Irish fashion experts on the pieces they’re buying now that will last them for seasons to come …
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This time of year it’s easy to get caught up in glitz and glamour – pieces that sparkle bright for Christmas get togethers or answer the conundrum of what to wear on Christmas day. While these are both valid style questions, it’s important not to lose sight of the pieces that stand apart from Christmas trends, that can bolster your wardrobe and make getting dressed an easier task. A good winter wardrobe investment will span beyond this season and for many more to come, items like a great blazer, a warm coat, a pair of flat boots that will serve you day after day, or a luxurious winter knit are all key. We’ve asked Irish fashion insiders to share the winter investments they’re making this season that have longevity for many more to come.
The best parka jacket for winter
A stylist with over 30 years of experience in the fashion industry, Sinead Keenan‘s classic look leans into forever pieces in muted tones that have the potential to live in your wardrobe for season upon season. For autumn winter 2023, she is coveting a coat that’s both cool and always in style: the parka. “A khaki longer length parka coat is a really cool, super modern take on the classic parka and yet it has a timeless quality. This season, the Weekend Max Mara Signature collection is a collaboration with uber cool fashion editor and stylist, and my professional hero, Kate Phelan. The collection is called 24 as it includes pieces to take you through the 24 hours in the day. It comes with a detachable and reversible, quilted, belted robe style padded jacket underneath, which means both can be worn separately. This makes the parka lightweight for the transitional warmer seasons, too. In my opinion, it’s two coats for the price of one!” she says.
Khaki water-repellant cotton and nylon parka, €879; www.weekendmaxmara.com.
A super cosy knit
Fashion influencer Louise Byrne regularly posts to her over-40k-following about the joy of great basics. While her look rejects slavishly following trends in favour of a more minimalist aesthetic (conversely her style which leans into simple, refined pieces is very in vogue right now), there are some trends that tickle her fancy. Namely, colour of the moment brown. “I recently bought a chocolate brown scarf and hat, and I love the warmth they bring to any outfit. I’m thinking of investing in a brown cashmere jumper, something I know would work well in my wardrobe and that I’d wear for years to come. I love this one from COS (pictured below),” she says.
Brown pure cashmere jumper, €175, at COS.
Expert-approved winter boots
For Clodagh Cronin, the founder of Samui, a Cork fashion boutique that’s led the charge for avant-garde pieces by big name designers for the past 22 years, the best winter buys come down to practicality. No winter wardrobe is complete without flat boots – but not just any pair will do. “A good pair of boots will see you through the winter, but a great pair of boots will see you through anything! We brought in Marsèll [an Italian brand that specialises in leather shoes and accessories] for AW23 and their footwear is amazing. I adore this lace-up style in particular, as they add a real edge to any look – style them with a dress to toughen it up, or just with leggings and an oversized knit for casual winter cool,” she says.
Black chunky lace-up leather boots, Marsèll, €1,195, at Samui.
