An Anniversary

Ten years ago today, I got into a black cab from Great Portland Street to King’s Cross Station, got on a train to Luton Airport, was ripped off for baggage charges on everyone’s favourite no frills airline,  and boarded a plane to Dublin. I landed, met another London friend in the airport and headed for our hostel in Dublin City Centre.

I sobbed for most of this journey, in fact, I had a near nervous breakdown upon checking into our grotty hostel. You see I had fallen in love with London and a lovely English architect, and I had left both behind due to an expired visa and a chance to extend my European travels for a while longer.

The me I was then would not believe that I am still in Dublin. In fact I cannot believe I am old enough to have lived here for 10 years. My relationship with Dublin has been an incredibly slow burning one, like the kid in school that you always got stuck sitting next to, but absolutely hated and eventually became best friends with. Eventually a fondness bred, until one two-week holiday abroad, when I suddenly realised that I could not wait to get home and home was Dublin.

It would be impossible to count the ways I love Dublin and far too much of it includes pubs and drink, which if I put into writing would suggest some sort of mild alcoholism on my part. I love its boldness – its cheekiness. I love that it is fairly compact and accessible, especially once you invest in a bike. I love that you are bound to run into someone you know almost everywhere you go. I love that when the sun shines everyone gets out and enjoys it. Most of all I love the home and family I’ve created here and I wouldn’t be anywhere else – well that’s a bit of a lie and after a string of wet, miserable days, you’d hear me exclaiming ‘And I chose to live here – why?!?’, but that is part of my love for it - for better or worse.

But this is a fashion blog and I’ve digressed a bit – has Dublin changed my style? The answer is, yes and no. I find myself a lot braver these days, but still a bit of the classic American aesthetic lives on. I definitely feel I get away with a lot more here than I would in the American suburbs and have received a number of comments on the brightness of some items of clothing when visiting the States. I definitely wear a lot more dresses and make up than I used to, but I sometimes wonder if these things and my more brave fashion choices are more age than location related. Also it is difficult to maintain style when you have 4 seasons in one day, but it is something you simply must learn and love to do in here.

I love this dirty old town and it seems to love me back – I think we’re both in it for a long while yet.

Primary Colours

Primary Colours by marielmcp featuring strappy flat sandals

Whenever we needed to buy paint for school projects, my father would only ever allow us to buy red, yellow, blue, black and white. So the gorgeous purples, oranges and teals were left on the shelf as my father said we could make anything else we wanted with primary colours.

I sometimes wonder if this is why I so love Mondrian and anything that appears in fashion that is all about primary colours. Like these lovely flats from Vionnet. They are repeatedly appearing to me in some form online and while completely out of the question, a girl can hope that something similar may appear in some form on the high street.

Spring it on

I am a big fan of cardigans. I am pretty sure this obsession originates from my angstful teens and the fact that when my paternal grandfather passed away my father inherited a number of his golf cardigans.

There was a marled grey, wool acrylic blend, with a v-neck and an embroidered crest from some golf tournament that I wore pretty much everyday for a few winters, even when it started to come apart at the seams. There was another dark brown and tan argyle print with these gorgeous ‘tiger-eye’ buttons that  I adored, but didn’t wear too often and the last time I saw it, my brother had hijacked it from my wardrobe, completing the circle of closet thievery in my house.

My sweater drawer is probably 70% cardigans - they are invaluable for layering year-round. My most recent acquisition is this not so mellow yellow H&M cardigan. It was only a 10er and is the perfect pick me up for the transition to spring. I added the bow with a safety pin, which I fashioned out of a belt from a dress and paired it with a white tee and my favourite (only) pair of trousers. As the song says, 'Let the sunshine in.'