleek silhouettes and minimal aesthetic that will fit right into your summer capsule wardrobe. These ideal pieces are perfect for those temperamental summer days and accompany key pieces and style staples for when it comes to the seasonal autumnal weather that the collection was designed to cater to.

*Look out for stand-out pieces such as: leather culottes, tunic style shirts and dresses, and fashionista fave the flat strappy, pointed toe shoe.

{White out: Another look from the Marks and Spencer AW16 exclusive from Marks and Spencer.}

You can shop the ‘Big Easy‘ collection now in- store or online – this instantaneous shoppable option from the fashion industry, looks set to become the next trending theme in Fashion commerce so best get used to it folks!

Thoughts?

What are your thoughts on this bold move by Marks and Spencer? As a retail/clothing consumer, are you excited to be able to shop a season ahead or do you prefer things the way they were – shoppable in season? I’d love to hear what you guys think!

Me?  From a consumer stand-point, I think if trans-seasonal collections like this one from M&S are released, where pieces can be easily incorporated into the current seasonal wardrobe, offering even more functionality then I say bring it on, because you know I’m getting the wear out of my key pieces!

From a business stand-point this shake up in the fashion world means major change for manufacturing and supply chains to traditional buyers and for retailers, actually facilitating purchases.

I hope you enjoyed this “Fashion News” style post and thanks for stopping by!

Gail. Xx
Images: © Marks and Spencer.

Source: Marks and Spencer and Daily Mail 
*Not sponsored.

EXCLUSIVE: An Evening with Dior – A French Fragrance Journey!

Date with Dior: the heritage, the fragrance journey!

When Dior come to Dublin and are hosting an event you know you’re in for a treat. That said, when you’re a fragrance fanatic and you hear it’s a Dior Fragrance Event, in one of your favourite places in Dublin, you hot-tail it to the event pronto!

The Event: Dior Fragrance Event.

The Location: Residence Members Club, St.Stephen’s Green, Dublin.

The Date: Tuesday, April 12th 2016.

NEW in Fashion: #HOFSS16 Discover New Season Style From The Brands at House of Fraser.

With the promise of a heatwave here in Ireland, salute the arrival of summer with the SS16 Collection from House of Fraser!

I am in the process of making a concise list of key, classic pieces that I want to add to my capsule wardrobe for summer and an invitation to the House of Fraser SS16 Press Preview more than delivered.

The Event: House of Fraser SS16 Press Preview.

The Date: March 2nd 2016

The Location: The Morrison hotel, Dublin.

The Collection Overview:

Capsule pieces, practicality for the workplace, weekend wear, travel essentials – all are catered for in this stunning collection. Leather, lace, suede, print, all feature highly with neutrals playing an integral part in this playful and practical collection from House of Fraser.

 

Swimwear: includes new addition Sea Folly!

New Additions at House of Fraser!

Home to many well known and well loved labels such as Biba and Linea, exciting new additions such as Kenneth Cole and Sea Folly have made House of Fraser their home just in time for summer!

My TOP Picks!

From basic wardrobe staple pieces to key summer essentials, these are my top picks from the Press Preview.

Biba:

Linea:

I hope you saw some summer staples for your wardrobe in this post from House of Fraser and if so, tell me what!</strong

Thanks for stopping by guys!

Gail. Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor.

FASHION ALERT: Designers To Take a Less Conventional Approach to Fashion Week Presentations?!

Is this the end of the line for the traditional runway show?
Are design houses now favouring a less conventional runway model over the traditional 6 month window between collections?

With big changes coming to fashion these questions linger on the lips of many of us fashion lovers looking at the bigger picture.

NEW in FASHION: The COS Collection of Style – SS16 Preview!

Longing for brighter, warmer, sunkissed Spring days? I’ve got just the remedy! Feast your eyes on the exquisite new season collection from COS.

The Event: the COS SS16 Press Preview.

The Date: 12th November 2015.

The Location: Kerlin Gallery, Anne’s Lane, Dublin.

Held in the beautiful and appropriately minimalistic surroundings of the Kerlin Gallery the collection became the art and breathed life into the stark canvas of the room.
The perfect vibe to accompany the Spring/Summer 16 showcase by COS, a brand known for its premium, minimalist chic approach to apparel at a high-street price point.

The Welcome:

A warm hug and the offer of a delicious Chai tea on arrival coming in from a damp and blustery day, was the beginning of a wonderful afternoon taking in all things COS at the COS Press Preview for their SS16 Collection. Delightful.

The Overview:

Celebrating Essentials and Reinterpreting Calm at COS This Season.

The Collection:

Women’s wear is treated to a theme of reduction and reinvention in a palette of blush, cream and sandstone hues. A pared back naturalistic approach to the collection sees the company highlighting an evident organic, effortless and functional appeal – sure to make this collection a stand-out for the pretty, practical and chic lovers amongst us!

Elegance simply abounds in this collection…

Organic Oragami Approach.

A stand-out piece for me was the pearl linen silk shirt, falling in folds that elegantly drape around the neckline.

Back to Basics: Nude Rules.

Sandstone hues take inspiration from the organic shapes of sand dunes seen in Renate Aller’s photographs and results in garments organiclly structured and delivered with a calming influence.

With a firm focus on a reduction in details, and the use of luxurious fabrics such as silk, the collection is simply stunning.
Neutrals in summer are always in style.

Raw Denim:

The collection sees denim celebrated for it’s functionality, desirability and simplicity. Denim is set to be a HUGE trend this SS16 and is layered throughout the collection right down to the accessories!

The Accessories:

Knotted leather sandals in grey or white.

Angular, metallic jewellery featuring details such as compressed, recycled denim adds another contemporary twist to the collection.

{I love this angular take on the jewellery, this piece in particular!}

Menswear:

Tailoring, fresh silhouettes, car coats and boat necks feature strongly in the Menswear Collection for summer.

The overall vibe to this press event was sheer elegance complimented by a chic and minimal approach to the presentation, perfectly complimenting the brand. I am looking forward to picking up a a couple of pieces from this collection and incorporating them seamlessly into my wardrobe capsule collection.

This was one of my favourite press events that I have attended. I cannot get over the overall attention to detail. From the presentation of the collection calmly and eloquently communicated by the PR representatives for the company, the aesthetics of the show place adding an almost ethereal feel to the event, to the welcome spread of a selection of teas and nibbles laid out, complimented with a seating area.

A calm, cool and chic presentation – to be honest I expect nothing less from COS.

The collection is rolling out in-store from February – so not long now to wait!

What are some of your favourites that stand out from the collection? Tweet me @DublinGail/Tag me on Instagram @littlegforce or leave your faves in the comments section below!

Thank you to Baluba for the invitation and the Kerlin Gallery.

Thanks for stopping by everyone!

Gail.Xx
Photography: © Gail O’Connor.