Get your glad rags on and head to Dundrum this Thursday and you could bag yourself a €500 BT2 voucher and a make-over!  If you fail to win at least you meet with Wow.ie‘s favourite stylist Angela Scanlon, and pick her brains with any wardrobe issues you may be having.

The Dundrum Shop and Rock event is taking place this Thursday, 11th November from 9pm to 11pm.  Well known Irish stylist and fashion writer Angela Scanlon, will also be presenting two style seminars in BT2 at 9pm and 10pm respectively.  She’ll also be on hand to hear your fashion dilemmas amidst the sounds of true fashionista anthems hand picked by the fashion guru.  Angela will announce the winner 10.45pm and finalists will also be given make-overs by MAC, Bare Minerals or Benefit.

Angela will be scouting those attending on the night plus grabbing anyone wandering around the mall looking particularly stylish!  Good luck to anyone entering, sounds like a fun evening.

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We gave a little skip of glee here when we heard yesterday that BT2 are going to devote the entire month of April to denim – a HUGE-MONGUS trend this season.

“The humble blue jean has been recreated and reinvented every season and this Summer is no different. A staple in every gal’s wardrobe, this Summer sees more variety then ever with a vast array of styles and washes, colours and customisation – consider us here to help one backside at a time!”

We’ve recommended these guys before to anyone on the hunt for denim, they’ve a vast variety of styles with anything from distressed (sometimes verging on distraught!), embellished, colours, shorts, shirts, jackets blah.. blah.. you get the message.  Labels include Miss Sixty, Pepe jeans, Seven for all Mankind, Met in Jeans, Levis, Dr.Denim, Diesel, Hilfiger and more recent additions of Salsa and Goldsign – do you get why we told you to head there?  We recently covered the arrival of Salsa jeans, see here for more.

‘Denimologists’ will be on hand to help find that elusive perfect fit jean!  They’ll also be running activities, all denim related obviously with the odd competition thrown in for good measure no doubt.  Let us know what you think should you join the denim divas.  For inspiration on how to wear this trend check out Courtney Smith‘s previous denim post here.

Pictured left to right Dr. Denim and Goldsign, both available in store.  At the risk of pointing out the obvious, top = Salsa jeans!  Below Miss Sixty denim harem pants €130, Tee €80.  We’ve included links to all brands should you prefer the comfort of shopping on-line.

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So you didn’t get to buy that fab piece you had your eye on at Sonia Rykiel for H&M?  Well, not to worry!  Check out this fab pastel pink tee from Sonia’s range priced at €85!  Perfect for Summer and the little black bows give it a more girly twist!  Perfect with skinnies or shorts!

This ultra fab Deux Lux sparkly clutch will take you from evening to night and is the perfect outfit updater!   And at €89.63 you won’t feel too guilty about treating yourself!  Definitley on my Summer wishlist.  Swoon…

And for the rock chick in you check out this cool All Saints skull tee priced at €57.  Pair it with some wet look leggings or be totally different and tuck them into some beige high-waisted peg trousers.  You’ll get more than a second glance!

Keep on trend with these feminine military boots à la Balmain.  This seasons khaki colour is perfect for the Summer making these boots more appealing than last seasons drowned out colours.  They’ll take you all the way through Summer although, might be best to leave these babies home when hitting oxygen!  Priced at €250 @ Kurt Geiger.

And finally, saving the best for last, this cupid inspired asymmetrical jacket (matching shorts available).  I heart Sonia!  This piece has taken centre stage at almost every Spring/Summer collection this month including House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols.  Priced at €370, it is on the expensive side but you know… buy once wear forever and ever!  All found at BT2.

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Well boys, it’s not often you get a look in so we thought why not give you the low down on what’s what this season!   Men’s fashion has taken a change of direction this Spring Summer going with a more laid back unstructured vibe.  The colour palette sees a contrast between cool crisp colours against really strong colours with teal, baby blues and shades of turquoise at the forefront.  Rest assured that check is still in (oh how we love a man in a fitted check shirt… oh.. sorry… think typing!), J.C. Rags (bottom) showing how to wear your check this season.   As with women’s fashion grey also features heavily in men’s.  The old days are here boys, shop for retro-classics like Argyles, tartans and cable knit cricket jumpers – think slim chino’s.

THE key trend for all this season is denim.  Baring that in mind gentlemen look for anything 50′s inspired, this season we say goodbye 80′s hello 30′s, 40′s and 50′s!  Revivalist look classic dark-rinse denim plus charred and battered finishes are all up there, basically a hero look minus hanging out in blazing buildings!   BT2 stock a SERIOUS selection of denim and are always introducing new labels to their collection so make them your first port of call on the hunt for denim.  This Lee denim shirt pictured is available at BT2 and Urban Outfitters.  G-Star loose tapered jeans at various high street stores, we found these on Asos.com.

