July 27, 2011 by admin
Is it just me or is it so hard to believe that its actually been a year since we were last mulling over dresses to wear to the Galway Races?
If you are still combing the shelves of boutiques in search of a dress suitable enough for the racecourse, but stylish enough to warrant consideration for the Best Dressed accolade, then you will be pleased to hear that Galway City has a great selection on offer.
Below are a range of elegant dresses that will look amazing whether you choose to wear them for a day in Ballybrit or indeed to a Summer wedding.
Debenhams, Galway
The Kate
If you liked Kate Middleton’s wedding gown then you will love this shorter regal-inspired version. If you have long hair, I would suggest that you wear it in an up style such as a side bun so as to really show off the lace detail on the shoulders.
Price: approximately €110
Grecian Inspiration
This deep blue dress is a fantastic item for a woman who is conscious of her tummy weight. All you have to do is secure the belt at the thinnest part of your waist so as to give your figure more definition. The fluted sheer sleeves also gives this dress a very classy elegant edge.
Price: approximately €70
Black Harriet Dress
The archetypal timeless LBD (Little Black Dress). Yes this will take you to the races but it will also take you to every other event imaginable. I would recommend pairing it with a bolero jacket so as not to distract from the folding detail on the dress.
Price: approximately €170
Orange cowl neck belted dress
This coral cowl-neck belted dress is from Matthew Williamson’s hugely popular Butterfly range. For an extra edge, I would suggest replacing the canvas belt that comes with the dress with a slightly larger gold belt. The gold will give the dress that little extra sparkle. Lilys Jewllery and Accessories shop on Main Street in Loughrea has a large selection of belts to choose from.
Price: approximately €60
Silk Orchid Print Cross Back Dress
This halter neck dress is so feminine and given the number of colours in the floral print, you will be able to wear whatever colour headpiece you like! If you don’t like your bra straps showing when wearing a halter neck dress, then I would suggest that you try out either the Eve bra or Wonderbra’s Ultimate Strapless Bra.
Price: approximately €95
Mink Amelie v-neck dress
This elegant dress is absolutely ideal for the races.
If you are short in height, you will be pleased to see that the belt is almost invisible due to being covered in the same fabric as the dress. This means the flow of the dress will not be cut in half and as a result, your frame will appear longer, particularly if you pair it with nude shoes.
Price: approximately €145
Green Scarf One Shoulder Dress
This dress is beautiful as it is, however if you feel it would benefit from a dash of diamante, then look for a belt of similar width to the midriff feature already on this dress. If you don’t want to wear a belt, then I would recommend that you have a look at Hickey’s extensive selection of large embellished ribbon’s and have a seamstress secure your chosen one to the dress.
Price: approximately €70
Cream cut work prom dress
It may be difficult to see in the photograph but the embroidery design on this dress is complemented further by a gold sequin and bead embellishment. If you like your shoulders, but hate your thighs then you will love this dress as the fitted bandeau draw’s the eye up to your top half while the pleated flare of the dress disguise’s the thighs.
Price: approximately €65
Silver beaded one shoulder dress
This is the kind of dress that would look equally as appropriate for a day at the races in Summer as it would for a wedding in Winter (particularly when paired with a black fur stole).
The shoulder embroidery on this dress is made in a shimmering metallic yarn and highlighted with matching coloured crystals and intricate beading. Be warned however, if you are conscious of midriff weight, the soft pleating around the waist may inadvertently highlight your problem area rather than disguise it.
Price: approximately €230
Black appliquéd flower maxi dress
Given the level of detail on this dress, I would strongly recommend that you wear your hair in an up style and accompany it with a very subtle headpiece.
Price: approximately €235
One shoulder sheer frill dresses
Given that yellow has almost overshadowed coral as the colour of the summer, you can probably expect to see a lot of it on the race course. If however you find it to be quite a draining colour on your complexion, try the dress in pastel green. Given that the colours are quite pale, I would suggest that you make a statement with your handbag and choose one in quite a strong vibrant colour such as fuchsia pink, red, etc.
Price: approximately €50
Colour block slouchy one shoulder dress
If you are conscious of weight on your lower half, then the white colour in this dress will immediately draw the eye away from your problem area. With colour blocking being one of the huge trends this year, this dress is very current.
Price: approximately €85
Grey Kate Ombre dress
The folding detail on this dress is not only beautiful but functional as it has a wonderful slimming effect. A timeless piece, I would suggest pairing it with a sharp black blazer or alternatively a black shawl.
Price: approximately €155
Turquoise Grecian necklace babydoll dress
The silver chain you see adorning the halter neckline of this turquoise babydoll dress is not actually a necklace but rather a striking feature of the dress itself. This would look particularly beautiful on a petite woman with a slim frame.
Price: approximately €110
Natural lace trim prom dress
I would suggest pairing this dress with a chocolate brown shawl so as to compliment the golden hues in the material. A black fur stole or black bolero jacket would also work beautifully thanks to the black lace detail on the dress. This prom style dress hails from the Julian Macdonald Diamond Collection.
