Feather trims, floral prints and 80s excess; broadcaster Louise Duffy’s wardrobe is a joy to explore …
Tales From My Wardrobe, a style series from THE GLOSS community, is a love letter to favourite pieces and hard-earned investment buys that all have a story to tell. These are the pieces we reach for again and again, the hard-earned investment purchases that make us smile with each wear, and the items that supercede mere ‘clothing’ to carry memories and foster emotional connection. From Irish designer Orla Kiely’s print-heavy wardrobe to artist Alison Conneely’s practical but eclectic collection of clothing, this is your chance to take a sneak peek into the most treasured possessions of stylish women and read all of the meaningful stories behind them. Here, RTÉ broadcaster Louise Duffy shows us around her wardrobe that blends designer names and maximalist exuberance with a rock and roll edge.
My favourite piece in my wardrobe right now is a purple round neck blazer from Yomi. It has a black belt with gold hardware which picks up the brass buttons and lends great structure to the jacket. Somehow, it is simultaneously flamboyant and elegant. I love the story of Yomi; the founder based her collections on her grandmother’s treasure trove of earrings. So, there is a sense of nostalgia and an eighties feel to the pieces. I look like an extra from the cast of Rivals wearing it … and I’m ok with that.
The most sentimental item in my wardrobe is an incredible, embroidered Erdem dress I bought almost ten years ago to wear the night after our wedding. I fell in love with it when I saw it on Laura Jackson (the girl never wears a bad outfit) but it was way out of my reach as I had so much more ridiculous and unnecessary wedding stuff to waste money on. But a week before my wedding, in a stroke of kismet or too much googling, I stumbled across it on the Net-a-Porter sale for 70 per cent off. The embroidery is like artwork and the shape of the dress is fun and floaty. I was infinitely more excited about wearing it than I was my wedding dress. I’ll keep it forever. It reminds me of the utter giddiness and happiness of that night.
The most recent item I bought? I adore the prints and playfulness of La DoubleJ and recently I bought a floral maxi swing dress with a trim of yellow feathers. It is so easy to wear, to dress up or down. I wish I had the restraint to rotate my wardrobe, but when I find something I love I wear it incessantly for the first few weeks and such has been the case for my yellow, feathered frock.
The best bargain in my wardrobe is an Agua by Agua Bendita dress I found on The Outnet. I think it cost about a fifth of the original price, add a discount code and it was almost free. The dress worked well with a pair of Russell & Bromley cowboy boots.
I think anything I’ve purchased from Toteme has worked out to be a very good investment. The creative director Elin Kling’s pieces are classic, a great cut and brilliant quality. I bought a full length, black wool coat three years ago in Brown Thomas and it remains the most hardworking item in my wardrobe. Mainly, because it’s oversized and my husband wears it too! The appreciation of Elin Kling goes beyond the wardrobe, our little girl is called Elin too.
When it comes to hidden gems for clothes, I would love to tell you about some wonderful little atelier or vintage store I frequent … but honestly, I find everything on Instagram. I quite enjoy the hunt of spotting something and tracking it down. But if I see it more than once, I don’t want it.
My clothes work hard, I don’t buy anything I don’t love, and I don’t keep anything I love for special occasions. I could wear the same dress to a wedding or work; I’ll just style it differently. So, the cost-per-wear is always healthy. When it comes to cost-per-wear, I have an Ami Paris navy wool dress that does not owe me a penny. I have worn it day and night, summer, and winter. It is so easy to wear and the tailored cut adds a little sophistication.
The least fashionable thing I own that I wear all the time is my gym gear. I go to the gym at 5.30am before my little girls wake up and I couldn’t describe the gear I wear at that dark hour as ‘fashion’. But I love The Upside for activewear that has a bit of playfulness and print.
I never leave the house without a large black Acne Musubi bag on my shoulder. I’ve had it for years. My husband calls it the abyss. Nothing ever comes back out of it.
I think Magda Butrym is an outstanding designer. There is a craftsmanship to each piece that makes it almost worth the price tag. So, in a dream world I would live in her last collection. One piece that stands out for me is the funnel neck red wool coat. In a dream world it would be mine …
The piece that has a story to it is a yellow chiffon De La Vali dress I wore to a family wedding, which made me sweat. Not simply because the wedding was in Spain, but moreso because it arrived two hours before we were due to fly out.
When it comes to accesories, they don’t really excite me the same way clothing does, so I don’t spend much time or money on them. That said, a Déhanche Hollyhock belt with silver hardware I bought last year is working well with any jeans that I wear.
Catch The Louise Duffy show on RTÉ 1 Monday to Friday at 12 noon; @louiseduffyshow
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