(NON)DISPOSABLE

Ivania from Love Aesthetics makes such inspired and finely finished minimalist DIY accessories. She based these foiled leather clutches on a paper bag - they are genius!

COSTUME

Ever since seeing Bane's Coat in The Dark Knight Rises I've been trawling E-Bay for a sheepskin coat. So I loved reading costume designer Lindy Hemmings description of how it came to be...

“Because of my research for this character; he is a man who has travelled the world as a kind of mercenary. I was looking at two main areas, firstly his military surplus scavenging, which has gone into making up his entire wardrobe and breathing equipment; I fell in love with a very old, matted Swedish army sheepskin arctic wear coat with huge collar and lead weights as buttons, a great characterful garment. Secondly his idealistic, romantic, revolutionary aspirations, which was how Chris Nolan had explained an aspect of him; this lead me to think about the French Revolutionary style / military greatcoat look with ample collars. We also has a feeling that this garment could be a ‘sign/signal’ of the change for the mania in his behaviour of and his worsening destructive megalomania as he enters the football field. Obviously this combination of ideas in a garment did not exist so I decided to set about designing it and having it made in L.A. It was a very difficult project, and there were the issues of multiples, the non- matching aspects of sheepskins, and, for poor Tom Hardy as Bane, an extra hot, heavy horror, as he was already facing torture by face and mouth with the covering mask.” 

THE BIG PINK

These Terry Richardson shots of Charlotte Free finally got the better of me, 
I took the plunge and dyed the ends of my hair pink. Mine is not quite as candyfloss-perfect as Charlottes, but hopefully it will fade in nicely. 

DON'T STARE

I have to admit to experiencing a near Jane-Austen-Style swoon upon coming across this jacket. Leopard print AND studded hardware? It's nearly too much! Probably renders the wearer a hug-free zone for the day.

WHAT IS ANDROGYNY ANYWAY?

Taking levels of Androgyny to a new cool high, Krystal Simpsons blog What Is Reality Anyway is a lesson in simplicity. For the love of Patti Smith, the girl wears Topman suits!

CAMO CHAMELEON

In a panicked search for the perfect canvas camouflage army jacket before the masses are toting them in their droves. I'll be wearing mine with the sleeves rolled up and layers of gold jewellery.

HEAVY METAL

Giant? Gold? Shiny? Heavy as an Anvil? Get on my neck right now!
From Oracle Fox.

FINGER FIESTA

Recent Ring purchases: going to have to start growing extra fingers...

1: Ottoman Hands 2: ASOS 3: ASOS

THE KING HAS RETURNED

The maestro of streetstyle shots, Tommy Ton, has returned to Jak & Jil after residing at Style.com for what seems like an eternity - though really it was just a few months. Feast on the details he has collected over that time, he has dumped the Motherload of photos on Jak & Jil!

ALLSAINTS SPARKLES

My Christmas baubles from Allsaints. These earrings are going to glam up even the most casual of my Christmas outfits - the balance between hardware and sparkles is sublime!

VARSITY

Zara do an infinitely more grown up take on the Varsity jacket, with buttery, creamy leather sleeves you could just eat.

RIVER ISLAND NOW DELIVERING TO IRELAND

You may or may not remember my despair at River Island's refusal to deliver to my door! Well, be careful what you wish for, because now they deliver Worldwide and my credit card has another website to fear! I find the brand great for on-trend coats and everlasting boots - I have been wearing the black boots pictured here 5 days a week for a year, with no sign of them giving up the ghost yet.

BLOSSOMS

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous floral jumpsuit from Mango.

IRREVERENT

Is Irreverent by Carine Roitfeld on *EVERYBODY'S* Christmas wishlist?! I see it on every bloggers Christmas Gift compilation. I know it's on mine!

THE ORIGINAL ARM PARTY

She's the coiner of the phrase, the curator of wrists, the hostess with the mostest (bracelets!)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the charming and irreverent Leandra Medine of The Man Repeller - the reason why, before I walk out the door, contrary to the advice of Coco Chanel ("Take one thing off"), I put three more bracelets ON! Everybody's invited to The Arm Party!

IT'S FRIDAY!

Come on, Shake a tail feather!

HIGH // LOW

Sometimes, for a fleeting moment, I mean a really brief nanosecond, I feel bad for the High End Designers. I mean, they put all this time & energy & inspiration & craftsmanship into creating the perfect embodiment of the fashion zeitgeist and then stores like ASOS and Zara come along and BAM - there it is for a tenth of the price! Don't get me wrong - I get over this pretty damn quickly - especially when I get to snap up little beauties like these ASOS creeper wedges when the Burberry version is very much out of reach. I doubt Christopher Bailey is losing any sleep though - there will always be enough Russian Oligarchs to keep the High End going! I once read an interview with Alexander McQueen where he said 70% of his business was selling fur coats to Russians. For now I'm happy with Zara.

SNIP SNIP

Must. Resist. Temptation. To start hacking arms off all my jackets! This example of perfectly executed DIY from My Daily Style.

MARL ON MY MIND

I keep gravitating towards the grey marl section in every shop - just what is it about it that makes it so goddamn cool?! I'd be more in the Zara market (pic 2) than the Acne bracket (pic 1) budget-wise, but there's no doubt that throwing on a piece of grey marl adds that perfect nonchalant model-cool to an outfit.

SOME RECENT BUYS

Spot the pattern in my recent buys? No? There isn't one you say? Let me enlighten you. It's that we haven't had one single brief GLIMPSE of a summer this year in Ireland. I haven't bought one t-shirt. Neither a flip nor a flop. The only reason I bought sunglasses was to shield my eyes from the wind & rain on the dash to the car. I have been consoling myself and keeping warm with long sleeved, even cosy pieces.

Blazer from Zara, Jumpsuit from French Connection, Poncho from Dorothy Perkins & Dress from Miss Selfridges.