Price: approximately €65
Tonal grey tiered shift dress
When you first look at this dress, your eye immediately goes straight to the diamante embellishments on the side as they are distinctively beautiful enough to immediately become the focal point. As a result, I would suggest that you avoid this dress if you are conscious of your midriff area. I would also recommend that you keep the jewellery very subtle.
Swirl print maxi dress
Another offering from Julian Macdonald’s Star collection. As you can see, the dress has a beautiful waterfall front and would look even more amazing if paired with a slightly larger belt. If wearing a head piece with this, I would suggest opting for one in black. As the print on the dress is quite busy, a head piece in a bright colour may result in your style appearing OTT. Keep the head wear plain and simple.
Price: approximately €85
Grey Embellished Shoulder Dress
This LGD (Little Grey Dress) is perfect for a woman who wants to dress up without attracting too much attention to what she is wearing. This particular number successfully manages to combine chic with low key.
Price: approximately €65
Elita one-shoulder maxi dress
This is by far one of the most beautiful maxi dresses I have seen all year. What’s more, it also covers a multitude. Whether you are conscious of you’re bust size or midriff weight, rest assured the various design details will disguise whatever needs disguising.
Price: approximately €170
Red floral A-line dress
This vibrant floral A-line dress from Julian McDonald is perfect for a day at the races, particularly if you pair it with a cream shawl. I would suggest that you avoid wearing a head piece with this number and instead concentrate on your hairstyle whether it be an elaborate up-style or loose tumbling curls.
Price: approximately €85
Navy Oriental Print Maxi Dress
This navy oriental print maxi dress is suitable for any shape figure and would look particularly beautiful for the races if worn with a deep pink floral headpiece.
Price: approximately €100
Sugar Pink / Galway Hat Shop
Sugar Pink Boutique, situated on the lower level of the Corbett Court Shopping Centre, has a colourful variety of elegant dresses available, all in time for the many weddings and parties Summer brings with it.
Better still, with the Galway Hat Shop situated directly across from the boutique, you will have the luxury of creating your entire Ladies Day outfit in minimal time. If you are on a budget, the hat shop has a wide range of headpieces available for under €50 euro. Here are some outfits I have created using dresses from Sugar Pink and headpieces, jewellery and handbags from The Galway Hat Shop. *Most of the featured headwear can be dyed to match your outfit.
Sky blue
Colour block
Sparkling red
Halter neck blue
Floral beige
Elegant flare
Statement colours
Colour dash
Lily Boutique Loughrea
Lily Jewellery, situated on Main Street, Loughrea, is where you will find a wide range of beautiful (and inexpensive) accessories, shawls, handbags, headpieces and costume jewellery. As you can see from the photographs, the shop has everything you need to look your racing best come Ladies Day!
Standún, Spiddal
Fresh from its appearance on RTE’s Feargal Quinn’s Retail Therapy, this bright newly-renovated store has a large range of style suitable for every occasion. Better still, their clothes are appropriate for every age group. If you’re looking for something that little bit different, then get yourself on the road to Spiddal!
Rinascimento Linen Lace Panel Dress
Price:€143.00
If you find that you prefer a little additional support when wearing a one shouldered dress then you will be pleased to see that this dress comes with a thin detachable strap. The dress, which is quite fitted, would look great with nude or gold heels. (Matching jacket available to buy separately)
http://www.standun.com/modules/EShop/Product.aspx?cid=2590&pid=12642&treeid=2
Coats
If the Irish weather of previous years is anything to go by, a day on the race course will most likely be a chilly one. Fortunately Standún have a number of elegant coats and mac’s to choose from.
The beige darling mac for example, will work with pretty much any outfit and could almost be worn as a dress itself. It cost’s €95 and can be worn formally with a dress or casually over white jeans.Â
Pictured beside the mac is a very elegant coat from St Martins latest collection. Priced at €149, this coat is light enough to be worn during Summer yet durable enough to keep the cold out during those brisk evenings.
To buy the Darling mac online: http://www.standun.com/modules/EShop/Product.aspx?cid=2198&pid=12652&treeid=2
To buy St Martins Wanilli Coat online:
http://www.standun.com/modules/EShop/Product.aspx?cid=2597&pid=12622&treeid=2
Bonsui Flower Textured Dress Ivory
Price:€115.00
This elegant Bonsui dress could easily be worn with either the St Martins Wanilli coat or Darling mac featured above. To bring out the warm tones of this dress, I would suggest that you pair it with gold jewellery and a deep brown head piece. The umbrella and jewellery featured in the photograph are part of Lisbeth Dahl Range which is available from Standún.
http://www.standun.com/modules/EShop/Product.aspx?cid=2594&pid=12551&treeid=2
Bonsui Burn Out Panel Dress Black
Price:€105.00
This Bonsui black panel dress is a very simple elegant number that can be worn with any vibrant colour headpiece or shoe. The purse that the model is holding is also from the Standún’s Lisbeth Dahl collection.
http://www.standun.com/modules/EShop/Product.aspx?cid=2594&pid=12560&treeid=2
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