Evening Echo - December 2014

Cape: SWAMP | Bag: Oasis | Gloves: Shaws | Grey Dress: Charity shop find

Blush Pink Peplum Top: Penneys | Necklace: River Island | Shoes: Korkys

Hat: OM Diva | Necklace: H&M | Green Top: SWAMP | Umbrella: Penneys

 

Earrings: Top Shop | Denim Shirt: ONLY | Shoes: Dunnes Stores

Photographer: Alex Snaps

Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

Cork Fashion Week 2014

What an amazing beginning to the month! To be featured on the front page of the Evening Echo with Claire Garvey is just insane. I was not expecting it at all and it was an incredible surprise. The editor asked me to write a piece for Cork Fashion Week and I was so excited that she chose me to do it. The piece includes some of my personal experiences with fashion and how Cork Fashion Week has helped me overcome them. 

 

I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought of the piece :)

Love, B

OASIS AW14 - Press Day

It was amazing to have been invited to the Oasis press day for the first time. I am a big fan of the store and as you guys may know, I have entered a few styling/blogging competitions by Oasis over the past few years. It was a different and exciting experience going to the event to have a look at the upcoming collection. From the moment I walked in I was drawn to the props which led us to the press room. They were all very colourful which I really didn't expect as the majority of A/W pieces can be quite dark, but I loved it. It was refreshing and I instantly felt uplifted.

 

As you can see the clothing worked really well with the props too. I feel like they stood out really well against everything. I was particularly drawn to the colourful prints that Oasis consistently do so well.

The colour combination of this outfit really caught my eye. I love the blurred effect as I am used to seeing solid prints. I also think that it gives the outfit an edgy finish. It can be worn as one outfit or mixed with different pieces. Separate's and midi length skirts are big trends for A/W and this outfit has both.

Tartan print and statement jewellery will also be major features to the A/W collection. These will be available in-store over the coming months. Make sure you check it out, it is a very strong collection.

Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

Killarney Trip - Day 2

So, for our second day in Killarney Bob and myself decided to stay at the beautiful Europe Hotel. We have wanted to stay there for so long but one of us always had something happening and we didn't get a chance until now. If you have not heard about this hotel until now then you've got to check it out! It's a 5 Star gem that is located 15 minutes drive outside of Killarney Town.

We stayed for one night in a stunning room with a balcony overlooking the garden. There was even a deer just strolling about! It was amazing! Another thing that totally blew my mind about the room was the phone chargers...very random I know, but it was a little station with 3 different chargers. I have stayed in quite a few hotels over the years and I have never come across that.

After checking out the surroundings, I headed for the Spa. I have heard amazing things about it from my friends and I was very excited to get some treatments done. I decided to go for the Stress Reliever, which was basically a full body massage for 1 hour. This was followed by a tour of the spa facilities like the sauna, female only heated outdoor pool and relaxation room. At the relaxation room you are given light snacks and a mini brochure of the products on offer. You just lie back in your booth and enjoy the gorgeous view of the mountains and lake. The hotel also offers Day Spa's which includes a variety of treatments and lunch. This is also available to the public, so you don't have to be a guest to avail of it. As I was already staying the night there I only decided to get one treatment done so I could enjoy the other facilities around the hotel.

After all the relaxation, Bob and I headed to the Panorama Restaurant for the most beautiful dinner. It had the most stunning views all around!!!

I had an absolutely amazing time there and the only thing I would change would be to stay a few more days. I can't wait to go back!

Sorry for the poor quality of some photos

What I Wore:

| Shirt, ONLY |

| Necklace and Earrings, Topshop | 

| Bracelet, Given to me as a gift |

| Skirt, River Island |

| Shoes, New Look | 

Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

 

Killarney Trip - Day 1

Ireland is such a beautiful country!

