Picture it. You’re browsing the ‘net, checking out different stores- and you pick out a few things and click to checkout. And the lovely internet tells you that this site only delivers within the United States. No purchasing, then. No matter how good the deal was.

This entire scenario bugs the pants off of me. I mean, there are times when I really, really (I mean more than I usually do) want to buy clothes in the US just to make life easier.

Which is where Bundle Box comes in. It’s a godsend, and the premise is a really simple one. Sign up, get your own registered PO Box in the US, and order whatever you like to be delivered to that box. For a small fee, Bundle Box will deliver those goods right to your door.

It’s a dream scenario. Most of the goods you can buy from the US can be gotten at cut prices to what you would regularly pay in Ireland (if whatever it is is even available in Ireland); hence the Bundle Box delivery fee is usually worth considering.

One caveat is here necessary though- The Revenue in Ireland can be a bitch, and anything over €22 in value will be slapped with a €14 customs and excise charge. This is the absolute pits, and trust me, I’ve moaned a lot about it. So my best advice is to buy a lot, and let the €14 get sort of forgotten about!

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Net-A-Porter is a fashionista’s dream. Imagine it: Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Louboutin, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Jimmy Choo, Burberry and Fendi….. And imagine them all under one roof.

It’s a dream, I tell you. A total dream. Only it’s the best dream possible, because it’s real. Each of the sections on the site are clearly laid out, and each of the designers is explained and discussed at length. Catwalk pictures are everywhere, and ideas for looks are constant and hugely fashionable. Style might come at a cost, but at the very least, you can use Net-A-Porter for ideas on how to vamp up this season using H & M and Topshop.

You can shop by designer, by boutique, by garment or even by accessories- shoes and bags included.

As well as this, there’s the brilliant Magazine. Entirely free, take a look at the site and see the looks for the season, updated and beautifully presented. Not only do I want to buy everything there, I want to work there, live there and live in London, because if you live in London or Manhattan, Net A Porter have same day delivery. In all, they deliver to 170 countries.

If you have an iPhone, there’s an app. You can watch runway videos, interviews and features- still free- and sign up for one of the best fashion newsletters I’ve seen in a long time of signing up for them.

And they’re having a sale. Right now. Go.

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High heels are the Devil. This, while not verifiable fact, is definitely something all women will agree on at some stage or another in their lives. You go out and strut your stuff in Fendi, Carvela, Louboutin (maybe!) and you pretend it doesn’t hurt like hell. There’s a stage you get to when four inches feels flat and the heels of your feet are so numb you could drop a tv on them and wouldn’t notice. Company Magazine recently ran a fantastic feature on Feet- and the terrifying amount of issues you develop as a result of those teeny pin heels, those “still bad for you” kitten heels, and yes, the ballet flats that are too flat to offer any support.

The fact of it is that your feet take a punishing every day you wear any kind of stunning shoes- because, let’s face it, the sensible ones aren’t the ones that make you feel like a supernova inside, right?

After I read the Company feature (which talked about veruccas, warts, calluses, cracked heels- you name it, the horrors were all there), I realised that I am not the only one who bullies my feet into submission. We all do.

So I set out to find something that actually works to prevent the minor crises like cracked heels, hard skin, blisters- and all of their similarly horrid friends. I’ve tried so many treatments before (short of amputation) and they never seem to work properly. It seems daft that my saviour came from my own little city, in a shop we all know. Boots.

Boots is one of those shops I love. Part pharmacy, part cosmetic heaven, Boots has a solid loyalty card scheme and a lot of sale items at all times of the year. It was lucky that I walked in right when they were offering a “Buy One Get One Half Price” on the Gorgeous Feet range. I decided to give it a go, and I bought four items. It set me back €31- less than it should have, and the cashier was genuinely enthusiastic about the ones I’d chosen.

Home I went to try them out. And my God was I impressed. Every single product is rich and well packaged (several in glass jars), and rather than smelling clinical, they were flowery and feminine. The Foot Scrub was perfection, and the moisturisers were a dream. The cracked heel repair ointment started working very quickly (and a few days later, the results are amazing altogether). The last thing I tried was the overnight repair cream. This came packaged with those great cotton socks, and once I tried it once, I vowed to do it every night. It stops burning in the soles of my feet (the ultimate painful experience in my experience, because it lasts for an age), and my skin was soft and much less bullied. It was all an unexpected pampering experience- and I fully intend to return to Boots to check out the other products in that Gorgeous Feet range.

