"Fashions fade, style is eternal." — Yves Saint-Laurent

Like fashions fading so has my attention to stylebops.

Shouting "I have no clothes!" at my overflowing wardrobe is my new hobby

No more excuses - everyone has a fat day and having a fat day makes us feel like no matter what is in our over flowing wardraobes nothing is going to make us feel good. The realisation that I could no longer squeeze my curves into any of my favourite jeans - that and the fact that I am only 3 months away from walking down the aisle has given me the kick up the proverbial I really needed.



Like a model running from scales after a few glasses of vino I have been avoiding stylebops and not for totally dissimilar reasons! Everyone has been there - a few months with no exercise and bad food and impossibly nothing I put together feels anywhere near stylish enough to leave the house in never mind write about. But as Alicia Keys says "The most important thing to remember is that you can wear all the greatest clothes and all the greatest shoes, but you’ve got to have a good spirit on the inside. That’s what’s really going to make you look like you’re ready to rock the world." 

I am not a clothes hanger and I never will be. I've got a booty and I like it but time to get the rest of it in check and nobody looks good with a muffin top (even if the top of the muffin is the best part)! So after a few serious treadmill sessions and some painful yogalates classes the condifence is back! Conversations with the girls and pawing over endless magazines has reminded me about why I really started the blog in the first place - my inability to look in the mirror in my two tight jeans lately has caused serious memory loss. I wanted to write stylebops to understand my style, to find it and hopefully make it better - to make the most of whar I have and work it! Rachel Zoe famously said 

"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak" 

That is what I want to find silent style.


I think I am like a style chamelon - ever  adapting but deep down conventional - with a shot of bright lipstick! Nothing makes me feel readier for the world than a slick of Mac's "Girl About Town" - it's my onw constant and my absolute cannot live without make-up essential. No matter how dressed down you are some lippy has you ready for a night on the town!


Those style icons though the silent ones... the ones the rest of us aspiring fashionistas can only but dream to emulate - they are the brave, the fearless, those not afraid to challenge boundaries - to do the impossible and be truely individual. I dedicate this blog to my top ten style icons those who inspire me to try and be braver and who have changed the world with their own perspectives in their own little ways.


1. The one the only Mr. Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld - Chanel Creative Director

He is the creative director of Chanel and the coolest man to ever dawn black and use a cane (Scott Disick no matter how hard you try you will never make the cane look as good). He is instantly identifiable as consistent in his classic timeless designs for Chanel as he is with his slicked back white ponytail. If there is anyone as iconic in today's world of fashion I would like someone to point them out. 




2. The Bootylicious Beyoncé

Beyoncé in Paris Jun '12 rocking brights like only she can

My personal favorite - I am in love with this lady - her music, her alter ego, her energy, her power, everything a young girl should be inspired by. Her fashion choices - not always hailed by everyone - are bold, eclectic and strong just like her music. I particularly love this outfit she was spotted out about in on a recent trip to fashion capitol of the world!




3. Magnificent Classical Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe is up there with Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly as the most naturally beautiful woman that ever lived. She was sexy and sassy and she paved the way for women showcasing their sexiness in their style - her followers like Rhianna but Marilyn set the standard for sexy cool as far I am concerned.

4. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga and her green locks in Australia

Shes' toned it down of late but love her or hate her (and I swing madly from right to left) she certainly lets her style do the talking and she is probably the bravest celebrity around when it comes to fashion choices so she definitely deserves some respect for that.

5. Everyone's favourite Pirate... Johnny Depp

The quiet the brooding Johnny Depp

He might not be Vanessa Paradis' favourite pirate right now but he's still mine. I'm not usually a fan of boho chic on men but he can definitely pull it off and unlike most of his celebrity male counterparts he rarely puts a stylish foot wrong - his individual and immediately identifable figure leaves everyone else in his wake.

6.The one and only CoCo Chanel

The perfection of Coco Chanel

I think YSL might have stolen their quote from Madame Chanel who once said

"fashion fades only style says the same"

So great is her legacy that the room in which she lived in the Ritz in Paris has been preserved and continually referenced as is every image of her and everything she ever designed. Her strive for perfection continues to course through every vain of Chanel and everything they do.

7. Fashion it girl Alexa Chung

Designer's favourite Alexa Chung front row 

Alexa Chung is a fashion it girl - she has become a muse for countless designers and is guaranteed front row position at any fashion show she chooses to attend and has graced countless magazine covers. While Alexa's style isn't something I would attempt myself she knows what works for her - the laid back boyish look makes the best of everything she's got (and she has a lot!) and her festival style is second to none. 


8. Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour

Original and over the top as always on the red carpet

Anna Wintour editor-in-chief of American Vogue and has been so since 1988. She is synonymous with the fashion industry and legend has it that she can make or break trends and designers. Some say that Meryl Streep's Miranda Kerr from Devil Wears Prada was based on her. She is an institution and shows huge support for upcoming designers and she will always deserve a place on my list.


