GAZETTE
18 GAZETTE 1 December 2016
DUBLINLIFE EMMA NOLAN
Keep cosy during the winter months FEELING the chill? This season, Regatta Great Outdoors have new and improved technical pieces with soft-touch insulation to keep us warm during the winter months. Head to toe warmth is taken care of with new base layer sets and three levels of insulation - premium duck down, Alpaca and Down Touch Warmloft. Sporty hybrid stretch jackets, classic country quilted styles and stylish parkas are all available in store. Available online and at the Pavilions Centre in Swords.
Regatta Great Outdoors Barley Arktik Hat €25
Regatta Great Outdoors Lumexia Parka €175
Regatta Great Outdoors Bayleaf Sternway Jacket €170
Tobias Body Wamer - Womens Regatta Great Outdoors €30
Regatta Great Outdoors Coconut Patrina Jacket €125
Regatta Great Outdoors Navy Sleet €20
A STYLE revolution is sweeping the country and it’s all about vital statics!! Vintage fashions may be old, but they’re the new style kid on the block. And while we all can’t emulate Marilyn Monroe with her incredible figure – a 35 inch bust, tiny 22 inch waist and minuscule 35 inch hips, we can all rock retro in our own way. Indeed the average Irish woman, a bootiful size 16, is 25lbs heavier than her 1950s sister and wouldn’t have a hope of fitting into one of Ms Monroe’s gorgeous frocks. Marilyn may not have been the average dame – her waist measured four inches less than most of her 1960s screen sisters – but we can all steal a tip or two from her on how to rock a frock. First is go fitted. No matter your size, aim to nip and tuck your clothing, not your figure! Having a decent dressmaker is a lot less costly than a good plastic surgeon. Most women with a fuller figure think hiding it under loose fitting clothing is the best option.. But Joanne Galvin, who coowns ‘Aria’ Vintage and Interiors Boutique in Celbridge and also runs ‘Vintage Goddess’ in Dublin’s Blackrock Market, says: “This is a definite no, no. “Take a tip from Marilyn. Pick your best asset and show it off, whether it’s your bust, waist, legs, shoulders – even your ankles! “Marilyn had a great bust and all the designers she favoured made dresses to showcase that. “And while she was lucky to have a tiny waist, there are lots of ways to trick the eye of the beholder into thinking you have one too! A high-waisted skirt or trousers will define the waist, as will a colour-contrasting belt or a beautiful 1950s fit-and-flare dress.” Joanne, 49, who has been collecting vintage fashions for 30 years, says: “If you want beautifully cut clothing then go vintage. “It is perfect for us women with a bit of a belly. The skirts and dresses of the 1950s and
Quality never goes
out of style 60s tend to have a higher waist band, which hits the smallest part of the torso, giving you an hour glass shape. It is the most flattering silhouette and copied by most modern designers. “But fit is everything. Buy a bigger size if necessary and get a good dressmaker to take it in. If you wear too small a size it will ride up your torso and pucker across the bust and upper arms. “Squeezing yourself into a smaller dress will only make you look larger.” “And don’t be afraid of colour and prints. Floral prints for example can look very flattering on a fuller figure. And vertical stripes are
every woman’s friend. They make the body look leaner and taller.” Joanne, below, adds: “I just adore vintage clothing. It is so unique on so many levels. “For a start if you wear vintage to a wedding, a ball or the races, you will never meet anyone else wearing the same outfit. “The high quality of the fabric – silks, velvets, satins and brocades and the attention to detail – pinked seams, hand sewn hems and beautiful tucking – is why these clothes still live on in our wardrobes 70 years later. “I particularly love collecting clothing by Marilyn’s favourite designers, who include Ceil Chap-
man, William Travilla and Adele Simpson. I have some beautiful dresses by these designers both in Aria in Celbridge and Vintage Goddess in Blackrock. “Lots of Irish women are learning that vintage fashion is unique and elegant. My customers include writers like Cathy Kelly, TV stars like Lorraine Keane, as well as actresses and musicians. “Both I love dressing ordinary women like me. You feel like a silver screen movie star when you put on a beautifully cut wiggle dress or evening gown. “And because authentic vintage clothing tends to be on the small side, I also stock an amazing range of mid-century jewellery, handbags, shoes and hats. Everyone can find something to love.”