Style Notes: Mother-and-daughter team’s comfy clothes that have smarts

This week, I have news that will interest a lot of our readers, of that I am sure. Respected tailoring expert Deborah Veale is launching a new venture with a diffusion range of flexible, adaptable pieces she designed with her daughter, Sorcha, and it goes live on her website next week.

A mighty force when it comes to tailoring durable clothing, Veale is well-known in the corporate field, and many of the uniforms you see in big businesses and at five-star hospitality venues were designed by her to last. The concept from the mother-and-daughter design team for their first diffusion line was built around the pillars of comfortable clothes that look smart.

Their philosophy of “relaxed, laid-back shapes leaning on clean lines and a sleek tailoring-inspired aesthetic” is perfectly illustrated by the teal and black jumpsuit and strappy dress. The one-piece has a loose-fitting boatneck (styled here off the shoulder) with asymmetric stripe contrast and a wide trouser leg.

The colour-block dress, meanwhile, has a 1990s vibe with its spaghetti straps and tie at the back, and the empire-line silhouette and straight skirt style has a timeless quality. These two items are made with a matt, heavyweight crêpe fabric, which has a luxe hand feel, and I pricked up my ears when I heard how the no-crease fabric can be popped in the washing machine and hung up and it will be dry in about two hours. Sounds like holiday-hero stuff to me.

The collection has 15 different pieces which you can buy online. However, the one-piece and the strappy dress (both €350) are made to order only, so that means no waste and unsold items at the end of the season — all the better for sustainable fashion. Delivery on the pre-orders takes six to eight weeks.

The twin pillars of looking smart without being too formal and feeling comfortable in our clothes now after living for two years in jersey and sweatshirts is central to the range, and they have devised a stylish bridge to more formal-looking workwear.

Working with a heavy jersey, they created pieces that stand alone and also work efficiently together. There’s a black dress with contrast piping and a small cut-out detail on the shoulder line (€275). It’s shape-enhancing without being too figure-hugging, and the comfort factor is big, right down to the two little slits at the side, which walkers-to-work will appreciate.

Jersey pieces include a V-neck collarless jacket with leather trim (€295) which can be styled with slouch trousers in cream or black (€225), or with black, ankle-zip leggings (€175), and there’s a raglan-sleeved jersey shrug (€190) which styles up nicely with cropped linen trousers (€195). At weekends, the two look cool styled with a bralet top.

Assessing this new range for immediate and long-term use, the fluid quality of the durable fabrics adds to the wearability factor. A fluid crêpe features in a kimono-sleeve slouch, belted cardi (€295), a roundneck top with black stripe down the arm (€170) and a short-sleeved tunic top (€165), available in both cream and in teal.

The most expensive piece in the collection is a jersey coat with shoulders in napa leather (€395), and the least expensive piece is a skirt (€110).

Pieces are available in sizes S (8/10), M (12/14) and L (16/18), and they make the slouch jersey trousers (€225) in XL (20/22). deborahveale.ie

Make a statement

I adore statement earrings but with big earrings inevitably comes weight. Not so in the case of the FiorSó brand made by Sara Ross in Co Kerry. A former lawyer from Newcastle in England, Sara is self-taught and I don’t know how she does it, but her pieces are feather light.

Her brand name is a fusion of fior, meaning real/true and só, meaning luxury. Sara’s Deco collection made with gold plate, brass and enamel includes the ‘Clara’, the very architectural ‘Coco’ earrings (€165) and the step-edged ‘Claudette’ fan earrings (€195).

Pearl lovers should take a look at the ‘Calla Lily’ hook earrings where a delicately scored 14k gold filled sphere wraps protectively around a Swarovski pearl (€205), available in different colours.

However, after meeting Sara for a chat, it was her super light ‘Reverie’ earrings with full bloom Cherry Blossom or Himalayan Poppy (€245), delicately hung on 14k gold filled adjustable length threader chain, which enthralled me.

Each piece is cut out of sheet metal, filed, polished and painted by hand using layers of coloured enamel. The effect is stunning and the earrings just seem to float from your ear. fiorso.ie