Irish men are pulling up their socks and taking fashion seriously. Deirdre McQuillan asks five snappy dressers about their looks. Photographs: Bryan O'Brien
GARY LAWSON, DRUMMER IN THE HOFFMAN AFFAIR
"There's no getting away from it these days. You have to pay attention to the look or image you want to portray and it is a bonus if it is what you are already, and not forced," says Gary Lawson, drummer in an up-and-coming band, The Hoffman Affair. Besides being a musician, he also holds a degree in Business Studies and Marketing from DIT. The band, which went professional over two years ago and play light modern melodic rock, originally came together at school. Now they have their own recording studio, where they've recorded more than 30 of their own songs.
He describes himself as a bit of a chameleon: "I can change my looks and am not set in a certain style. There's a slight rock and roll image, but it's not denim and boots, and I adapt my clothes to whatever mood I am in. I have always been into fashion and like looking good, but it's not obsessive. I can wear an expensive blazer with jeans, but I am not so conscious of labels. If something is comfortable and stylish and looks good on me, that's what counts."
The most he ever spent was €600 on a leather Diesel jacket. "I like going into obscure little places, as well as the bigger shops. I go a couple of times a month, with something in mind. I like wearing things that are a little bit different." Though he's happy to wear a suit with shirt and tie for formal functions, his favourite item is a pair of ripped jeans by Jack & Jones. "They are a great fit and never off me."
Not one for scouring magazines, he picks up ideas from people othe streets, "snippets, observations, something that catches your eye. Most guys would point to David Beckham - when he became a fashion icon and changed the way guys wear clothes. Guys are more open to looking good nowadays." He likes shopping in London as well as Dublin, particularly for shoes, and loves the Camden Town markets.
When he's playing live, it's T-shirts, usually something a bit original, a bit quirky, and a bit different. And out on a date, it's casual, "but they know I've made an effort."
COLIN GALLIGAN, PHARMACIST
At six feet, three inches, Colin is a Mullingar mid-fielder and holds a PhD from the London School of Pharmacy. He returned to Ireland in April, after a year travelling around the world, and loves his work in Dublin. "People are more relaxed with a chemist than with a GP and talk to you more freely and listen to advice." In his job, he has made the transition from a traditional Dublin pharmacy to a more cosmetics-oriented one "where money is made. It is a happy medium."
The profession is flexible when it comes to clothes, and his working gear can be a suit one day, shirt and trousers the next, though "it's important to look smart all the time". London has influenced his style, and he believes that clothes are an extension of personality and affect mood. He describes his style as relaxed, "a mixture of preppy and country" and typical of that would be a pair of jeans with a white shirt and a blazer or tweed jacket. "I am very selective and I like shopping. BT2 is a particular favourite because they do the smart casual look well, do great jeans, have a good stock of Diesel and other hip labels. It is my first port of call." Other haunts include Alias Tom for a casual suit or jacket.
"I would probably shop once every three weeks. In to town early, two hours shopping and I would generally have an idea of what I wanted." Otherwise, he despairs of Dublin city centre - "Grafton and Henry Streets are just like any town in England now. People don't seem to have their own identity as much as before."
After he graduated he went to a tailor in Savile Row and bought a pinstripe suit with a wine lining. "It cost the equivalent of €900 and took two fittings. It fits like a glove and makes me feel so confident. I wore it to an interview and I got the job. I have worn it once or twice since and will get another one made. I would rather pay money for suits and shoes that last." Any time he goes to Italy, he buys shoes. He has also invested in customised trainers from a Japanese company called Okini, situated off Regent Street. Guys are becoming more particular about what they wear, he reckons, because they have more money and can afford to choose. "They are more image-conscious than before, but it is a good thing. Jude Law is a definitely a good style icon, but other influences are film and music and GQ magazine - "it's informative, where other magazines are obsessed with girls." He admits to having made loads of mistakes, such as two multicoloured jumpers that were far too expensive and were never worn. "I would never bin anything and give loads to charity. I hold on to things for a year and if they haven't been worn in the last six months, I get rid of them."
BEN OKONJI, TCD STUDENT
Ben is in his final year studying information and communication technology, and is thinking of doing a masters degree after graduation or pursuing business interests. A part-time model with the Compton Model Agency, he was "spotted" at the TCD fashion show a couple of years ago and enjoys the work.
Looking good is an Okonji family trait. "It runs in the family; my sister works in BTs and we always liked to look good. My dad was a cool dresser - I wear his leather jacket occasionally - and my mum used to say he was vain. Girls who tend to comment on clothes accuse me of being vain too because I like clothes, but we don't talk about fashion."
During the day, his gear is mostly casual; combat trousers, tracksuit bottoms, jeans and rugby jerseys. Going out at night, it's a shirt, and trousers with boot-cut flares, because he hates anything tight around the ankle. His favourite item is a black shirt from Jack & Jones; he likes wearing black, and pinstripe suits because they make him feel good. He bought his first suit three years ago and the second at Christmas and he'll wear them for interviews or formal occasions like funerals. "I like shopping, but I don't like spending money. I am budget conscious and love the sales, and I am sensible about money. When you start to earn money, it becomes easier to blow it."
