*** UPDATE: See comments below for details on other sales start dates****

The Clerys Winter sale launches Monday 26th December 2011 at 9am. For those brave enough to make the early morning trip, there are some fantastic reductions in store! Some opening sale offers include one lucky shopper getting their hands on a Sleep Spa 5′ bed, normally retailing at €1999, for just €1!

Of course if you’re not in the market for a new bed there’ll be lots of other great bargains to be had. Here’s sneak peek of what’s up for grabs:

Sale Offers:
Karen Millen: Up to 50% off on selected items
Mango: Up to 50% off everything
Warehouse: Up to 50% off on selected items
Oasis: Up to 50% off on selected items
Menswear: Up to 50% off on selected items
Kitchenware: Up to 50% off on selected items
Curtains: Up to 70% off on selected readymade curtains
Lingerie: Up to 50% off on selected styles
Beds: Up to 50% off on selected beds

1 x 5′ Sleep Spa storage divan set retail value €1999, will be €1
1 x 5′ Silentnight Ortho Backcare storage divan set retail value €1349, will be €1
1 x 5′ Respa Ballymore five foot storage divan set retail value €999, will be €1
1 x Thor TH1050 1000 Spin Washing Machine retail value €249.99, will be €99
1 x Blue Diamond BD32LCD – 32” HD Ready Saorview Approved LCD TV retail value €349.99, will be €99

If you’ve got details of any other great sales do post them as comments below or email to info@helpmystyle.ie and we’ll compile a handy sale guide.

The Irish Hospice Foundation, in partnership with Boots, will host a celebrity handbag auction at Dublin’s Lost Society on South William Street on 27th October, in aid of children with life-limiting conditions and their families. The event, entitled Heavenly Handbags, aims to raise much-needed funds for Children’s Hospice Homecare. Celebrity bags going under the hammer include donations from Miss Ireland Holly Carpenter, Rosanna Davison, TV presenters Claire Byrne, Lisa Cannon and rugby star Shane Horgan among others. Designer bags by Philip Treacy, Orla Kiely and Karen Millen have all been donated to the event. Guests can enjoy ‘Heavenly cocktails’, a Boots beauty zone, offering complimentary makeovers, beauty tips and a take home goodie bag from No7, Lancôme and Origins.

Tickets for the Heavenly Handbags cost €20 and are now on sale at Boots Stores on Grafton Street, Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, Dundrum Town Centre, Swords Pavillion and Donnybrook or call 01 77 80000 for more information.

The Karen Millen winter sale continues with up to 70% off in stores nationwide and online www.karenmillen.com. There are some fab reductions across a range of different styles of clothing, accessories and jewellery. No better time to stock up on some wardrobe essentials!

Pictured above (from left to right) are some of the offers available today!

1. Ruffle Prom Dress was €250 now €120
2. Ruched Crepe Dress was €215 now €130
3. Nude strapless Dress was €399 now €99

This Friday sees the 4th Anniversary of Karen Millen, Grafton Street, Dublin. To celebrate they are having an in-store customer event with cupcakes & drinks with Lisa Fitzpatrick on hand to offer personal styling advice & signing copies of her new style book.

With 15% discount on offer in store ALL DAY (this Friday November 26th), it’s sure worth popping in if you’re around. Oh and if you do, make sure to check out the Ombre leopard print one-shoulder pencil dress…it’s gorgeous!

The latest arrivals to land in store at Karen Millen are these two fabulous creations…swoon! Both limited edition, the leather coat and jacket have been given a contemporary twist with the addition of a fur trim. I always find brown the most sumptuous of colours when it comes to leather and the fur really amps up the luxe element.

As we know leather and fur are key trends this winter and if you’re looking for a simple way to introduce fur into your wardrobe this coat ticks all the boxes.

The super soft texture and aged effect of the leather gives the coat a laid back yet super sexy and sophisticated feel. I especially love the different zip detailing on both coats. Each piece is very versatile and would look equally fab dressed down with a pair of skinny jeans & boots or, if you wanted to go girly, teamed with a floral dress and some wedge boots. For a killer evening look dress it up by adding tights and an LBD. Either way it’s the ideal piece for looking chic but staying warm during the winter months.

