INSIDER TIPS
As fashion pals go, this trio of Claire Murphy, Carol Kennelly and Mary Stapleton-Foley are formidable and they have clocked up a clutch of prizes on the Irish Best Dressed racing circuit.
Carol, a milliner from Tralee, Co Kerry, shot to fame last August when she won Best Dressed at the RDS, wearing one of her own hats, of course!.
“If I’m starting an outfit completely from scratch, I would always start with the hat,” explains Carol who lists Jackie Onassis, Dita Von Teese and Victoria Beckham as her style icons.
“In my opinion, the hat is the part of the outfit which offers most scope for individuality and creativity. I’m drawn to large statement hats and they make it so much easier to be found on a racecourse,” laughs Carol, pictured below in a yellow dress by Kerry designer, Tina Griffin, and her own ‘Etta’ large lemon hat.
Fashion hopefuls shouldn’t be afraid to “let their personality shine through with their outfit choice and remember to smile because, after the hat, a smile is the best accessory you can wear,” says Carol who was a finalist at the last year’s Irish Derby.
Another regular style finalist, Claire Murphy starts planning her racing outfits in the Spring and she always starts with the dress.
She excels at assembling elegant ensembles and Claire recommends that you “dress for your body shape, dress appropriately for the weather, wear comfy shoes and have a great day out,” says Claire who names Grace Kelly as her style icon.
Mary Stapleton-Foley has a respected eye for vintage clothing and her 1950’s champagne rhinestone encrusted dupion silk swing coat (below) is worn over an ivory Tina Griffin Italian crepe structured dress.
“Try on your outfit well in advance to make sure it’s comfortable,” is the advice from Mary who loves watching old movies for inspiration. “Days before the Derby, I may be seen wearing my headpiece doing the ironing or wearing my new high heels while vacuuming the house, just to make sure I’m going to be comfortable on the day,” says Mary.
“At this stage in my life I know what suits my body shape and what doesn’t. I tend not to follow trends and generally veer towards 1940’s/50’s shapes but with a modern twist. I also try and have some embellishment in every outfit. You can’t beat a little sparkle.”