Friday Jul 15 2011

Everyone is doing it so Kerry McKittrick and Laura McGarrity raided the wardrobes of six local celebrities to find that perfect little item that they’re happy to be seen in again and again.

Once upon a time being spotted in the same outfit twice was fashion suicide for the well-dressed society woman. Now everyone from royalty to A-list actresses are giving their favourite hot numbers more than one outing. Actress Minnie Driver has graced film premieres in a ravishing red dress on more than one occasion.

Even Princess Anne isn’t above a bit of royal thriftiness, wearing the same outfit for the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 which she rolled out again 27 years later for another royal affair.

And that connoisseur of couture, Samantha Cameron has a double-duty dress which she wore to both a barbecue with the Obamas earlier this summer and then lunch with the Queen and Prince Philip.

Meanwhile, the trend-setting Duchess of Cambridge displayed her considerable fashion nous by wearing a patterned blue dress coat to Prince Philip's birthday service, an outfit which originally made an appearance at a wedding in 2009.

With practically every tailored dress or smart blazer worn by the new Duchess selling out in days, she is proving her style savvy and is not afraid to wear it again.

Even style icon Victoria Beckham has had a fashion Groundhog Day in her leather Balmain jacket, Loewe hat and Stella McCartney jeans— but that was in the days before she had her own label.

And in these belt-tightening times, every woman should have a go-to outfit. The little black dress that can be whipped out for a hot date at a moment's notice or a figure-flattering jacket that whittles in your waist that is perfect at the office.

It’s official, the wardrobe staple is back in fashion.

Haven’t we seen that somewhere before, ladies?

• Victoria Beckham may not recycle dresses but she has settled for one particular kind of handbag. The fashionista is rumoured to have a collection of over 100 Hermes Birkin bags. With the cost of each bag starting at £4,200 the collection is thought to be worth around £1.5 million.

• Princess Anne’s outfit at a wedding in 2008 looked familiar — it was the one she wore to Charles and Diana’s wedding 27 years earlier.

• Cameron Diaz wore a striking outfit on an American chat show to promote movie Bad Teacher — it was one she wore in the film.

‘It’s granny’s coat and it didn’t cost her a fortune’

Wendy Austin, presenter of BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback. She lives in Belfast with her husband Frank and three children, Niall, Kerry and Clare. She says:

This coat was originally my granny's. I was given it when she died, along with a crochet top and evening dress.

It is from the 1950s and is what they called a duster coat. It's back and knee-length with no buttons. It's the sort of coat you could wear all year round, what with our weather. It's timeless and still looks brand new. It isn't the sort of coat I would wear on special occasions, I wear it a lot during the day.

My grandpa actually owned Austin's clothes shop in Londonderry, so I suspect my granny got it from there. I don't know how much she would have paid for it, but it wouldn't have cost her a fortune. I don't really have any memories of her wearing it, but I have lots of pictures of her in it.

I think it is a great idea to recycle clothes, the Royals should be re-wearing outfits, because I think just about everyone does it.

I have always tried to buy clothes that would have longevity. Certainly when I was on television I looked for things that wouldn’t be recognisable as being from a certain shop or following a trend.

I have a gold boat-necked sweater, which only cost £12.99, that I bought in the early 90s that I still wear. It sounds awful but it really suits me and that's why I still wear it. The key is to buy clothes that suit you and your shape, that way you’ll wear them for years.

I usually spend the least on clothes this time of the year because we never seem to really get a summer here.”

‘The shop’s long gone but its jacket’s still tops’

Denise Watson (39) is a sports journalist for BBC Northern Ireland. She lives in Belfast with her husband David Scott and children Beth (2) and Samantha (6). She says:

The absolute fail-safe item in my wardrobe is a black and white jacket that I got in a sale at a boutique in Hillsborough. It was at least 14 years ago and the boutique is long gone.

The one thing I liked about it is that it fits me like a glove. I used to play a lot of basketball so I have big shoulders with a broad back and finding clothes to fit can be quite hard.

The jacket goes with absolutely everything — I can wear it when I'm on television all the time because it looks professional.

It really is one of those pieces of clothing that you can just throw on and never worry about. It was quite a bargain too — the original price was £140 but I got it for just £50.

These days I don't shop that often — I tend to pick up clothes for my girls instead. I'm conscious of my age when I do shop though.

I don't want to be known as someone who dresses too young for my age. I think the most stylish people are those who are classic and elegant like Catherine Zeta Jones, rather than too trendy.

I don't shop on the high street all the time — I like to go to independent boutiques. I pay attention to how clothes fit now too.

I would much rather go up a size and cut out the label than wear something that's too tight and doesn't fit properly.

I go to a fair amount of formal dos these days — I'm often asked to present at awards ceremonies and that sort of thing. As soon as I go to one I have the dress dry-cleaned and leave the plastic on so I know it was worn quite recently.