Perhaps a little pricey but it’s worth it for the quality of fabric, detailing and KM’s attention to detail -
Jacket €499 / Coat €650.

Looking for an alternative coat to leather? Check out this season’s best camel coats.

Given the fact that it’s absolutely bucketing down this morning, I thought it quite ironic when I opened my inbox to find this little piece of cinematography – a sneak preview of Karen Millen’s upcoming Autumn Winter collection. Some of the pieces look really lush & gorgeous and as you’d expect from KM pieces cut from fabulous fabrics. What’s interesting is the slight change in direction, focusing on soft, relaxed daywear pieces, picking up on the trend for minimalism. Of course there are plenty of glam party dresses and evening wear too. Check it out for yourself…

This season, updating your look needn’t involve maxing out the credit card or ditching last season’s best-buys. You can transform your style with the appearance of a new wardrobe simply by choosing the right mix of ultra-chic accessories. Most seasons usher in a key must-have piece but this spring summer, it’s not so much what you wear, it’s how much you wear. More is most definitely more when it comes to jewellery and accessories. From statement earrings, chunky neckpieces, and even huge headbands, all worn together in many cases, accessories have been quite literally piled on across the catwalks. To bring a touch of this year’s hottest trends to your style it’s all about introducing the right accessories.

RING STACKING

Ring stacking is one of the hot trends for 2010 with Sienna Miller, Lindsay Lohan and our very own Una Healy (of The Saturdays) already hooked. Taking the lead from the popularity of charm bracelets, ring stacking involves wearing a bunch of rings on one finger. To the fore of the stack ring concept is ‘Daisy Jewellery’ which offers a huge range of designs from delicate silver bands featuring daisies, butterflies, bees and dragonflies, to chunky gold rings with dragon and lion motifs. The idea is to mix and match every piece bringing fun and individuality to your fingers in the same way the charm bracelet do for the wrist. Individual rings begin at €30 making ring stacking an affordable fancy. Daisy Jewellery is available from Emma Boutique, Clarendon Street, Dublin and stockists nationwide.

FRINGE BENEFITS

The flapper style continues this season with fringing invading the highstreet and becoming a must-have finishing touch on everything and anything including coats, scarves, handbags, necklaces and even bikinis. Depending on the garment and fabric, fringing lends itself to a variety of looks from boho to ultra-sexy.

HEAD WEAR

If the thoughts of wearing an oversized, attention grabbing headband doesn’t quite float your boat, fear not as this season headband accessories are as much about cute quirkiness as they are about making a statement – think more Gossip Girl than Lady Gaga. From sparkly printed ones to pretty chiffon styles, hair bows of all shapes and sizes are a hot trend having featured in collections from Louis Vuitton to Marc Jacobs. The highstreet is currently awash with cute headpieces in every style imaginable for example the cute single rose glitter clip (pictured above) €5 from Topshop.

CLOGGING ABOUT

While clogs have been a (not quite sartorial) staple for centuries for factory workers and the Dutch alike, I never quite thought they would make a return to fashion with such gusto. Undoubtedly fashion darling Alexa Chung wearing a Chanel pair on the cover of Vogue UK helped add appeal and the highstreet has followed suit. These are from Topshop, priced at €145. Team with a pair of jeans and a boyfriend shirt to channel your inner Alexa!

LACE UP

Lace made a big entrance in 2009 and this spring it continues to surge. Delicate, feminine, elegant and at times risqué, it’s ideal for layering. Combine delicate lace items with tougher fabrics such as denim or leather for a right on trend look this season. This shrunken French lace jacket with three quarter length sleeve and scalloped edging, €250 by Karen Millen, is absolutely to die for. If you invest in only one piece of lace this year, make it this.