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Ebay is one of those things that some people tend to run away from. Fear of being defrauded and never getting what you ordered is a major turn off for people- but Ebay is one of those things that with a little care, you can really get into and not be defeated by. And the newest addition to it is the Ebay Outlet Store. The fact is that in a small country like Ireland, selection is kind of bare in some areas, and online shopping is the gateway to a better- and almost recklessly cheaper- world of fashion.

Ever before I get to that though, a few basic Ebay tips. There are Top Sellers on Ebay- and the first time buyer would be well served to try to buy from them. These people are guaranteed good at what they do; they’re generally considered to be the very best of sellers online, thorough businesspeople with fair postage rates and good products. Usually there are bids placed on Ebay- but there are also Buy it Now items you can purchase off the cuff.

I urge you to check to make sure that your chosen seller definitely delivers to Ireland (usually it will say that they deliver Worldwide, or at the very least to Europe), and finally, if you have any questions about postage rates to Ireland specifically, send the seller a question; they’re accommodating as hell on Ebay, and they always send you an answer. If they don’t, move on elsewhere; there’s more than enough choice.

Always use a PayPal account to make your payments. If you have a credit card or a debit card with a MasterCard or Visa symbol, register with PayPal. It makes sure that your purchases are made in a safe way, preventing the buyer from accessing all of your details, and so preventing fraud. Western Union transfers are not alllowed on Ebay for this exact reason. Anything else you need to know, look it up on the T and Cs of Ebay- which are, again, ridiculously thorough.

So now, onto the main affair. Ebay offers so many clothing and accessories choices on so many levels that it’s dumbfounding. The Ebay Outlet Store was set up to offer up to 70% off of brands you already know- Ben Sherman, Prada, Ugg and Ted Baker among them. To give you a small example, a pair of medium brown knit Uggs on Ebay will set you back about £70- and they cost up to €220 in the average show store. That’s a damn fine deal.

The site is easy to navigate and it’s simple to browse through what you want. If you have the time, try bidding on a few things and see how it works out. Wait until the last possible second to bid, and then go for it. You might get lucky. Ebay sees a huge stream of visitors and fashion items are hotly contested. Most of the shops have their own specific store and Schuh alone stocks loads of its current season shoes at hugely reduced prices. If you have some spare time and want to save a few bob, I recommend going to the actual shop, seeing what you want, and then make a visit to Ebay to find the right style to make a good saving.

Ebay is just chock full of bargains. With a little bit of planning and some thinking things through, you can make some serious savings.

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While I appreciate that it’s not very often that the average woman goes looking for a high end evening gown, nonetheless the necessity does, at times, arise. There’s always the trouble that, at a particular event, four other people will be wearing the same dress as you. It’s a fashion faux pas, and even worse than that, it makes you want to hide in a corner, or leave altogether.

Style for Life is a Cork store, and while it’s most definitely off the beaten track, it offers an invaluable service; they never sell the same dress, even in a different colour, for the same event. There are other stores that do it, but what really makes Style for Life stand out is that their selection of spring/summer gowns is fantastic. Top it off with a store that screams of luxury and staff that talk you through whatever outfit you want for whatever event you’re attending, and it’s a good formula.

The disadvantage is the location. While the store is beautiful and its location is right in the middle of Cork City, the possibility of walking past it is huge. It’s located inside the Grafton Mall, which is at the Grand Parade end of Oliver Plunkett Street. There’s a car park in the Grafton Mall which has provided business and loyal customers, but the staff have mentioned that even so, business has experienced a drop off in the past few months, mostly due to this demon recession.

Style for Life is a haven because the labels that supply it do so exclusively. Pia Michi, Phoebe Couture, Mikael Aghal and Custo are among the labels, and the consistent availability of a sale rail is always a plus when you want something of serious quality at a seriously reduced price.

The store doesn’t just supply gowns; they also focus on summer tops with beautiful prints and patterns, and the rails are always being updated with new stock. For debs, for balls, for brilliant parties and for some up market casuals, Style for Life is a must. For the Autumn/ Winter period, the focus is on knits and winter coats; for an annual investment in the winter arena, I highly recommend Style For Life.

One of the upcoming events being run by the store is a Sex and the City 2 night. With 400 tickets sold, and each ticket offering a 10% discount in store, the sold out event offers ticket holders canapés in the Imperial Hotel in Cork, followed by a bus to Mahon Point Cinema to see Carrie and Co. in another round of fashion brilliance, before being returned to the Imperial Hotel for a night of cocktails and fashion talk. The proceedings will go to the Institute of Research for Breast Cancer, so the chances of feeling good all round after the night is pretty likely!

