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Deciding what to wear each morning is… exciting and scary all at once. My weight has been up and down in the last four years so I do a lot of trying on before I get to the right outfit. I also own a couple of classic beauties that don’t fit at the moment but I know they will at some stage so I’m keeping them. I wish I was like David Beckham and I could plan my outfits a week ahead!
I choose my look each day depending on… the plan. Am I staying home for the day but going grocery shopping later on? I like different looks from “sweet and pink” to “Berlin streets dress code”, so I think I actually choose my outfits based on mood and plan – it’s a 50/50 ratio.
The best investment I ever made in my wardrobe was… probably accessories. I have a couple of pairs of luxury sunglasses that always make my outfit better and a couple of hard-body bags. I take good care of them so they last for many years. I don’t really own much plus I love moving fashion around so selling and buying second-hand is my favourite hobby.
It takes me at least 1 hour to get ready because… sometimes the outfit I’ve planned in my head doesn’t look the same in reality so I have to start again, improvise and improve. I’ve learned that fashion is more about you and less about what other people want to see you wearing. The more you experiment, the better you feel in your clothes and the easier putting an outfit together becomes. It’s the best way to find your own unique style.
Sunglasses and hats are my biggest fashion weakness because… I always want them all!
The one fashion piece I would save in a fire is… my (already broken in, my poor feet) Doc Martens. They’d definitely help me build up my wardrobe again if I lost the rest in a fire because I can dress them up and down depending on the occasion. They’re comfortable and perfect for the cold wet Irish weather too.
My style in three words: I can’t define my style in only three words but moody and retro are two adjectives that come to mind. Reusing and reinvention are also a big part of my style.
My relationship with fashion is… a tiny bit of hate and a lot, lot, lot of love. Some things should never come back into fashion – mini dresses over jeans for example, please don’t do it! I hope this doesn’t backfire on me… I was a teenager/young adult in the late 90s and early 2000s. I tried to wear styles that suited my figure but not everything was a winner – especially if you didn’t have the 90s supermodel body type. My relationship with fashion has definitely improved over the years but I’ve always had a real love for retro 70s styles. Does that count as vintage now right?
Heels or flats?
I can’t remember the last time I wore heels although I always feel amazing wearing them… until it becomes painful to walk.
Favourite style icon?
I have many style icons, like Julia Fox or Amy from @afashionnerd because they’re creative with their style. I also like @notzeda. Her style is very cool!
My favourite time of the year to dress for is… party season of course!
Best style advice I’ve ever gotten: wear the right size, layer and be comfortable.
The ingredients of a good outfit are… individual to each person. It’s all about what you like and enjoy. Fashion is personal and it merges into personality. There are no right ingredients… but please don’t wear a mini dress on top of your jeans!
My current favourite piece of clothing is… a black vintage leather jacket that I bought in 2022 for €15 in a charity shop in Roscommon. I’m lucky enough to have a boyfriend who loves second-hand fashion and he has a very good eye too. Every time we travel, we visit second-hand shops around the country. I wear this specific jacket all the time – it gets lots of compliments! It’s hip-length with big pockets to fit my wallet on one side and my phone on the other. Win!
Three wardrobe staples everyone should invest in: the first is an oversized coat. I have two favourites in particular – one is from Irish designer Laoise Carey. It’s an upcycled olive green beauty with a stunning vintage tea towel on the back. Every time I wear it I get compliments. The other one is a 15-year-old very thick Gallery coat that I inherited from a friend before she went back to the US. The second is a simple black dress to layer, layer, layer. Third, a hard leather handbag, preferably in black so you can add a handkerchief or some more accessories to make it unique and compliment your ‘fit.
If I could raid one person’s wardrobe it would be… definitely Roisin Murphy’s! I’m sure I’d take every single thing.
My fool-proof date night outfit is… black pants, boots, an oversized shirt and accessories to show my personality. I’m wearing a lot of pearls and metals at the moment. For make-up, just a black cat-eye.