9. Accessory Queen Olivia Palermo

Olivia Palermo keeping cosy

Beautiful stylish and elegantly stylish. Olivia Palermo is my modern day Audrey Hepburn. She wasn't my favourite character in the City but she definitely knows how to work it and I love her blog and pinterest boards. No matter how many accessories she used I never feel that she is trying to hard - it's always so well put together I would love to have a coffee and pick her brain!


10. Boho Chic Florence and the Machine

Florence Welch at the VMAs

Florence Welch is original and vintage and a little bit scruffy around the edges - but she manages to make it look elegant and easy something I am totally incapable of. I went to see her in concert and she wore a beautiful black and gold jumpsuit she was graceful and awe inspiring everything a modern lady should be.


I'm off to the Ebay Online Fashion Show in Dublin tomorrow night so I'll be sure to keep you up to date on that but in the meantime follow my musings on my girl about town page.


Bops xx

Tom Ford A/W 12-13 Collection

I absolutely love Tom Ford - he is bold and daring and his A/W full collection, which has already been worn by Gwynenth Paltrow and Jennifer Lawerence, has finally been released! And it has not disappointed full of dominatrix style leathers tailored clean and classic lines. I am head over heals in love with the evening gowns and the statement jewellery. The full length black velvet one-shoulder dress with crystal detail is absolutely my favourite. Another thing to add to my piggy bank list then...

Running in Heels..or Not

I've had the blog blues this week or at least a list of excuses the length of my arm for not getting my post done on time. I'm mostly blaming getting ready for the St. Patrick's weekend and the fact that we were pitching for a new client this week - that's my story and I'm sticking to it.


Essential things I learned since the last blog; running and cooking in heels is impossible - I don't know how VB does it but she is my hero, I have reverted back to my 4 year old self in the style stakes, wedding budgeting is not much fun when you are on a mission to rediscover your style. I might need to rename my blog thrifty is the new nifty. Finally getting to bed at 4am on a school night no matter how much fun makes me neither productive, well turned out or in the least bit stylish.


In the last blog I set out two challenges for myself firstly to wear high heels every day for the next week and secondly to find something fabulous and green to wear for St. Patrick's day. I would love to say I not only completed my challenges but I enjoyed every second of them but if I did the famous Catholic guilt would eat me alive - I failed and I failed miserably.


1. Wear High Heels everyday for one week

High Heel Gate

I wanted to do this after I had to send myself home early after Florence and the Machine because my feet were aching so badly and I blamed a lack of practice. On the first day I definitely tried I wore four inch shoe boots to a client meeting - my most comfortable pear of heels. Despite feeling like a giant, in an office with girls who are pretty much always in flats, I succeeded. Day 2 had an obstacle that was a media agency cook off with 98FM and Spin. 4 hours of chopping, stirring and eating made my decision to get back into my flats for the proceedings very easy - not that it helped my crab cake dipping sauce which tasted so bad the chef asked whether I had actually followed the instructions....Ooops! Day 3 was a client meeting with my new client a fashion retailer and there was no doubt I required more heels - this time I opted for Nude stilletos... by the time I got home my feet were so sore I had to bathe them in hot water and I didn't even wear them on the three mile hike home! I'm ashamed to say I gave up after this, with the exception of St. Patrick's day when I wore black peep toes and Mother's day when I opted for some Pink wedges, my high heels have remained in the wardrobe. I've decided to try and keep practicing running in heels but I might need to go in search for more comfy shoes than those currently hiding in my wardrobe!




2. Find something stylish and green for St. Patrick's Day

Kate Middleton St. Patrick's day style.

I said I wouldn't lie and I won't. The weekend before last I headed back to my parents to visit my Fiancé and the rest of the family. When I was there the future Mr. Bops decided that with only six months left to the wedding it might be a good idea to do some budgeting to make sure everything is paid for. This was the most depressing Saturday afternoon exercise I have taken part in and so kicked in the wedding budget blues. Our budgeting basically means I am not allowed to spend any money from now until 22nd September - another reason to look forward to the big day post wedding shopping! As any good fashionista know budgeting and saving is not our strength so I predict I might struggle with this over the next 6 months - sorry future mr. bops. And so begins my mission to make thrifty my new nifty. Despite often screaming that I have no clothes at an overflowing wardrobe I did manage to find something stylish and green for St. Patrick's day. I opted for a jade green satin sweet heart neckline dress, with some a black skinny waist belt, pearls and black velvet peep toes for my St. Patrick's night party. Not quite as good as the St. Patrick's day outfits rocked by Kate Middleton as she wore a stunning Emilia Wickstead dress and looked ever the glamorous princess she is.

