In the Well: Dudara.

OldGoat

Ladies, Gentlemen would you please put your virtual hands together and welcome Dudara to the Catwalk. Feel free to pry into her deepest style sekrets, to unearth her direst fashion faux pas and to bask in the reflected glory that is her taste in shoes.


Mod privelage of asking the first question.
Dudara, where do you live. Mrs.Goat wants me to burgle your collection of Irregular Choice shoes.
OK, OK, I know - I'm not allowed to ask personal questions like that.

I got herself a new pair of IC shoes for Chrismas (much Kudos) but what shoes will YOU hunt out when the trend for high heels starts to wane?

dudara

Indeed, much kudos OldGoat... it's rare to find such exquisite taste in a gent. Although having said that, my OH did buy me a pair of IC courts many moons ago.

I think that I'll continue to hunt out the same shoes that I always do - well-made and quirky. I don't think high heels will ever go out of fashion, but the recent trend for extreme heights will definitely bite the dust (thankfully).

One thing I don't do in shoes are stilettos or very thin heeled shoes. I've lost too many pairs to pavements to bother.

Emmsy

I always love your latest purchases posts. You must have quite a shoe collection.
So, is choice in clothing as quirky and colourful as your choice in shoes?

Would you prefer to spend a lot of money on one expensive item or loads of cheaper items? Basically quality or quantity?

If your closet was being burned to the ground what one item would you save and why?

winking weber

Whats your favourite online store for clothes (as opposed to shoes)

Toto Wolfcastle

I think Zaph has mentioned to you my love of your shoes so I'll put that to one side.

Is there any one outfit/item of clothing that you fall back on when you think you have nothing else to wear?

dudara

Emmsy wrote: »

I always love your latest purchases posts. You must have quite a shoe collection.

We won't mention the amount of space taken up by my shoes - most of them are kept in their original boxes.

Emmsy wrote:

So, is choice in clothing as quirky and colourful as your choice in shoes?

Yes and no. For work, I dress smartly, but still with good dose of colour. I think that I'm the only person in my company with a pink dress suit and a red skirt suit. But if I'm wearing those, the shoes will be more toned. Plainer suits, and I wear more colourful shoes. I think that the same holds in my out-of-work clothing.

I love detail - embroidered skirts, pleated tops and shirts. Well-executed though.

Emmsy wrote:

Would you prefer to spend a lot of money on one expensive item or loads of cheaper items? Basically quality or quantity?

When I was a student, Penneys was my best friend and it was quantity all the way. Lately though, I feel guilty about buying too much so I've definitely moved towards quality. A quality item will literally last for years.

If your closet was being burned to the ground what one item would you save and why?

Oh, that's a tough one. Very tough. Allow me three items...
(a) a brown flared embroidered skirt from Warehouse that my OH bought me about 5 years ago - great emotional attachment plus it's very flattering
(b) a pair of green and purple Prada wedges that I adore and
(c) My new Kate Spade leather handbag - another present from my OH - we bought it on holiday and it already has great emotional attachment.

Don't mess with me though, the thought of my closet being burned to the ground is scary

winking weber wrote:

Whats your favourite online store for clothes (as opposed to shoes)

I don't really shop for clothes online. I am petite but curvy so I really need to try things on before purchasing. I do love browsing Net A Porter though...

janeybabe wrote:

Is there any one outfit/item of clothing that you fall back on when you think you have nothing else to wear?

Oh there most definitely is. Where would you be without those lifesaving items? Some that come to mind for me are
(a) A Coast dress that I got last year - it's been to so many parties, dinners, weddings etc. It's flattering, fitted and looks great on. It's a 50s-style cotton dress, so it's not overblown like some Coast stuff
(b) A Banana Republic black dress that I got last year in the states (Think Roland Mouret Galaxy style). I wear this a lot to work with maybe a shirt underneath or a light jacket on top. It's a lifesaver!!!

ntlbell

What's the most common fashion faux pas you spot amongst males?

Have you ever tallied up the amount of money you have spent on shoes/handbags?

if not, does the thought of it scare you?

Where did the passion for shoes come from? was/is your mother a big influence?

Have you ever bought fake designer shoes/handbags?

Has a male ever commented on any of your shoes/bags besides your OH?

What item of clothing from previous years would you like to see make a come back?

do you think some women buy expensive handbags to impress their girl friends, impress male friends, or for themselves?

Has the current recession changed your shopping habits? if so how?

If you could change one thing about your OH's fashion sense, what would it be?

Ta

dudara

Here's some background info on myself

I am a 31 year old female, living in Dublin, working in professional services. I'm a petite, but curvy girl, always battling to stay ahead of my mother's genes.

I love style, not per se fashion. Over the years, I've learned to value quality over quantity (although 10 years of shoe buying leads to quantity too). I adore the smell and feel of a new leather pair of shoes or handbag.

I've been a massive fan of Irregular Choice shoes since the beginning of my postgrad and I probably have somewhere in excess of 20 pairs, stretching back over many seasons. I'm also a bit of a sneaker freak, with particular love for Adidas and Puma.

dudara

Big list of questions there ntlbell :O I'll do my best though

ntlbell wrote: »

What's the most common fashion faux pas you spot amongst males?

