STYLE:I'm going to a wedding in August and would like a dress for less than €100. I want something different. I'm a size 10-12 but I don't have a very defined waist and it can't be too clingy. I have DD boobs, and I don't like to show too much cleavage. Do you have any suggestions? Laura, by email
The only potential pitfall I can see with your plan is that, at a sub-€100 budget, it is quite likely that other guests will have seen your dress at some stage, as your budget limits you to high-street stores. That said, there is definitely a lot of choice out there.
This bird-print dress (pictured) from Debenhams is a steal at €53 and riffs off the demure 1940s trend with its below-the-knee pencil skirt. With a red lip and some vintage jewellery it could easily be dressed up.
Another option is this Aideen Bodkin dress from Anastasia boutique in Ranelagh ( anastasia.ie). At €140, it's over your budget, but is reduced from €350. The colours are unusual and will stand out, while the cowl neckline is high enough to avoid revealing cleavage and the capped sleeves are a sweet touch.
Asos’s colour block mini dress looks far more expensive than it is and would be gorgeous paired with some statement gold jewellery and a block heel.
Shades indoors out
SUNGLASSES INDOORS – are they ever acceptable? There are a handful of scenes in Sex and the City in which Carrie et al are seen sporting sunglasses indoors, and each is accompanied by a hangover or, in Charlotte's case, heartbreak. There is a lesson in this – a lesson that many of us choose, daily, to ignore.
It's our fault. We brought the scourge of indoor sunglasses to the world, and of course you all know to whom I am referring: Bono. In one fell swoop, the rock singer and humanitarian succeeded in eradicating the function associated with sunglasses and instead turned them into a fashion accessory and symbol of rock'n'roll nous.
Look at Anna Wintour, who removes her sunglasses only as the lights dim and the music is turned on. Or Kanye West, at a Jay Z gig; Victoria Beckham, strolling into the Savoy in London; Elle Macpherson, scouting for models in Brown Thomas – surely this is a task that requires clear faculties?
But why can't we wear our shades indoors? Sometimes it's better to keep your eyes hidden; it's mysterious, cool and very, very fashion, darling. But you would be wrong. Nobody is wondering what's going on behind Anna Wintour's shades; she is attempting to avoid eye contact. In West's case, he is trying to avoid getting into a fight with Taylor Swift; Elle Macpherson is trying, desperately, to conceal the signs of ageing . Bono allegedly wears his to protect his eyes from sunlight. He has a rare eye disease. So if you imitate him, there's no way you can pretend it's because it's cool.
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