High heels are ranked number one and lipstick number five in Irish women’s top instant style upgrades. A survey of 1,000 people found that the statement handbag was only number four in the top five instant upgrades, behind a stylish scarf in second place and a stand-out coat in third. The survey findings were announced yesterday as Galaxy emerged as the official sponsors of the 2016 Dublin Fashion Festival, which will bring hundreds of thousands of shoppers into the city for the six days of the festival between September 6 and 11. This is the seventh year of the Dublin Fashion Festival and among those at the launch reception yesterday was Claire Lynam, who won the first Young Designer of the Year in 2013. The talented NCAD graduate is currently on the in-house design team at River Island, where she recently worked on its Studio collection. Clyde Carroll, director of the fashion festival, said they wanted “the festival to be open to everyone in Dublin city and it’s great to work with a brand that shares our values and can add real value”. The fieldwork for the sample of 1,000 was conducted nationwide between May 13-20. While the likes of Conor McGregor are boosting the popularity of suits and tailoring in menswear, the overall men’s favourite item of clothing in the nationwide survey was jeans, with one in three guys saying that they cannot live without them.