Lack of confidence or originality. Young men in Ireland have gotten a lot more forward in their style, but this still needs to spread though more of the male population.

If you had been more specific, i.e. young males then I'd say something along the lines of mullets and/or baggy-arsed skinny jeans.

ntlbell wrote:

Have you ever tallied up the amount of money you have spent on shoes/handbags?

if not, does the thought of it scare you?

Cumulatively, it's probably a hell of a lot. I recently cleaned out the shoe pile, throwing away some shoes and donating others to charity. It made me realise how wasteful some of my purchases had been. That's a lesson that I've been slowly learning over the last few years.

On the other hand, I don't mind spending my money, as long as I'm getting value for it.

ntlbell wrote:

Where did the passion for shoes come from? was/is your mother a big influence?

My mother has a room of shoes. I'm serious. We renovated our house years ago and turned one of the small bedrooms into a walk-in hot closet. It's now full of my mother's shoes. Granted she doesn't spend to the level I do, but she's a terrible hoarder and can't throw anything anyway. That's something I try to avoid.

ntlbell wrote:

Have you ever bought fake designer shoes/handbags?

About 2 years ago I went to a designer handbag party with friends and bought a Chloe for E90. Although the bag was actually leather, the finishing was terrible and it fell apart quickly enough. I swore then never to buy another knock-off again.

ntlbell wrote:

Has a male ever commented on any of your shoes/bags besides your OH?

Oh frequently. It's the topic of many a running commentary at work and amongst friends.

ntlbell wrote:

What item of clothing from previous years would you like to see make a come back?

I love 50's style day dresses and 60s style shift dresses. They're so flattering to so many people and look so elegant. I mean, why are shoulder pads back? Or neons? They weren't great first time out and still look terrible - it would be good to see a flattering fashion make a comeback.

ntlbell wrote:

do you think some women buy expensive handbags to impress their girl friends, impress male friends, or for themselves?

I think that there's definitely an element of oneupmanship in buying designer bags for some people. Look how many yummy drummies and their daughters have the Chloes and Juicys. Ultimately, it's terribly tedious to see the same bags on the street.

However, a lot of people see these bags as a reward for their hard work - and rightly so. Every time you carry that bag on your arm, you'll remember the person who gifted, or how you saved to get it.

ntlbell wrote:

Has the current recession changed your shopping habits? if so how?

Not in the slightest. I was always a bargain hunter and I still am. I buy very little at full price - instead I wait for sales or special offers. Even though I'm far better off now than I was years ago, I still shop the same way.

ntlbell wrote:

If you could change one thing about your OH's fashion sense, what would it be?

Ooh, that's controversial. TBH, he dresses very well. He's got flair and he knows what suits him. I'm scratching my head here, but I can't think of anything I'd change.

Seren_

Do your clothes reflect your personality?

What colours do you feel suit you best?

Is there an outfit/item of clothing you wore in the past that was so bad you wish you'd just never worn it?

dudara

Your Text Here wrote: »

Do your clothes reflect your personality?

I think they do. My personality veers from being very outgoing to being introverted and I think my clothes also follow suit.

What colours do you feel suit you best?

I'm a reddish-blonde with freckles and blue eyes so obviously royal/aquamarine blues suit. I like greens and browns also for casual wear. Surprisingly, red looks great on me. It's such a vibrant, warm colour. I think more people should wear red.

I tend to go for solid colours in my clothing - I feel that prints cover me up somehow, whereas block colours work better.

Is there an outfit/item of clothing you wore in the past that was so bad you wish you'd just never worn it?

LOL - I was a child in the 80s and a student in the 90s/early 00s so the answer to that question would be yes!

Let me think, there were the flowery leggings with matching jacket as an early teenager or maybe my confirmation outfit! Let's not go there

In recent years, I remember binning a pair of blue pinstriped trousers after just one wear. I don't know how I missed the fact that they gave me sausage legs in the shop.

insert-gear

Do you like any particular designers' looks?

Most expensive item bought

What kind of things do you wear when you go out?

Least favourite trend of the last few years?

dudara

insert-gear wrote: »

Do you like any particular designers' looks?

I've always liked Vivienne Westwood's energy. Weirder stuff aside, a lot of designs are wearable. I don't own any though but I've been eyeing up her handbags of late.

insert-gear wrote:

Most expensive item bought

As I said, I'm a sale shopper and bargain hunter. I have lots of shoes that would have been originally priced E500-600 which I've purchased for E200ish or under

Two full price items spring to mind though
(a) a pair of red metallic patent leather boots I bought from Duo while the Euro/Sterling exchange rate wasn't great. They ended up costing me something like E250 but I do have larger than usual calves so buying boots that fitted was worth it to me.
(b) My Samsung NC10 netbook in blue which cost me E400. I think fashion and style extends to everything in your life, from the car you drive to the phone or laptop you have. I adore that netbook, I love the colour and size, and especially the fact that it's also relatively powerful.

insert-gear wrote:

What kind of things do you wear when you go out?

I like dresses, pretty much always knee-length. I don't do nightclubs anymore, instead I prefer dinners/meals/pubs. I also like jumpers and jeans! I really don't care a lot of the time, unless there's an occasion. I much prefer to be comfortable.

insert-gear wrote:

Least favourite trend of the last few years?

The 80s comeback. It was not pretty first time round...