Summer fashion tips from Celia Holman Lee

Former model, stylist and TV personality Celia Holman Lee draws the fashionistas wherever she goes. A familiar face all over Ireland from her myriad of appearances at shows and events the length and the breadth of the country, not to mention her popular work on Ireland AM fashion slot on TV3, the Limerick-based lady is trusted by Irish women as a guru in style and elegance. At 60, she flies the flag for not just how an older woman can age gracefully and dress well, but ladies of all ages can learn something from this fashion dynamo, who is constantly gracing the best dressed lists of the glossies and awards seasons year after year. The Westmeath Independent caught up with Celia recently in the wake of her recent fashion advice presentations in Athlone Towncentre to glean some all important tips of what to buy and check out for what, hopefully, will be a sunbaked summer ahead. Firstly, what five trends would Celia advise budding fashionistas to make sure are part of their wardrobe for the holiday season? "Well, have something white definitely. All the high streets shops and multiples carry a great selection of white for the summer. The best buy for me is lovely white jeans. The second thing I would say is get yourself a bit of colour, I recently bought a yellow top, for the first time in years with green on it. Colour blocking is also huge this year and looks great when you're top to toe in one colour but in different shades," she advises. Another must-have is wedges, Celia recommends, but be careful what type you choose if you have thicker lower legs. "They are fab but look at them from the back and make sure there is a good shape to them. Another thing you should get yourself is a nice sun hat. They are everywhere this season as are maxi dresses, which can be dressed up for a night out or down with flip flops for a walk on the beach. The multicoloured floral maxi dresses look amazing flowing in the sun," she enthuses. Special occasion dressing really comes into focus during the summer months with weddings, the races and a plethora of parties of occasions vying for your attention and all need outfits to match. Celia says on her recent visit to Athlone she was very impressed by some of the beautiful pieces in Coast, fabulous dresses in Zara and a new label in Oasis. Monsoon is also a brand to be reckoned with for the big event, Celia feels, as are of course, the many fabulous boutiques in the Athlone area. How does she feel about wearing black to a wedding, a do or a don't? The Limerick-based fashionista says she has worn black to weddings many times but never as the sole colour, explaining that she donned a black and cream combo, black and gold dress or the ever stylish black/white monochrome look. "Unless you can dress it up, I wouldn't wear all black to a wedding. Go with all cream accessories, cream gloves or shoes or add red or green or another colour with it," she observes, adding that her own all-time favourite wedding outfit would be probably be a shell pink fine knitted dress with beading detail, matching wrap, with Philip Treacy hat and bag for her daughter's big day eight years ago. Again, she harps back to colour as the basis for all the summer event dressing, pointing out that there is nothing that catches the eye better in the sun than a dash of a strong red, green or yellow, for example, but be careful not to overmix the colours, stick to two, or opt for different shades of the same colour. In the hats or fascinators debate, Celia doesn't come down on either side but she cautions women of her age to be careful what of hat they choose. "If you are an older woman be careful to choose a fine fabric hat, if it's a thick black or brown hat, the sun won't shine through to your face and that's important," she says sagely. "I love fascinators, they are demented and beautiful. I love some of the crazy ones but I'd just advise anyone just to make sure their hair is done and in place for a fascinator to look well." But can you dress for a big event on a budget? Celia laughs as she answers: "Yes, it is but you have to get the flat shoes out and start searching. First, start with the dress and then the head piece. You gotta find something different or unique. You don't want to walk in in a Penneys or Dunnes dress and see ten of them! Put your own stamp on them, say a jacket from Dunnes with a dress from somewhere else and say, a headpice from Accessorize. You really gotta shop, look around twice," she says, adding that mixing up brands or customising can differentiate a budget outfit and set it apart from the rest. Accesorising is also really important if you are dressing on a budget, she stresses. Not surprisingly, I suppose, given her knowledge of many of the best independent shops nationwide, the style guru is a real advocate of supporting your local boutique, buying Irish brands where possible and supporting Irish retail jobs. She says Athlone and the wider Midlands is spoiled for choice in terms of fantastic boutiques offering the best of brands, Irish and international, ideal for all occasions but, especially when you want something special for a big day or night name checking Kadee, Burgess, Grace's and Olivia Danielle in this regard as just a sample of the many great shops locally. One well cut piece, like a classic shift dress will last for years of course and is a great investment for any wardrobe, she enthuses, adding that she wears a lot of Irish brands and a label she likes at present is Aideen Bodkin, an Irish designer, who produces some fabulous garments. She was photographed recently wearing some of her clothes in a recent edition of VIP magazine.