He describes his style as "mix and match", has grown out of brand names and couldn't give a damn about designers. He thinks he has around seven or eight pairs of jeans and in his opinion, Levis are the best. Though he describes himself as tidy and looks after his clothes "because I like them too much not to", he hates throwing things out and has drawers full of old T-shirts he's never going to wear again. The person with the most influence on what he wears is his mother. "I trust her judgment. What girls think matters too; if everybody slags what I wear, then I would think about not wearing it again."
Ben wears a black suit by Pierre Cardin, shirt from Suits You.
JONATHAN LEGGE, MASTERS STUDENT, RCA, LONDON
Currently on a two-year Masters course studying product design under Ron Arad in the Royal College of Art in London, Jonathan Legge has a design degree from DIT, specialising in furniture. His graduate thesis was on fashion and furniture. "Even though I love clothes, I don't like fashion," he says emphatically. "What I object to is fashion becoming parasitic. It is not about design any more, it is about names." With architecture and design interests on both sides of his family, he believes that these professions make people very observant and appreciative of good fashion. Half of his own wardrobe consists of clothes that belonged to his father.
"I don't go shopping that often. I like wandering around and looking, but I hate trying on clothes, so I don't buy that much. Since Christmas I have spent about £50 on a jumper and T-shirt, so I am not a great spender. But if I see something I like, I'll buy it. The most expensive item I have is an Omega vintage Seamaster watch from the late 1960s."
During the day he normally wear jeans, combats, grey or brown trousers. "I like not having to think about what I am going to wear, but I usually do. I don't have anything I don't like. My new jumper is a big, zip-up cardigan with a fold-up collar like in Starsky & Hutch." He describes his style as relaxed, "but sometimes I feel like putting on a tie. I have got parts of suits, such as three old jackets made by the Dublin tailor Joseph Monaghan - the two in tweed are my favourites - and there's one in dark navy with light blue pinstripes. I wear a tweed jacket every second day, often with jeans. I am very fussy about jeans and wear Lucky Brand, which I get in the US. I also have a Crombie (overcoat) that belonged to my father.
"I have clothes that my grandfather wore too, though some need patching up now. For footwear I have white Converse trainers, and runners, as well as a nice pair of brown leather shoes; in summer, it's flip-flops.
"I think people spend too much money on clothes. I buy from Urban Outfitters, and recently bought combats from Genius, but London has some really cool second-hand shops. There is so much to soak up over here. Generally, I like to mix and match, prefer clothes that I am comfortable in and hate guys who are fashion victims."
BARRY LYONS, SOLICITOR
Barry Lyons worked in the US before returning home, and is now married with three young children. He has strong, clear and uncompromising views about sartorial presentation in his profession - "95 per cent of lawyers can do 95 per cent of the work, and what I have to do is to distinguish myself. Getting the work in is the biggest form of competition in a highly regulated and highly competitive market where it is vital that you distinguish yourself."
One of the tools, he says, is your personal presentation. "Your shoes are polished, your nails are clean, your hair is tidy, your shirt is ironed and your suit fits. It satisfies an image. Be prepared, physically and psychologically, and if that is your absolute dynamic, you are not going to fail at the first hurdle, and you are in with a shot in terms of non-verbal communication. You are making an impression. A slovenly appearance suggests a slovenly professional attitude. Our job involves fighting, and if you are coming in mentally tuned-up, how you look is going to affect how you get on.
"Clients want lawyers to wear pinstripe suits, so meeting the expectations that people have is important." Barry has five suits by Maurice Abrahams and one by Louis Copeland. "It means I don't have to think about it. Everything fits. I am not distracted, and it is completely appropriate, and I am tuned-in when I am wearing it. It is quicker to get them made than root around shops to find what you want. I wear black and white pinstripes with plain shirts, and one grey suit. Shoes are black Churches. Ties are either small pattern or plain; that's it."
The same practical, no nonsense approach informs his casual, off-duty wear too. "If there are jeans that fit, I buy two or three pairs and just rotate them. In the past 10 years, I haven't had time to go wandering around shops, particularly with three kids, a law practice, and a wife - not necessarily in that order. I don't faff around or worry about making mistakes. I enjoy clothes, but hate shopping. And I am not l8 any more."
The only mistake he ever made, he says, was a pair of knee-high white boxer boots when he was 14, something his friends remember well.
"You have to be accurate as a solicitor, and particular, lest you give the wrong impression. When I go to work, I put on, so to speak, my solicitor's costume. My wife, Sonia, says I behave in a different way when I put on a suit, but I take it off the minute I come home. It is purely functional, but first impressions are so important. The perceptions then become the reality. It's the same with all the lawyers working in my firm; they project it in what they wear and they are our best advertisement."
Barry is wearing a black and white pinstripe suit from Louis Copeland