While the staff have told me that there has been a drop off in business with people now watching their money more than ever before, they remain optimistic that even in a hard market, there are ways to tackle the difficulties and keep a business treading water. It’s far to say that the store’s greatest disadvantage is its location- but pretty much everything else makes up for that; and even though it’s not at eye level on the street, the people who know the shop scream good things about it and always return there, and the staff are so willing to help out with anything that it’s a definite should you ever be looking for great style in little old Cork.

You can contact the store through their facebook page should you want more information.

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It’s estimated that as many as 80% of women wear the wrong size bra. It may seem like a trivial thing, but if you’re wearing the right bra, you’ll look slimmer, trimmer, beautifully proportioned- and to top it off you’ll feel way more comfortable than you ever have before.

There are ways to know you’re the wearing the wrong size bra. If there’s the dreaded spillage over the top of the cups, if the bra is riding up, if the straps are digging in too much, if the band at the back is riding higher steadily, or if the underwire isn’t right against your ribcage, the chances are you’re wearing the wrong bra. It’s not as easy as it looks to get the right size. Generally there’s something of a horror moment when you think about someone measuring you in a store; it’s my opinion that they’re wrong a lot of the time- not because of ineptitude, but because they’re going about things the wrong way.

I’ve spent years trying to work out the right size. Anyone who’s tried to measure themselves may find themselves in the unhappy position of adding 4 or 5 inches to their measurement because that’s what they’ve been told to do. I swear by the fact that this method does not work. Bras are elasticated now; there’s a certain amount of give in them, without adding an extra four or five inches!

So I’ll pass on another method to measure yourself- the one that finally solved all of my problems when I consistently had the wrong fit. Use a flexible, plastic dressmaker’s measuring tape, and first measure the circumference of your body, just underneath your bust, making sure that the measuring tape is running straight around your body. Usually here, people say to add four or five inches. No Need. If it says 34, you’re a 34. If it says 35, try both a 34 and a 36 for comfort; usually rounding up to the 36 works better. Adding five inches means that you get no support whatsoever. The back will ride up, it will always feel loose, your boobs may even fall out of the front. Adding four or five inches will be the bane of your life. You have been warned.

Second, you have to measure for your cup size. Measure around the fullest part of your bust, again making sure that the tape is running straight around your body. I advise that here you be a little loose with the tape. Don’t go digging it into your skin. If you find yourself with an odd number here, definitely round up. Rounding down mean spillage!!

In order to determine your cup size, subtract your band size measurement from your cup size measurement. Each of the letters (A, B, C, D etc) represents an inch of difference. So if you got a 34 for band size, and a 35 sup size, you are a 34A, A representing the one inch difference. What, you ask, if I have a 34 band size, but 34.5 for a cup size? That means that you are a 34AA- not a full inch difference. If you are a band size 36, and a cup size 41, you are a 36DD- a five inch difference.

But be warned here! This is not definitive. Never buy a bra without trying on a few. Use the measurements you now have for yourself and try a number of bras in that size. People often ask about whether they just clip the bra in the loosest or tightest hooks. The answer is that you use the tightest fitting that is still comfortable. You should be able to run your finger- but not more than that- underneath the band.

Commercial bras are tricky beasts. You know the way you could be a size 10 in some stores, and maybe even a 14 in others? Bras are the same. There are no strict standards. So if you find that the band is too tight even on the loosest clipping, consider going up a band size, say from a 32 to a 34. However! If you do this, you must compensate by changing the cup size- if you’re going from a 32B to a 34, you must get a 34A cup. It sounds complicated, but it’s not. It’s just about readjusting.

When the band size is sorted, we can consider cup size. You should fill, but not overfill, the cup. If you’re under-filling, go down a cup size. If there’s any bulging, go up a cup size. A small caveat here- if it seems to fit, try on the next biggest cup size anyway, It may be that this one is even better.

Adjust the straps so that they’re not digging into your skin. Make sure that the bra doesn’t ride up in any way (consider stretching your arms up and down, bend over as though to pick something up, and dance a few steps. If you still feel safe in it, it’s perfect.

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I recently saw a lady in a store buying knickers that clearly would neither fit nor flatter.  Maybe you’re not aware of just how good the right knickers can be – and how much more comfortable the right fit can be.  And I’m sure there are ladies who don’t even know that there are so many different types of panties, not to mind knowing which will serve them best.  As opposed to asking someone (which, let’s face it, is a sure route to mortification), find out here!

Let’s face a fact here, okay?  Thongs do not work for all women.  And if you feel uncomfortable in one, don’t wear one.  Personally I find that they do nothing for me, and others must feel the same.  I like a bit of coverage!  To that end, I say that while a seamless white or black thong is good for avoiding VPL, overall they’re not good if you have any bit of a tummy, and unless you’re a confidence supremo, this just might bug you slightly.

