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Sarah Finnan

Sarah Macken: A week in my wardrobe

Sarah Macken: A week in my wardrobe


by Sarah Finnan
31st Jan 2025

When it comes to fashion, no one does it quite like Sarah Macken whose wardrobe is bursting with Breton stripes, denim (in all washes and cuts) and more than a few lust-worthy coats.

TUESDAY

I’m away for the night, staying at a friend’s house. We go for dinner with our husbands and return early, like retirees, to drink rosé and put the world to rights. I haven’t dressed up in ages and I want to feel a bit special so I take this beautiful Queens of Archive dress for a spin. I got it for my birthday last year and it’s the perfect occasion dress – not to be worn too often, so that when you do it wields a special power. I forget to steam it before I wear it and I still question if the shoulder pads are a bit much on me, but it lifts my mood. I hang it up at the end of the evening and resolve to wear more statement dresses. I team it with a pair of black studded leather clogs by Ganni (a favourite in my wardrobe in spite of the fact that they actually pinch, a lot), and a new coat I just treated myself to. 

WEDNESDAY

I’m at home, and on a day off, so I am dressed for a bracing winter walk. I have mostly kicked the fast fashion habits that I had when I worked in-house as a magazine editor – this ASOS faux fur coat is a hangover from that time. However, I’ve worn it so many times over the last ten years, I feel like it makes up for it. I team it with my new favourite bag: a woven leather shoulder bag that I got from an independent brand called Rimini on Wolf & Badger; the design is in a similar vein to those from Dragon Diffusion. I’m nursing an unfettered coat addiction, particularly for dramatic faux furs that sweep towards my ankle. However, in recent years, I find I can only wear them when I deliberately dress them down – teaming them with trainers, a baseball cap (this one is from Beaufort & Blake) and jeans. It’s the tension between high and low that makes for an interesting outfit, I think. I notice my jeans are crinkled, but I wear them anyway, they’re a straight-leg pair from COS. If I had to choose one fashion item to wear for the rest of my life, it would be white jeans. They would be stained as hell, but I’d be happy. 

THURSDAY

Mooching around town, stopping off at a fancy hotel for a work event, and I need an outfit that is both elevated and comfortable. I’d rather be the most underdressed person in the room, always. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to look crisp. I’m taking the trend for an unexpected pop of red quite seriously (apparently!), so I layer this red crew-neck sweater with a red cashmere neck scarf, both are from Scout, one of my favourite boutiques in Dublin. I loop a pearl necklace from Frkl around the scarf, for some interesting detail. My basket bag is from Loewe, I bought it on Vestiaire Collective recently. I am firmly of the opinion that a basket bag is not just for summer. In fact, it looks cooler when worn with a navy wool coat and the perfect pair of jeans. My patent leather loafers are by a French shoe brand called Bobbies, and I like teaming them with ribbed socks in unexpected colours (this time I opt for a rich shade of tobacco). 

FRIDAY

Today I’m shooting a video for an independent fashion boutique that I love, that happens to be down the road from my house. Although, a lie-in is not on the cards. I get up early to file copy, still in my pyjamas, and, thankfully, can switch gears into this outfit pretty quickly. It’s a remixed version of the outfit I had on yesterday. This is not uncommon for me. If I like something, I tend to wear it for a couple of days in a row, tweaking my accessories slightly. I’m not sure if it’s a uniform of sorts, if I am just a phase-y person or if it’s laziness; perhaps, all of the above! The hero piece for me is this full-length tweed coat by luxury Irish fashion brand The Landskein. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of how it makes even the most simple of outfits feel sophisticated. The jeans are by Copenhagen brand Skall, the jumper is from The Little Wooden Peg and I need to break in my Dr. Martens boots properly (my heels are still paying). 

SATURDAY

I go out for dinner with friends. I’m not feeling any of the dresses I have (I seem to be mainly living in separates) and everything ‘dressy’ I put on doesn’t feel right. So I don’t dress up: simple. This funnel neck knit by COS is pure cashmere and, in retrospect, is a far more luxurious dinner companion. I add interest with gold earrings and a ring. They’re both by the Danish brand Lie Studio. I don’t like fussy jewellery, but there’s something about the simple but statement shapes this fashion-insider-founded brand makes that speak to me. In fact, I just invested in something from their new hair accessories range, too. You can find the brand at Loulerie, on Chatham Street. I want to add something extra so I try an Olsen tuck with my hair and layer up a big faux fur coat on top: comfort (and warmth) is king.  

SUNDAY

I have been shooting some content for a collaboration so I get to take this navy coat for a spin (it’s also by The Landskein). I am pairing it with the same combination as before: straight-leg jeans, boots and a woven leather bag. This is an easy look, but it’s actually the kind of outfit that makes me feel the most me. I wear a grey crew-neck jumper underneath. It’s my most favoured thing to wear (after white jeans, that is). My favourite grey crew-neck reference is Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1980s (Grease 2, to be precise) and, of course, Kate Moss in the 2000s: perfection. It’s a dreary old day so I add a red wool scarf by Arket for some much-needed zing.  

MONDAY

I attend a lunch for the press at the home of a very chic designer. It’s the perfect opportunity to take my new leopard print coat for a spin. This one is by Rixo: it keeps selling out and I can see why. I am rather taken by it, so I actually plan my whole outfit around my jacket. It’s freezing out so I go with a black turtleneck underneath and my old reliable white jeans. My studded silver leather belt is by Massimo Dutti. I debate whether to go with big earrings, but I realised I’d be clashing silver and gold, and I’m not sure if I’ve figured out how to do that just yet, so I keep to small gold sleeper hoops (these ones are by MoMuse). It’s a hackneyed phrase at this point but leopard print is very much a neutral in my wardrobe. There’s something about the slim, vintage feel of this coat that feels particularly pleasing too. When I get home, I comfort watch an episode of Sex and the City and I note to wear it with a slip dress, heels and a 90s-inspired Fendi-adjacent shoulder bag on a future occasion, in the vein of Carrie. 

Imagery courtesy of Sarah Macken. We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.