My favourite fashion era is… the 70s – flares, leather coats, gold satin dresses, mini dresses with long sleeves, knee-high boots, girls in suits. It’s all about the glamour.
I feel most confident when… I’m not aware of my outfit because it’s just comfortable. That said, I also have to like what I see when I look in the mirror, so if I like it, I’m confident.
An outfit of mine with the most sentimental meaning is definitely what I wore the day I met my boyfriend in person. Long story short, we met online in 2020 during the first Covid lockdown. He’s from Laois so we couldn’t meet in person straight away. We had been dating online for five weeks before he came to Dublin (there’s a full article about us in The Irish Times). On that day, I wore linen shorts, a green sage silk top – both from Reiss – and brown ankle boots from Shoe Embassy London. I think the sentimental part of the outfit was very linked to the experience. I live in Ranelagh and by the time we met, you could go for walks around your local area, get a takeaway Aperol Spritz from Gigi’s (they were €5 at that point), or sit around the park enjoying the lovely weather we had then. Pure early Covid joy.
My best vintage find: I have a few. I got a beautiful leather belt with a golden leaf buckle in Paris for €20 in 2019. I also own a late 60s, early 70s dress that I got from Katrina at pre loved by Shay and Jo. I met her a while ago through my jewellery brand Sandia Dublin. She’s super cool, stylish, fun and has a lot of beautiful pieces to sell.
Fashion is about… the person choosing their outfit every day. Fashion is fun and should be respected. I don’t think there’s right or wrong when it comes to fashion, just perceptions and tastes. Yes, there are trends and I love some of them but follow them or not, they’re just there for you to experiment with. In my opinion, finding an amazing piece at a charity shop for super cheap is the ultimate goal for fashion success – mix it up with what you already have and voila, you’re good to go!
The most worn item in my wardrobe is… probably that black leather jacket I keep mentioning. Sometimes you just need a coat or a jacket to make the outfit work.
Favourite people to follow for style inspiration: My list is so long that I’m just gonna name who I can remember right now, @sammijefcoate, @zdroyevski_, @evelilycp, @polychrom3, @saracamposarcone, @watchingnewyork, @thehippieshake.
Why did you set up @watchingdublin?
I set up my @watchingdublin account to document the city’s fashion scene because it has grown so much since I moved here in 2010. I had wanted to do it for so long – ever since I took my first Dublin street fashion picture on a rainy Culture Night back in 2011. I didn’t really think much of it at the time, but I knew I wanted to do it again. Then around 2014, I set up an account called @fashionindublin – I documented a bit on that, but ultimately what inspired me again (besides the Instagram account @watchingnewyork) was the creativity that the Irish put into fashion. I say Irish only to group everybody who walks on the streets of Dublin. Everyone feels the real city vibe. It’s the people who keep Dublin alive, who fight against the new concrete walls being built around us and to show that there’s an amazing mix of cultures in this city. Now is the time to express ourselves.
The last thing I bought was… sleeves made of recycled denim by Irish designer @feebyofelia.
On weekends I tend to wear… runners to walk into town, lycra shorts and a blazer, with my thick Celine sunglasses or my fave yellow lenses from TK Maxx.
The piece I have my eye on right now is… more sunglasses! I’m looking for something vintage from the 60s or 70s. I don’t really want to spend over €200 to have a brand name on a pair of new sunnies anymore – I say this to myself every time I’m at the sunglasses shop in the airport, but I’m doing well!
Best city for shopping: I’ve found a good few things in Paris and Berlin but I’ve been to Madrid four times this year and they have amazing treasures at the best prices so my secret is out now!
The Dublin fashion scene is… growing, fun and personal. People are mixing high fashion with pre-loved and that is incredible. There’s a lot of colour around and a lot of Irish design but also a lot of amazing classic styles. When I go out I’m always complimenting people’s outfits and if they’re up for a picture or a quick interview I’ll do it. Most people are open to it, some don’t really believe they actually look amazing and the small minority that have said been rude or said no, obviously just aren’t having fun!
Imagery provided by Betzy Nina Medina.