Military is still ok just go for older classic looks, plus green is another big colour this season, that and vibrant pimento red, canary yellow and grape tones!!  To create the 50′s look chinos have been gently tapered this season, check out Franklin and Marshall for a great pair of palm green chinos at BT2 (label also stocked at Urban Outfitters).  On the green theme see Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer ’10 (top left) almost old war style jacket, we found a high street version at BT2 by a new label to the store, J.C. Rags (top right).  Let’s just hope that shoot was done in Movember!  If green is not your thing check out French Connection‘s charcoal grey corporal jacket (image on intro).

Picking up a couple of the key items mentioned above will see you through the season in true style!

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Calling all varnish addicts, there’s a new Illamasqua range of nail polishes due out soon and available exclusively at BT2 Grafton Street.

What an absolute delight for us when we caught a sneak peek at the new Illamasqua range of pastel nail polishes.  Many of these colours we have just seen on the runways and they are translating to the streets.  They will work well this Summer with floral or colourful print dresses and pastel painted tootsies!  Available in four different ice-cream colours with equally colourful names – Blow, Wink, Nudge and Caress. The four polishes are described as ‘gorgeously creamy and long lasting’.  Wow.ie may put these varnishes to the test so watch this space.  The polishes are priced at €15 and are available from the 15th of March.

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BT2 are great at introducing us to new concepts but this one has to be one of the best yet!  There’s nothing worse than spending what seems like the entire day at a salon when all you want is a quick blow dry before heading out – enter dry styling!  What a great idea, ‘hair styling for the girl on the go’.

Pink Hairdressing launched the concept today at BT2 Dundrum and Blanchardstown by opening Ireland’s first dry style bar.  Apparently they have a full range of services listed on their bar menu including four on trend styles; modern sleek, bouncy waves, glamour braids or classic curls.  Styling is expected to take no more than 20mins and prices range from €15 – €30 depending on hair length – yipee!  Let us know if you have tried it.  We will be testing this concept out and reporting back, all in the name of work of course!

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Victoria Beckham (skinny) denim!  Not sure what to think about that one.  Yes, we were impressed by her dress collection but we can’t imagine her skinny jeans will be easy to wear or comfortable, not unless you’ve been marooned on a dessert island without food for a month!

When asked about her new designs Victoria said, “I’ve always been drawn to structured designs that enhance and flatter the shape of a woman’s silhouette.”  I did splash out on a pair of her dvb jeans a couple of years ago only to return them as they gapped so much I could have fit another person in beside me!  Should you wish to give them a go BT2 are carrying her line and prices start at €214. There’s some limited stock on net-a-porter.  Have a look and let us know what you think, or if you have purchased how are you finding them.  All styles pictured are available at BT2 Dundrum.

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It really is red carpet season so we thought why not get in on the act and scour the high street for the best there is – should you be lucky enough to need it!  We were pleasantly surprised by the choice and rather frustrated at having to trim down our selection but lets hope we have saved the best.

February is after all awards month in Ireland! With the Jameson Film Festival kicking off on the 18th February, the Meteor Music Awards on the 19th February and the I.F.T.A.’s (Irish Film and Television Awards) on the 20th February, red carpets are set to showcase some serious dresses and accessories. We wanted to show you how to achieve the look from high street stores, that won’t break the bank! To whet your appetite, wow.ie have put together a selection of evening dresses and accessories to highlight this seasons hottest looks suitable for many occasions including the red carpet, 21st’s and black-tie weddings.

To begin our high street hit list was Monsoon.  Our first find was not too dissimilar to Nicole Kidman‘s Prada dress which she wore to the Grammys, minus the ruffle neck detailing! Blue was also a popular colour at the Grammys with Fergie opting for a stunning short Emilio Pucci dress, Taylor Swift in a full length Kaufman Franco ‘glitter-tastic’ dress and Miley Cyrus in a short Herve Leger by Max Azria dress teamed with gladiator heels.  Our Monsoon favourites (top) are all well priced, from left – Allepo dress €280, Westbourne Maxi Dress €305, Kalahari Dress €310 and finally the Annabelle Dress at €250.

Our second store of choice for awards attire had to be Karen Millen!  The first dress from Karen Millen has a hint of Carrie Underwood‘s Grammy dress and the last dress was taking lead from Givenchy‘s use of lace, a big ‘boudoir’ trend this season. We also saw a kaleidoscope of colour at Couture week in Paris last month with Valentino leading the charge. Also bare in mind that animal prints are STILL in.  From left here’s what we’ve listed from Karen Millen – Cream Graphic Sequin dress €235, Blue Zebra print strapless dress €199, Kaleidoscope dress €199 and the beautiful lace dress €235.

Our final hit was Coast – where else!  I will admit to being nervous when it comes to shopping at Coast with the nagging thought that most of the other guests will probably have visited the store on their quest to find a dress.  However they probably do dresses better than anyone else on the high street so we couldn’t resist.  We uncovered every type of dress but decided with a busy month of red carpet events to go with the full length options. Again from left, Blue Symphony dress €205, second dress is the same as the first dress except we preferred it in the pink (a big colour this season), Harmony Maxi dress €325, Anise Maxi dress €250 and the Zola Beaded Maxi dress at €250.