Peter pilotto
netaporter.co.uk

I'm getting younger - 4 years old precisely

Pastel Peter Pan Collar Love
Zara.com

I have been a girly girl for as long as I can possibly remember - I love bright colours, form fitting clothes, accessories and basically anything which accentuates my femininity. There is nothing better than a dress to symbolise this. In the last two weeks when I have been researching all the spring summer collections I have been inevitably drawn to all the dresses - whether it is sport luxe, florals, pastel brights, aztec patterns or just a classic piece, from high street to high end my love of dresses knows no bounds. When I was four I decided that because I was a girl I should wear only dresses. I point blank refused requests from my mother to wear jeans and even then I was stubborn over my wardrobe when on a holiday to Spain my mum had sneakily purchased a pair of Dungarees I screamed the place down demanding that I be allowed to wear a denim mini skirt, pink polo t-shirt and pumps - despite the fact that it was March and we were going to a night carnival my mum let me have my way. I still remember the freezing cold but I was so stubborn I wouldn't admit that my legs felt like they were going to fall off. Now I think I love dresses for all sorts of reason not least because they are so easy to wear all I have to worry about are shoes and accesories rather than finding matching items. These are some of my favourite dress finds over the last two weeks - Enjoy!




Next Blog Challenges
Having failed miserably at this week's tasks I must try harder or set myself more accessible goals:

Top Shop Flower Love
New instore topshop.co.uk

1. I haven't started adding to my Dublin Street Style board so I am going to aim to do this over the next week - keep an eye on my pinterest boards for updates.


2. If thrifty is my new nifty then a challenge for next week should be to reinvent something already in my overflowing wardrobe


Until next time you can keep updated on how I am getting on between blogs by following me on twitter or pinterest.


Love,
Bops xx

Mellow Yellow Perfection
missselfridge.co.uk

Football, Flowers, Florence and Karl

I was nervous about entry number 2 like a band releasing their second album after a big success - only not so dramatic. I thought my enthusiasm might dwindle and I would have nothing else to declare but instead I found my own personal little heaven and a great excuse to do a lot of window shopping and even more online browsing!

A few essential things I learned this week about my style - firstly I live in Ireland and it is basically still winter, so until it gets a lot warmer a good coat is always a requirement. Secondly I am rubbish at wearing high heels so either I need to practice or I should just give up and lastly light coloured clothing should not be warn somewhere that you are likely to get drink spilled on  you within five minutes of arrival.

Ireland v Czech Republic - Aviva Stadium Dublin

Like every week in advertising there's always something happening but unusually there were three events on in one Wednesday evening - Ireland international football friendly, preview to Wanderlust and tickets to Ollie Murs. What did I decide to do? Go to the football match of course - I'm not going to lie I don't have a clue about football and anything I do know I've picked up listening to the future hubby watching Manchester Utd so I had even less of a clue about what to wear. I went for a laid back look jeans, ankle books and a nude floaty top with a charcoal blazer... the blazer is where I went wrong - it may have been sunny at 2 o'clock but once it got dark sitting outdoor in late February with a light blazer was, I learned, a huge mistake. Luckily my friend Mr. Suit was on hand to lend me his warm coat - who said chivalry was dead? I call him Mr. Suit for the obvious reason that he is always in a really slick suit - arriving at the pub to meet everyon I was about to call him to see where he was (I'd forgotten my glasses and I am blind without them) but then I saw someone in a suit, the only person in a suit - lets just say Mr Suit is the Scott Disick of Dublin. Tailored Suits are his speciality but he's not one for flashing labels as he would say "that's not classy" - keep an eye on my Pintrest street style board I have promised him I will feature him there soon.

Saturday Night - My Style

I am a hoarder usually it's to my disadvantage and even though my wardrobe is bursting at the seams I am often found declaring the line from the Smiths famous Charming Man "I would go out tonight but I haven't got a stitch to wear" (can't write/ read that without singing the line). Getting married and paying for a wedding has made me reassess everything and it is making me extra savvy on my style journey. I love the new spring summer style - the pastels, prints and bright colours are mood changing. I've decided to try and carefully invest on some key pieces from the trend and first up was my pastel coloured jeans from Riverisland. I teamed them up with a white vest, mint green blazer and pastel pink shoes all in the back of my wardrobe from 2 S/S seasons ago. I was happy with the outfit teaming it with gold and pear jewellery until I got outside and realised it was raining - step 1 check outside the window and make sure to be appropriately dressed before leaving the apartment. I met my best friend Louisey Rascal in a club called the Village in Dublin she had already been inside and quickly warned "Might not be the best place for whites and pastels" - she was right within five minutes someone had spilled coke down my back... Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The Golden Ticket

