Clothes lines

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

It's a man's world

A new style service for men aged between 25 and 35 has been launched by Aly Alvy, an Irish architect who discovered a flair for retail through consultancy work with Ralph Lauren. In the course of her research – which she conducted herself by literally stopping people in the street – she found that men in that age group often need help choosing a suit or selecting a special outfit for a wedding or a date. “What is obvious to me is not always obvious to them, and they get little guidance from Irish magazines,” she says. Her new service entails assessing existing wardrobes and suggesting what to eliminate and what to add, helping select outfits for work or special events as well as Christmas and gift shopping. For details, check out her website shopwithme.ie, or tel: 086-8809347.

Comfortable cashmere

Dublin’s longest established cashmere shop, Monaghans in the Westbury Mall, off Grafton Street, celebrated its 50th birthday recently with a special event for customers and staff. Tom Monaghan founded the business with his wife Teresa in 1960 and became known for having the largest selection of Scottish cashmere in Ireland. Fifty years on, he still travels to Scotland twice a year to visit suppliers such William Lockie, John Laing and Johnston’s of Elgin to choose seasonal ranges. Many of his loyal customers are from the US and have included Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, whose son Dan is current US ambassador to Ireland.

See monaghanscashmere.ie

Louise Kennedy bridal rooms

“It’s all about the experience – it’s my favourite room in the house,” says Louise Kennedy of her bridal boutique, just opened at her headquarters in 50 Merrion Square. With her customary exactitude and fastidious attention to detail, she has put a lot into this space to make a pleasurable impact on the bride-to-be, with the aim being to emulate a luxurious 1930s Art Deco boudoir. Twenty-four wedding dresses are housed in a room with ivory marble, bevelled mirrors, dove grey carpet, chandeliers and “love knot” chairs. The dresses, six of which are cocktail length while others are more traditional gowns with full gores and long panels, are all made to measure. “Ivory silk is the favourite colour for the Irish bride,” says Kennedy who currently has 10 brides “on the go”. The room also displays crystal and fine bone china, along with Trilogy, a fragrance by Roja Dove, exclusive to Kennedy in Ireland. A bespoke wedding dress takes between six and nine months to complete, with at least three fittings. For details, contact Louise Kennedy at 01-6620056.