My Style

MY STYLE:BLATHNAID HEALY Journalist, violinist with Clockwork Noise

DESCRIBE WHAT YOU'RE WEARING:This is a vintage Jean Muir silk dress I purchased from the Anne Bullitt auction. There were three lots of Jean Muir and I bought them all. It's unusual because of the vibrancy of the colours and the print. I wear it with black rubber shoe boots by Melissa, a cool Brazilian brand, which I bought online direct from their website. It's like wearing a very stylish pair of Wellingtons and they're great for the Irish weather. The red leather belt is also vintage.

YOU WEAR A LOT OF VINTAGE?I am a huge vintage fan. I worked for A Store is Born in Dublin from the age of 17 all the way through college – that's how my background in style developed, it was a complete education. I really like finding things.

WHERE DO YOU SHOP?I shop a lot in markets and I love car boot sales in France because you never know what can turn up. Washington DC, where I lived for about five months, is a great city for vintage. During the Celtic tiger years, Irish charity shops were fantastic, but those in the States were my preference and got me through my student years.

BEST VINTAGE FINDS?Apart from the three lots of Jean Muir, I suppose a two-piece wool suit by Lanvin in burnt orange from A Store is Born. A vintage YSL black skirt picked up in Dún Laoghaire for €6 was another of my more memorable buys.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR?I am very cautious about things that are poorly made. I am very keen on good fabrics, I would spend on cashmere and silk because they pay you back in the end. The most I've ever spent was on an Adolfo Dominguez dress.

WHAT ABOUT COLOUR?I do like colour and prints, but in winter I retreat into more sedate colours.

WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCES THE WAY YOU DRESS?  I'm influenced by what I see around me, by my friends and the customers and designers who came through A Store is Born. I am always looking and picking up tips.

WHAT DO YOU WEAR WHEN TRAVELLING?I try to pack carefully and take things that can be worn in different ways, and always include good basics such as a black cashmere jumper, which is indispensable and can take you places, along with a great pair of jeans, which you can dress up. I buy mine in TopShop because their fit suits me.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR HAIR?I have very long hair and wear it in all sorts of ways – I play around a lot with it.

FASHION WEAKNESS?I love shoes and bags – this black leather bag is by Joeasi from TopShop in Dublin. I probably buy too many jackets and coats, but they are what people see.

DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?I suppose I'm always looking for something a bit different and never wanting to find somebody else in the room wearing the same thing. It's a desire to be individual, but not outrageously so.

YOU GOT A HUGE RESPONSE FROM THE SARTORIALIST BLOGSPOT.It's definitely my number one blogspot because he brings all the streets around the world into your living room and you never know what you'll see next. I was completely shocked by scale of the response! (See thesartorialist.com, October 2009.)