Heather Barnes
UN consultant, businesswoman and founder of Tomorrows
“My summer wardrobe is in constant rotation as I am away with work quite a lot, and I don’t pack away summer clothes in the winter. You always need a good jacket in an Irish summer, and I get great wear from a block print grey trench from a Kenyan designer called Hamaji. It’s a real staple and makes an outfit in an instant. Everything is slowly made in small artisan communities, which is very much what I am interested in.
“I don’t wear many skirts or dresses, and generally stick to trousers. I have a good pair of white jeans from Margaret Howell which I bought on Vinted. I love shopping on Vinted, and have colourful linen trousers from Mara Hoffman (a sustainable US designer no longer in business) that fit so well and have a great bright pattern.
“As for accessories, I am basket obsessed, and I have a basket tote from Ghana which I take everywhere, and another from Morocco. For footwear I wear suede Birkenstock Boston clogs, or a great pair of slip-ons from Calla made from recycled carpets – they are colourful and fun to wear. I have adopted triangular scarves for both summer and winter, and mine are from Sep – they work with Palestinian refugees in Jordan.
“Closer to home, I have a sleeveless cardigan from Fisherman Out Of Ireland in dark grey, perfect over a T-shirt and a good summer knit. When I do wear a dress for occasion wear in summer, I have a lovely one from LoveBirds in India. At the moment I am eyeing one of Jennifer Slattery’s gorgeous linen waistcoats. Because of my skin colour, I don’t wear anything too pale, and indigo denim blue would be a favourite colour.”
Ciara Byrne
Vice-president of new business innovation at Condé Nast and member of the British Fashion Council
“Generally speaking, for work in summer I wear oversize suits that are a bit roomier, like those from Gabriella Hearst, but in lovely feminine colours that offset the loose fit. I wear plain cotton shirt dresses in monochrome or Erdem prints, and they are lovely to wear particularly in New York when it is sticky. I love crochet in summer and have some crochet vintage and modern pieces from New York where my favourite vintage stores are Ritual Vintage and Beacon’s Closet. & Other Stories do nice crochet as well.
“I have a pair of Sezane jeans, which I wear with chunky jewellery, and I go to Reformation for sundresses – they have a strong sustainable story and the dresses definitely last. I love tulle wraps and wear them with trousers from Nensi Dojaka, a very talented British designer. Simone Rocha has used tulle beautifully this season and has gorgeous skirts, which I am eyeing up, as plaids and tank tops are not my vibe. Tulle is versatile, very feminine and a little whimsical, but can be dressed up or down with loose linen trousers or jeans where it has more of an edge.
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“In summer I have the biggest bag you can find – and an old Celine pannier tote which holds everything and keeps its form. For shoes I am fond of ballet pumps and Sezane shoes – I like their jeans and their shoes as they are so practical. I love chunky jewellery and mix and match pieces from Emma by Jane and Harris Reid. I have an Anine Bing hat which I can shove in a bag and if travelling for pleasure, I take a rolled-up Reformer dress. I’m at that age when practicality is foremost – which was not the way in my 20s.”
Julianna Slattery
Fashion-loving mother from Nenagh
“I usually like knitwear and crochet for summer – a bit of fringe, girly, flirty which you can dress up or down. I love Celia B from Spain who plays with vibrant colour and suits me to the ground when I want a playful outfit. I like the way she uses ruching, fringing and stripes. With a white dress in summer I will pump up the colour with striking accessories. As well as Celia B, I also like Missoni and Sandro – Missoni because of the zig-zag patterns, and Sandro’s crochet fringing dresses. I also love fluid patterned dresses in bold colour. It is effortless chic.
“For shoes I always go for white and gold sandals or sleek block heels which take you from day to night, and I can’t go anywhere without my woven bags from Tory Burch in different shapes and acrylic clutches for summer pop up the outfit I am wearing.
“I have many playsuits and jumpsuits for the summer, and nice wine-and-dine Sandro dresses – with funky bags and heels you are done. I don’t really like layering because if I have a nice dress I would rather wear a shawl than a blazer or cardigan with it. I have shirt dresses and evening dresses from Reiss and linen pieces from MaxMara weekend that never date, like a red dress that can be dressed up or down. Occasionally I like to inject a bit of metallic with gold or silver accessories.
“I love midis and slim-cut shorts, but I would never wear a full linen suit because I prefer dresses. You will never find me in oversize shoulders looking like a clown. Colours have to complete my whole look, and I would describe my style as bold and playful.”
Vilhelmiina Huuskonen
European specialist in veterinary anaesthesia, UCD
“I love Irish summers as I don’t like hot weather. I wear a lot of linen and canvas-style trousers – I am not really a skirt person. I wear long dresses and denim in all forms, mostly in traditional blue as blue suits me best. I love Ralph Lauren denim RRL, the American country line which is really high-quality Japanese selvedge as opposed to Polo, where the quality is thinner. I buy either second-hand on Vestiare or eBay, or at flagships in Manhattan or London. I keep jeans forever, they look good patched up, but I wear them until they wear down.
“On a cool summer day I like really pretty clothes – a light pair of chinos, short-sleeved shirt with a collar, really nice men’s ties – like a Ralph Lauren tartan tie or other ones in silk or cotton. I wear a navy blazer – I have a good few from Margaret Howell which are some of my favourites, and I never go out without a hat or cap – in the summer a denim Baker Boy. I have quite a few hats – I like fedoras, Panamas, antique top hats as well as bowlers, vintage boaters and straw boaters from Carol Kennelly which are very Dior 1950s.
“Another outfit for warmer weather would be a long dress in light denim or white linen with a concho cowboy belt from Ralph Lauren, and I am eyeing Kindred of Ireland linen dresses. I like the Swedish brand Nygardsanna which I buy online but is now stocked in 99b in Rathgar in Dublin. It is slightly more relaxed than Margaret Howell, but the same idea – organic, ethical and made in Sweden, Estonia and Latvia. I would never wear skin-tight jeans or leggings, not even in the gym – I would not wear active wear in public. My favourite colour is blue in all its shades. Black doesn’t flatter me, but I do love it. If it rains, I have a Barbour jacket, oilskins and Margaret Howell mac, two pairs of Dubarry boots and proper wellingtons. I’d say my summer style is a mix of preppy, western and denim, sailor inspired and safari.
Rion Hannora
Fashion designer and a founder of Dublin Fashion Week
“For me, tights are the big thing in summer as I love to wear summer clothes all year round. The Tights Department in St Stephen’s Green is my favourite shop in all Ireland and I will always drop in to see what new things they have.
“I don’t think my wardrobe changes in the summer to what I wear in the winter, and I like to wear short skirts all year round. I’m into white tights at the moment and floral ones and stripes are cute for summer.
“I’m happy not having to wear a coat in summer as I don’t dress for the job I want but for the weather I want. I wear my own stuff too – a little T-shirt, corset tee that comes either extra-large or extra small – there are only those two options for a tee. You can wear them with baggy jeans or bloomers because a corset tee makes the look a bit glam.
“My style is playful and the highlight of my day is getting dressed in the morning.”
