The love stories behind IMAGE women’s wardrobes

Here at Image.ie we’ve been getting involved in Fashion Revolution Week by shopping our own wardrobes and avoiding fast fashion. We asked our IMAGE family to pick an item in their wardrobe with a #lovestory and tell us why they’ll always choose it over disposable fashion. These are their stories:

Meg Walker, Managing Editor 

My wedding dress was first worn by my aunt in 1955, and has since been worn by my mother, my cousin, my sister and then me in 2000 for my own wedding. After every bride, the dress is cleaned and preserved in a special box from the dry cleaners to make sure it survives. It now lives with my aunt in Washington DC. It was an honour to wear something that was so lovingly preserved and could potentially outlive its wearers! It felt beautiful, and it felt like me. Nothing else that I could have bought in a store would have given me that feeling.

Sophie Teyssier, Social Media Manager

My mum bought her first ever big designer purchase when she was pregnant with me. She was living in Lyon at the time and apparently every woman there owned a Louis Vuitton bag. She said that it was a known thing that the more worn down and falling apart your Louis Vuitton was, the chicer you were; well, according to French women she knew. The cream leather straps turn brown and even green in parts over time, and having a Louis Vuitton bag that looked that way was the ideal scenario.

What’s funny is, the bag, which my mum kindly passed on to me, finally has that ‘vintage’ look. The style my mum was after initially. I adore it and even though it’s as old as me, I use it every day without fail.

Geraldine Carton, Staff Writer

My all-time favourite item of clothing has to be my Power Rangers jumper that I found in a Melbourne flea market back in 2013. I got it for $5 and although I’m now convinced that it was once a young boy’s pyjama top, it’s the one piece of clothing that never fails to bring compliments my way. I never realised how much passion people have for The Power Rangers, until I wore this top around… People just strike up a conversation with me when I wear it, and one time I wore it on a night out and the barman loved it so much that he gave me free drinks all night!

Dominique McMullan, Digital Editor

My mum owns an old Versace dress that I’ve borrowed on one or two big occasions. It’s 40 years old and looks like it’s still fresh off the hanger, that’s good design for you.

It’s simple and black, floor-length with a cutout panel on the side. It makes me feel ten feet tall and a bit like Elizabeth Hurley. I wish I could wear it every day and hope to pass it on to my daughter one day.

Grace McGettigan, Staff Writer

I have a flowy, calf-length skirt from H&M that I love. It’s cream with burnt-orange and burgundy butterflies all over (and it looks especially beautiful with black heels and a tucked-in top). I bought it ahead of my first interview for a journalism position – an internship with a beauty magazine. I got the job, and when it was time to move on from there, I wore it to another job interview. I got that job too, so I call it my lucky skirt. I’ll probably keep it forever.

Sophie White, Contributing Writer

Niamh O’Donoghue, Digital Leader

I got my first, real ‘adult hat’ made last June. I’ve always been a hat person (which you can read about here), so when I got an opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind hat for fashion week, I jumped at the chance. This particular hat is natural straw with a wider-than-normal brim. A pink, two-foot pheasant feather (the only of its kind in Europe) sits on the side and blows in the breeze when I walk. It’s more than just a ‘hat’ for me; it’s part of my wardrobe arsenal that gives me confidence and makes me walk with my head held high. (This also happened on my first day wearing it so I call it my lucky hat).

Erin Lindsay, Staff Writer

My mam has handmade me two Aran knits over the past couple of years; a cream jumper and a red cardigan. I love them both equally, and I know I could never buy anything as good in quality in the shops (not anything that I could afford, anyway!). I wear them to death every winter, they’re beautifully made and I always get so many compliments when I have one on. I then get delight in telling people that my own mammy made it just for me – made with love! She’s a keeper.