Details after the cut

1. Topshop Single Rose Glitter Clips €5
2. Lace Jacket from Karen Millen €250 (due in stores 22nd March)
3. A|wear nude fringe & beaded scarf €10
4. Ted Baker Flynt small shoulder bag €199 approx
5. Ted Baker Scorey Thick woven belt €59 approx
6. Fringe bag from A|wear €35

Karen Millen launch their Spring/Summer 2010 collection this morning in the salubrious surroundings of the Aviation Lounge in Bentley’s on the Green. This latest offering heralds a new carefree mood from KM with elegant, draped pieces perfect for layering combined with lots of flowing fabrics with feminine detailing.

A more relaxed silhouette dominates the collection in a mixed palette from calm neutrals to hot tropical colours & prints bringing vibrancy to the mix. Some of the highlights include the pale grey silk top decorated with delicate ruffles and cocktail dress finished with gorgeously embellished jeweled shoulders.

Body-con continues this spring with one of my favourites being the sporty sharply-cut dress with origami fold neckline in monochromatic stripes. Fans of colour need not worry as cobalt blue, coral and yellow add pops of bold uplifting colour and abstract digital prints providing a cool, futuristic feel to summer dresses.

February is well and truly awards month in Ireland with the Jameson Film Festival kicking off last night, the Meteor Music Awards tonight and the I.F.T.A.’s taking place tomorrow night. Heads no doubt will be turned with some show-stopping glamour as red carpets showcase some serious dresses and accessories.

So we decided to have a look at some of the best dresses currently on the highstreet and put together a selection of dresses that would not look out of place on the red carpet…and won’t break the bank!

1. Coast Anise Maxi Dress €250
2. Coast Harmony Maxi Dress €325
3. Karen Millen KM Folded Cocktail Dress €235
4. KM Cream Graphic Sequin Dress €235
5. Karen Millen Blue Zebra Print Strapless Dress €199

This week has been a week of firsts for me – first time to get stuck in a lift (not good), first time to watch vampire series True Blood (I’m addicted already) and my first time to visit Kildare Village.

Generally speaking outlet shopping isn’t usually my bag. I did it once on a trip to NYC and to be honest it wasn’t the best experience. With that in mind it’s no surprise then it’s taken me so long to finally buck up the courage to tackle Kildare Village. It opened in 2006 and has grown from just over an initial dozen shops to over 60 stores today and counting. One of the latest additions is Louise Kennedy.

If you’ve already visited you know what lies in store. And if you haven’t it’s well worth the trip. My initial scepticism quickly dissipated once I hit the wide laid cobbled pathways. With its immaculately maintained village-scape, wood paneled shopfronts and topiary scrubs, it conjures up images of the Hamptons (or what I imagine the Hamptons to be like. I’ve not been yet!). The open air is refreshing and great if the man in your life doesn’t like the ‘trapped feeling’ of some shopping centres.

Most high-end highstreet brands have a presence including Reiss, Jaeger, Bally, Radley, L.K. Bennett, Ted Baker and Karen Millen all offering great discounts on previous seasons. The real sweetener for me came when I realised most of the stores also appeared to have a selection of items from their new collections – happy days!

I was particularly impressed with All Saints (my credit card not so much) and the Anya Hindmarch store which has some of the most amazing bags I’ve seen lately. Fans include Scarlett Johansson & Claudia Schiffer. With bags originally priced at over €800 reduced to under €200 whats not to like.

When it all got too much Italian eatery L’Officina by Dunne & Crescenzi offered the ideal spot to relax and refuel before round two. One things for sure, in the run up to Christmas I’ll definitely be back!

One of the highlights for me from the collection is the deep purple suede ankle boots with bow detail. These retail at €215 and are worth every penny. And then there’s the metallic leather jacket with ruffle detail that is just exquisite! It’s a little pricier at €450.

Check out some of the looks below and go to www.karenmillen.com for more details.

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For larger women, a halter-style or bandeau top is preferable to thin spaghetti straps, as they are more flattering to the bust. A V-neck draws attention away from the bust and is flattering for the fuller figure.

Some of my favourite maxi-dresses available this season on the highstreet…