So let’s consider some other options.  A bikini pant will cover your butt, but usually doesn’t do much in the way of covering your hips. The high rise (high leg and waist) are good for general wear, under skirts or dresses, and the lower rise ones are good for wearing hip skirts or jeans because they cover what’s important to cover, without being seen.  Perfect!

Again with the chunky thighs – I know about them because I have them, and I vote that the boy pants are just the best for bigger thighs.  They also are great against VPL, which you may not have suspected.  It’s so easy to dance around your office, kitchen, or local pub with boy shorts on; they’re comfortable and fit well, and they look effortlessly sexy too.  Can’t fault that!  They’re also great for general wear, and are perfect under anything low rise.

Generally a good way to hide or minimise the look of big thighs is to get decorative knickers with frills on the sides; this is a great tip for a romantic night in, because you’ll feel less self-conscious as the eye gets drawn to the frill width and not to the tops of your legs. Try it!

Briefs, the classic ones that have been around since the stone age, with the high leg and high waist, but more coverage than a bikini.  These are handy for a few things, one of them being if you’re unhappy with your hips.  The extra coverage will hide the hip nicely, and the overall coverage is genuinely very comforting; these are good if you’ll be sitting down all day, or walking about the office.  If you get a good fit, they’re great for not moving once they’re put on – the worst thing ever is when your knickers ride up when you’re at work, and it’s just impossible to be comfortable until the issue is fixed.  These come in the prettiest design and patterns, and they look great with a t-shirt while you do the housework, if that’s your thing!

As for material, cotton is always a staple.  That’s not to say cotton is boring – anything but!  My favourite pair are a cotton Dangermouse motif bikini pair, and they rock each pair of jeans I have.

I try to avoid satin pants during the day.  They have a tendency to ride up unless they are perfectly fitted, and that can be hard to work out.  Keeping them for the romantic nights in is a good idea – and because they highlight lumps and bumps, pick the right shape and maybe go for some frills and decorations to make them all the more attractive.

And a note of warning here – those Nylon “barely there” knickers?  Unless these are the perfect fit for you, they can bunch, ride up, or fall out of shape.  Many people seem to buy them to hide VPL – but they might not be the best option, and if you’re doing anything vaguely high activity, they can chafe the skin in strange places if they slip at all, which is uncomfortable.  It has been mentioned to me that they seem to cause sweating and they lack breathability.  Unless you know that they work for you, and unless you have the right fit – buyer beware!

Pictured Top – Bottom (pardon the pun!): Victoria’s Secret, Sloggi, La Senza x 2, www.justme.ie

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Jeans are fussy; this is a fact of life.  They’re either too long, too short, the waist is too wide and the thighs too tight, the butt is too small or they just ride a little too low…. Finding a pair that fits is impossible for many women – and even when you know what you’re doing it doesn’t get much easier.  But it’s always good to know where to start when looking for a pair that will fit and flatter.

Chunky Thighs!

I’ve found in the past that if you have chunky thighs, the best thing to do is balance out your overall silhouette, and the best way to do that is to use a pair of boot-cut jeans.  Dark colours are also very good, and you can easily walk away looking slim; boot-cut jeans are excellent, unsurprisingly, with boots.  I don’t mean Uggs, I mean genuine boots with a nice heel that will make you look statuesque and well balanced.  Try not to shorten a boot-cut leg; it wrecks the cut and the whole effect is lost.  Just wear higher heels instead!!

Pear Shaped!

Medium rise jeans are good for pear shaped ladies; the fact is, to put it bluntly, that they’ll flatter your butt and stop you feeling bottom heavy.  If you want to slim areas down, again I recommend darker colours.  A hint here is to wash (gently) before you wear; it will prevent dye running onto your otherwise perfectly tanned legs.  I urge you to wash them gently because otherwise jeans can stretch out of proportion and their fit can be damaged, which is ruinous if you’ve worked hard to get a pair that’s perfect!

Skinny Minnie

Low rise jeans are the sanctum of a small few that can pull the look off with panache.  They’ll highlight a flat stomach, but otherwise be wary of the demon overhang!  If you’re slim and feel you lack curves, they can be good to give you a more feminine shape by showing off a slim waist and drawing the eye to the hip curve.

Standing Tall?

If you’re a lucky tall gal and proud of it, your height can be accentuated with high rise jeans.  People traditionally seem to give out about high rise jeans, but they really can look awesome on the right person.  High rises will really balance out your waist and long legs, making you feel less leggy and extra-proportionate.  Good deal, right?