I get formal dresses from everywhere — mostly department stores — but my favourite one came from ebay. It's navy blue and it came from Hong Kong although I thought it was coming from Italy.

When it arrived it was far too big but as it was only £20 I had it taken in so now it fits me like a glove.

I wear that dress all the time and everyone remarks on how nice it is on me. I also always know that no-one else has it.”

‘It’s minimal and classic, you can style it up or down’

Mary Rose McGrath (39), designer, lives in Belfast with her son Christopher (11). She says:

My old faithful is this berry-coloured shift dress from French Connection. I bought it about seven years ago for £90 and I also have it in black.

It's minimal and classic and everyone asks where it came from each time I wear it.

It's the kind of thing you can style up or down and although I know that £90 is a decent amount of money, when it comes to cost per wear the dress was a real bargain. I just whip it out and it works.

Assessing trends is a big part of the jobs I've had over the years, designing for companies like Oasis and Awear.

It was great because I designed the clothes that I wanted to wear.

I do still shop a bit — I'm a great believer in a mixture of everything from Primark clothes to designer items and I don't necessarily believe that you need to spend an arm and a leg to dress well.

I don't like clothes that are bad quality though and if there's something I have in mind to wear then I have one of my seamstresses make it for me — I’m lucky that I don't have to go hunting through the shops to find something to wear.

I don't spend a fortune buying clothes from other designers, but I will buy key pieces every now and again.

Most of the time though I shop in vintage stores and at ASOS.com.”

‘Leather jacket is my weekend favourite’

Margaret Ritchie (53), leader of the SDLP party and MP for South Down. She lives in Downpatrick. She says:

I bought this burgundy leather jacket many, many years ago. It’s a favourite that I somehow always reach for at the weekend or when I am taking a break from work.

It cost about £99 and I picked it up in Amsterdam when I was on holiday there in 1993.

It has got a little bit bruised over the years, but that's made it even more comfortable to wear now.

I have always liked leather jackets and I find leather in general transcends fashion and is something you can invest in and wear for years.

Like any women I love shopping and I loved looking through all the wee side streets in Amsterdam.

But I have to say, my leather jacket really was a find.

Usually at home I go shopping with something in mind that I want to buy — I am not really a browser.

My spending on clothes is usually a couple of hundred a month.

The fact that the Royals are starting to re-wear memorable outfits is really a good thing.

I think it shows that styles can repeat themselves and still look good.

It is also good that they are acknowledging this time of economic uncertainty.”

‘I’ve had my maxi dress altered to give it a totally new look’

Denise McCluskey (40), award-winning hair stylist and owner of Michelle International, lives in Hillsborough with husband Neill and children Lauren (12), Robyn (11) and Anna, (9). She says:

One dress I have worn a few times to different events is a multi-colour maxi dress by Belfast designer Una Rodden.

I bought the dress for my sister's wedding around seven years ago and it cost about £500. I have worn it again recently at the Miss Northern Ireland competition, but I brought it back to Una for altering .

I really wanted to update it a bit, so Una very kindly made it one shouldered and put a nude insert into the top to make it like a two-piece. It was like wearing a completely different dress. Working with Una Rodden has really made me take a second look at my wardrobe. I've started re-wearing clothes a lot and I think a thing like adding a belt, or changing it a little can turn it into a whole new look. I tend to buy either really expensive clothes or clothes from Primark, so I like to mix it up.

I'm sure the Royals have absolutely no need to re-wear outfits, but it is a way for them to look responsible because of today's economy. I think it shows how strong and confident these young women are. They really are becoming the new fashion icons.”

‘It doesn’t wear out or fade and you can show it anywhere’

Tracey Hall (43) is the director of Style Academy and lives in Belfast. She says:

My old faithful dress came from Nine Chichester Street seven or eight years ago — it's closed down now.

It's by the French designer Girbau. It's a black dress with a slash up one side and some gathering. It doesn't wear out or fade, and you can wear it anywhere. I've worn it to the Fate Awards and the office with a jumper on top.

Since I go to so many social events where I'm likely to have my photo taken there's a lot of pressure about what I wear to them. It's got to the point where I try and dodge the photographer if I've got something on that I wore recently.

I never throw anything out though. I have wardrobes of clothes that date back to when I was a teenager. Some of the stuff is even in a dress-up box at work.

I'm a great believer in the high street but I also believe in investing in key pieces. I like to support the local boutiques around Belfast — especially on the Lisburn Road. Not only do you help the local economy but you get great service. I also like local designers like Una Rodden. She will also make clothes for you if you can't find what you're looking for.

One of my favourite places to shop is the University of Ulster end of term shows. Kerry Brogan had some amazing prints on silk at hers so I immediately commissioned her to make a dress for me. That £300 dress could definitely turn into an investment for the future.”