Challenge: Attend a gig for inspiration

Now for the first of my challenges from last week's blog - to go to a gig and get inspired. Go to a gig I did and what better one to go to and be inspired than Florence and the Machine. First what to wear! I'm getting married this year so buying a new outfit for every occasion just isn't an option I had to find something to inspire me to use clothes that are already in my wardrobe. Thankfully I came across Kanye West and Jay-Z's new album - the cover inspired me to wear something gold. I opted for a Gold Sequined top, black skinnies and gold and purple heels (the ones that broke my feet and sent me home early). And the concert well it was everything you would expect - electric atmosphere, haunting music and unbelievable style. Florence wore a black and gold jump suit which she declared "so tight I can't bend over to pick up the cards", she was graceful and elegant and strong. The gig was utterly awe inspiring. The concert goers - lots of style and lots of Florence replicas, which got me thinking if you are replicating someone else's style are you stealing their identity or is copying the highest form of flattery? I'm still not sure because everything can be related back to something someone has worn before or drawn which for me means that style is less about what you wear and more about how you wear it that is the extension of who we are...

Karl Lagerfied @ netaporter

Challenge: Find the perfect white shirt wardrobe staple

My hunt for the perfect white shirt wardrobe staple was interesting. I must have tried on every white shirt in Dublin from Zara to Warehouse and Tommy Hilfiger to Tom Baker. It turns out finding the perfect white shirt isn't so easy. I started to panic what if I couldn't find the shirt by the next blog...should I satisfy the purchase buzz or wait until I found the perfect one?? My search led me to the new Karl Lagerfield collection at BT2 unfortunately though the intimidating sales assistant looks of "Your size ten figure wasn't made to fit these clothes" made me shy away from attempting to browse. I did what every girl with a laptop does these days and I visited netaporter from the comfort of my living room and browsed the collection at my leisure. It's everything you would expect all blacks, whites and silvers - a younger edgier Chanel and I love it. Enough to admit that its better to wait until I can afford my perfect white shirt than spend for the sake of it...I bought bridesmaid shoes instead to fulfil my need to spend.

The Chanel Bag and Louboutins saving? Well after the first week down its a little slow - lets just say the future mr bops reminded me that as beautiful as Louboutins are they can't create wedding invitations and our guests might need to know where and at what time the wedding was.

Next week's challenges

1. Wear high heels everyday - if VB can carry a baby while wearing 6 inch heels I can at least try to wobble around for a few hours a day in the office

2. Find something green and stylish - St. Patrick's Day is coming up and I am Irish... it must be done even if it is a little cliché

Check my pinterest boards for updates on whats been inspiring me, what I'm wearing and Dublin street style.

Bops xx

Spring Resolution - Be Brave!!

I've fallen out of love with Fashion. I've been brave and said it out loud or at least written it out loud! What has happened me?? I used to be in love with fashion and would have spent hours pouring over magazines, blogs and shopping when I was university but all of a sudden I'm 25 (practically 26) and I'm about to get married and I can't remember who I am anymore or at least my style...

What has stopped me being brave? For one thing a move to a new city Dublin 100 miles from my fiance and my closest friends has knocked my confidence in the style stakes a lot, a new job with more responsibility and more demands which I am totally in love with which means I give less time to anything else and of course I'm getting married in 6 months - eats up my spare time and my funds!!

I love my job in advertising and I would eat sleep and breathe it if I could and getting married is great and exciting and all the planning is fun but there's nothing like a few days out of the office, endless hours stuck in Heathrow airport and countless fashion magazines to give you some inspiration!

I've forgotten to dress like me... throwing on anything in the wardrobe and buying for the adrenalin hit of spending rather than finding truly inspirational pieces. So I'm on a journey to rediscover my fashion over the next 52 weeks.

I'm calling it my spring resolution - I've always been rubbish at the New Year's ones and I love the idea of spring and the shop windows with spring and summer collections have made me smile so it seems fitting.

I have two big things I want to achieve by the end of my 52 weeks. I'm calling them the ultimate challenges - to own a Chanel 2.25 and a pair of Louboutins. I am in love with all things Chanel and if there was anything I've ever wanted since I was old enough to read its been a Chanel 2.25 - and isn't it every girl's right of passage to own a pair of Louboutin's before she turns 30??

To help me on my way to find myself I am setting myself little challenges to make my wardrobe fit for purpose and to inspire me with things to fill it with!

So my first challenges are:
1. Find a wardrobe staple - I've never owned a good White shirt so in the next week I'm going to hunt for one
2. Go to a gig for some musical inspiration - my friends at spin 1038 have donated me tickets to Florence and the machine this Friday and no one is more individual than Florence Welch I'm sure to find some inspiration at the concert!

I'll post photos of anything interesting I find here, on twitter @taineybop and on my pintrest board stylebops during the week but in the meantime wish me luck !

Bops xx