Never underestimate pockets.  I often forget about pockets, but the fact is that if they’re right on your buttcheeks, the whole area will seem bigger.  Look for pockets that are slightly lower down; they give the illusion that your butt is perkier than it might actually be – which is always a good thing.  Try to avoid small pockets, because if you’re a bit big on the bottom, the pockets may seem dwarfed.

How to Wear Skinny Jeans

We all want skinnies, don’t we?  The fact is that there are some people they simply do not suit, but there are some tips to find a pair that suit.  If you’re not like those wasp-waisted ladies, consider a medium rise pair that will ultimately accentuate your calves.  Wear skinnies with high heels or boots to make yourself taller and make your legs seem ostensibly longer and slimmer.  If you’re ultra tall, there’s nothing like a pair of ballet pumps to make skinnies look effortlessly perfect.

Don’t..

One more thing; if you’re not happy with your shape and you wear sizes that are too big for you to mask your body – stop that right now!!  Avoid stretch denims, and go for a rigid fabric that will hide lumps and bumps, and buy them in the right size.  There’s no point in getting a pair that’s too big, because they will swamp you, and you have curves to burn, so show ‘em with pride!

And one more thing; if you find the Perfect Pair, buy two!

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I know that it must happen to other people too – you walk into a shoe store, pick a pair you like, wish that the back heel wasn’t so shaky, wish that maybe there was some kind of decoration near the toe, wish that annoying strap wasn’t so inconveniently placed…

Or worst of all, your usual size is pinching ever so slightly, but the next size up feel like boats on your feet.  Shoes are funny because sometimes we don’t take the time to fit them properly, sometimes we dislike something about them but we’re in a hurry so we get them anyway, wear them once and then ignore them.  There are times when you just cannot walk in them because the heels are a bit too high, though you tried to convince yourself at the time that they’d be grand.  They might be slightly too narrow, slightly too wide, slightly too over the top and inappropriate to the occasion you’re shopping for.

Shoes of Prey is designed to stop all of that.  I came across it purely by accident, but it’s a gem of a website and a fantastic idea for a company.  It allows you to design your own shoes, from pattern to heel height, heel types (if any), colour and embellishment.  And the best part of it all is that the company is staunch in its attempts to give you a pair of shoes that fit you like a glove.  The design section of the site is easy to work with and they have a gallery of pairs that they’ve already made, which you can customize for yourself.  Couture shoes for less than €200! Steal!

Log onto shoesofprey.com, and start designing the pair you want.  There are literally hundreds of pairs to be made; the genuine problem with it is that I can’t decide which pair I want most.  Should I just buy two?

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Heels are something everyone has to love.  They kill your feet, your soles burn, you look taller and slimmer, and even though your calves may suddenly cramp for no reason later on… So I know it’s generally considered to be unhealthy to place that much pressure on your feet, but overall heels are really worth it.

Spring/Summer heels are my favourites.  They’re floaty, flirty and drop dead gorgeous.  And this year they are better than ever.

Fendi really came to light this year.  Their Cinderella (above) and Attraction heels are the very epitome of Summer; they are downright pretty and very feminine.  The colours are fantastic and if you’ve got the cash to splash, Fendi have some gorgeous offerings that are wearable as well as looking a million dollars.

I’ve never been much a fan of Gucci for some reason.  Love their bags – but their shoes just don’t match the adventurous beauty of Fendi and Louboutin for me.  They have some gorgeously workable pumps, but this Spring it’s the Gucci sandals I love.  Their blue patent with bamboo detail on the heel is really understated but classy, and they have a great t strap brown sandal that really screams boho chic with the right outfit.  There’s also no denying the strength of craft in Gucci shoes; they are so amazingly constructed.

Generally, when the time comes to check the Spring/Summer Collections, I go straight to Jimmy Choo because I love Choos.  Boy was I disappointed this year.  The reliance on black and chunky strapping is just too severe for my ideal summer of beach parties and a more relaxed style.  If I were to choose one of the 13 Spring/Summer pairs (ten are heels), I would pick the brown strap wooden platforms – because they seem the most relaxed.

The real delight this Spring came from Christian Louboutin.  I want every single pair, and that is no lie.  Their ultra high pairs are the best; the ice blue and red suede platform sandal is just brilliant, but it’s hard to pick after that, which is the sign of a good line!  In their slightly less high range, my favourite – and this is my favourite of all Summer shoes this year, is the white patent peep toe with that amazing black exotic flower.  Seriously stunning shoes.

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