My boyfriend Bob and I decided to go on a last minute trip to Killarney for two days. We always try to go every summer as it is so gorgeous! It's always a relaxing kind of getaway for us and day 1 was just that. As we arrived quite late in the afternoon we just had enough time to grab a coffee and do some shopping at the Killarney Outlet. The Nike Factory is definitely my favourite shop there. I bought some really funky trainers but they were in the kids section! I shouldn't really be admitting to this but I thought I would share it with you for the craic ;). I am a size 5 and the kids sizes go up to 5.5, the trainers were down from €40.50 to €28...can you blame me? I couldn't pass up the bargain :). I also came across a boutique called DV8 which stocks some smart/casual pieces and I bought myself a denim shirt, which I have been wanting to purchase for ages.

Later on in the evening we went for dinner and then met up with our friends from Killarney for drinks. Scroll down for outfit details and some pictures.

What I Wore: 

| Kimono, Shoes & Top from New Look |

 

 | Skirt, H&M |

| Waist-belt, River Island |

| Earrings, Topshop |

| Rings, Dorothy Perkins |

| Bag & Hairband, Penneys |

Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

Irish Summer

We have been lucky enough to get some beautiful weather the past weeks and I couldn't resist digging into my wardrobe for the most colourful outfit I could find!

A lot of people have been asking where I bought the skirt and I thought I would put together a small post about it. It was a huge bargain from Penneys and I think I got it for around €3 from a sale rack a few years ago. It was the only size left and luckily enough it was my size :). It is quite see-through but there is a little petticoat underneath. The slits on either side are definitely my favourite part of the skirt as they make it flow if there's a light breeze. People were also interested about the earrings as they are so big!!! I bought them from River Island a few years. I am obsessed with big earrings!!!

 

Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

Mallow College of Design & Tailoring Fashion Show 2014

I am delighted to have been invited to see the 25th Anniversary Fashion Show by the Mallow College of Design. It was held at the beautiful Silver Springs Hotel in Co. Cork.

As we are well into the summer months, I chose to wear something very bright for a change as I wear a lot of black. This dress was €15 from Oxfam the charity shop. I am so obsessed with the sleeves! I paired it with a statement neck piece from Penneys, shoes and bag from New Look. The dress got a lot compliments. People at the fashion show thought I was one of the students, they thought I had made the dress myself as it was so unique.

I was allowed to invite one guest along with me and I went with my best friend Rachael. We had a great time pointing out all the quirky designers. It was great to also be supporting Gina Wallace, a friend of mine who was showcasing her designs. There was an amazing range of pieces that were showcased. There was definitely something for everyone. I loved how the MC spoke about the amount of detail that went into pattern cutting. It was great to focus on that for a change as a lot of people tend to focus on the overall styling of an outfit and forget all about the fine detail.

The show was split into segments which included part-time students and graduates. Their pieces were showcased by models from the Celia Holman Lee Agency. A lot of the designers had 2-3 pieces each, therefore the models came out in pairs and it was very well choreographed. You had a chance to see each piece on it's own as well as part of a collection.

These are shots that I took backstage showcasing some of the student's work.

I am looking forward to see what the graduates will go on to produce in their new careers.

Winner - Best Styled Mannequin

Honestly, there are no words to describe my excitement when I found out that I had won best styled mannequin! This all took place at Oasis Fashion Store in Cork City. They were holding a Blue Carpet Event which was hosted by Top Irish Blogger Suzanne Jackson aka SoSueMe. During this event, they held various competitions which were also judged by Suzanne and I just felt that styling a mannequin was a bit more challenging than styling myself.

I really wanted to create an outfit which showcased Spring/Summer, that could take you from a day at the beach to a fun night at a beach side cocktail bar or barbecue. The blouse is very lightweight and the floral patterns on the shorts just bring that summery warm vibe which brightens up the look. The colour of the bag, which isn't shown in the picture, picks up the gorgeous peach tones from the shorts. The hat and sunglasses just scream Beach Ready!!! They are both also very good at protecting your skin from too much exposure to the sun. I paired this look with sparkly tie back flats which also can't be seen in the photo. I really love the final outfit and I was thinking about how I'd style someone else rather than myself.

I have also added photos of some items that I bought with the €150 Oasis voucher that I was given for winning. Talk about being spoilt! :)

I am so glad that I entered!

What I Wore: Blazer, Zara | Jeans, Kuyichi | Shirt, Crisis | Necklace, Penneys | Trainers, H&M 

Happy Shopping :)

Love, B