Dress sorted but look far from complete without accessories. This is such an integral part to having a complete and polished look, plus it’s a way you can add a pop of colour or ‘craziness’ to an otherwise simple or block colour dress i.e. the old reliable LBD!  If the budget is tight pick up an inexpensive dress and invest in good accessories that can be worn again and again with both day wear or evening wear.  We’ve mentioned Irish designer Ali Nash before, great  jewellery that’s not mass produced and something a little different. (Check out our previous post on Ali Nash here or her site alinash.com) Ali will also create a bespoke piece if you have something particular in mind which would add to the sense of glamour.  Failing that we’ve picked out some of the best on offer through the high street and again we were not disappointed.

Let’s start from top and work our way down!  Earrings, love them or hate them they are a must have accessory this season.  We’ve chosen accessories mostly from Accessorize.  These colours will go with any dress so you should get to wear them again and again. From left – Pearly Chandelier €20, Show Stopping Chandelier €24 and the Teardrop Earring for €20.  All well priced.

We were sticking with Accessorize for accessories but we couldn’t resist adding a twist with these necklaces from Friis at BT2.  They will had an edge to which ever dress you choose.  The first would sit so well with the pink Symphony dress from Coast where as the other two will give an 80′s funky finish to any dress, and then work with a tank top or tee and skinny jeans for casual wear.

If you don’t have an assistant or make-up artist on hand you will be lowered to carrying your own handbag!  We’ve discovered three absolute gems at Accessorize with our favourtie being the bow detail bag in the middle.  Who needs Gina when you can ‘bag’ (sorry, couldn’t resist) yourself a Sparkly Clutch for €51! Our pick, the Babylon Bow Clutch, is an amazing €42 and the Chainmail Clutch, €42.

You have almost completed your look, the finishing touches are the Mega Bling Bracelet €30.50 and/or the Pearly Queen Bangle at €27.  Add to that an obnoxiously large ring and you will fit in on any red carpet.  Rihanna is always spotted wearing large costume rings, our choice from Accessorize, the Keepsake Ring is a bargain at only €25.50!  There you are fully kitted out, now you just need the invite!

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U.S. boutique Juicy Couture is set join the 55 designer outlet boutiques at Kildare Village this coming March. Founded in 1994 by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Taylor, the label has established a huge celebrity following with the likes of Madonna, Eva Longoria, Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

It’s not only the Juicy tracksuit the celebs favour, this season they have nailed the trench trend with Fergie, Naomi Watts and Eva Longoria all opting for the Juicy versions. Below we see this seasons Juicy take on the trench coat (short version pictured top), the military style jacket and the must have leather jacket, all of which are available at BT2.

You can expect to see the statement clothing adorned in the typical Juicy slogans including “Have a Juicy day”, “Peace, Love and Juicy” and “Some girls have all the Juicy” arrive on Monday, 22nd March. If you can’t wait that long to juice up your wardrobe then all looks pictured are available at BT2 now, having had a smooch around I can report they have a great and varied Juicy collection.

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If you are lucky enough to be wined and dined this Valentines you better make an effort to dress up!  We’ve chosen a couple of different looks to give you some inspiration.  Our first pick had to be this lace shift dress from River Island where you’ll also find a pair of patent black platform shoes with a dark purple heel to complete the look and a treasure trove of accessories. Next we’ve chosen a fringed charcoal dress from AWear (bargain at €50!) that could be tamed with black opaques and maybe a splash of colour with some red shoes or why not add colour with a pair of red sheer tights.  If you’ve fake tanned it would be fantastic with a killer pair of sexy heels.  Either of the Carvela shoes below from BT2 would do the trick!  You could always splurge or maybe be splurged upon for Valentines and be the proud owner of these gorgeous Jimmy Choo red patent peep toe sandals for €495 (JC on line).

If you are just at the beginning stages of a relationship and don’t want to appear too keen or maybe you just want a funkier look then any of the three looks below may be what you are looking for.  The first two are by Gestuz and the last by Goldsign, all available at BT2 with Gestuz also available on asos.com. The Gestuz ‘pants’ are one of the biggest trends this season, in particular the first pair incorporating a haphazard print. Adriano Goldschmied, formerly of AG jeans, is behind Goldsign which is a new denim line to BT2.  Each pair is unique with gold detailing on the back pocket and even better they’ve just a hint of that all important skinny jean essential – stretch!

Alternatively if you want to go all cutesy and girly this Valentines then Sonia by Sonia Rykiel‘s little pink dress is a winner!  I absolutely love this dress, it’s colour and the detailing on the shoulders – detailing that WILL make your waistline appear smaller. It is probably the most discrete piece from the collection which is full of bold colours and prints. Perhaps give the sunglasses a miss if it’s dinner instead of a liquid lunch. This dress is available from BT2. Sonia by Sonia Rykiel is also available on asos.com and net-a-porter.com. Prints and a hint of 80′s combine together with this floaty girly Frill Hem dress from Warehouse and it won’t break the bank at €60! They also do a wrap style similar to this dress at the same price.  You can team this dress with opaques and boots for day wear or office wear and pumps in the summer.  Here’s hoping you are all spoiled rotten whatever you do!

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