OUT FITS WE CAN’ T BEAR TO PART WITH... WELL-KNOWN NI FACES AND THEIR WARDROBE SECRETS

Cher was recently photographed in her famous black, sequin-encrusted body suit which she first wore back in 1987. Here

Karen Ireland talks to three well-known Northern Ireland women about their outfits which never go out of style

Cathy Martin (43) is director of Belfast FashionWeek. She lives in Holywood with her five-year-old daughter Valentina. She says:

When I moved house a few years ago, I was forced to compress my wardrobe from eight parts down into four. So I had to have a good clear out.

I do however, tend to hold onto things as I know some will become fashionable again. I still wear an outfit I got for my 30th birthday, including a night out in New York.

It’s a cream cord bodice with fringing and a fishtail pencil skirt.

It was from Morgan (no longer in Belfast) and cost £150 but it was for a special occasion as I had a big masquerade ball.

It’s very much in vogue again with its fringing and pencil skirts never go out of style. I keep putting it on my rail of clothes to sell and then fall in love with it over again and take it off.

I also have a Benetton dress which looks like Gucci which is supposed to be for sale too.

But I keep wearing it and may not part with it at all.

I sell clothes on eBay or friends and I get together and have clothes souk parties.

Everyone brings a rail of designer clothes which we sell off at great prices. So everyone gets to add new pieces into their wardrobe.

My favourite fashion items include a black Victoria Beckham dress which is timeless and classic piece which I will go back to and wear time and again.

While Cher looks great in her body stocking our body shapes do change as we get older and we all might not be able to get away with the same styles we did previously. That’s why buying off eBay or from a clothes souk is such a great idea.

I have a pair of silver Nike Air Max trainers that I bought when they first came out 20 years ago and I have just purchased a new pair of the same style and design as I love them. They’ll probably keep me going for another 20 years.”

Pamela Ballantine (58), who lives in Belfast, is the presenter of UTV Life. She says:

Iusually keep evening dresses as the styles seem to come back into fashion. Because I host and attend a lot of formal evening functions I have lot of dresses. And if I haven’t been photographed in one for a while I will bring it out again.

One wardrobe staple is a long linen-look coat in pale grey which I have had for 15 years. I bought it in A Wear in the early 2000s and I love it. So much so, I still wear it today. It’s the sort of piece that goes with everything.

It cost about £45, but it was a floor-length coat.

And I’ve certainly got my wear out of it.

Another gem is a short jacket which, again, I bought about 15 years ago from Oxfam for a fiver. It’s a designer label and I still give it an outing.

Working on TV, I need a lot of clothes and, of course, shoes. Last year I challenged myself not to wear the same pair of shoes twice during the show.

And I managed 41 weeks with a different pair of shoes every time.

I wore the same dress twice but even that was an accident.

I collect shoes and have at least 100 pairs. I don’t like to throw shoes out as you never know when they will come back into style.

A pair of over-the-knee suede boots which I bought on a trip to London with Downtown Radio back in the Eighties are trendy again, so I’m wearing them now.

While I hate throwing anything out but every now and then I will clear out my wardrobe. At the weekend my bed was covered in bags which will be donated to charity.

I also sell a lot of my clothes on eBay so then someone else can wear them — and I can make some money — to buy more clothes.

My go-to fashion pieces are those which make me feel good on a fat day and evening dresses which I feel confident in on an evening out.

About three years ago, I joined Slimming World and lost weight so I stick to the eating plan. Now a lot of my dresses, which I previously struggled to get the zip up on, fit again so I can re-wear them.

Shoulder pads recently came back, but my favourite look at the moment is an off the shoulder top with a pair of cropped white jeans. It’s very reminiscent of the south of France.”

‘I have a dress that looks like a Gucci piece which I may never part with’ ‘A pair of suede boots that I bought in the Eighties are trendy again’