Fashion writer SARAH HORGAN and stylist Una Kruize McIntyre meet mother and daughter Dolores and Sarah to create a series of looks that they both can use and share
WHEN WOW! asked mother Dolores Duffy and daughter Sarah Cade (pictured) to pick out outfits that could be worn by pre-teens and women in their 40s alike, they took to the task like shopaholics on day release.
It’s not surprising considering their fashion background. Sarah, aged 12, appeared in a recent WOW! spread modelling outfits for pre-teens.
Mum Dolores spent years dressing her little girls in outfits Suri Cruise would be humbled by.
Now Sarah is getting older, she has decided to follow her own fashion instincts.
“I’m ridiculously proud of Sarah. When it comes to clothes she knows her own mind and this trait bleeds into other aspects of her personality too. I let her dress herself from an early age with disastrous results.
“There was a stage where she would wear bright pink from head to toe while I had to sit there and bite my lip. She might not have got it right the first time round, but at least she was expressing herself and that’s very important too.”
Sarah and Dolores have not always seen eye-to-eye when shopping. Dolores would love to see Sarah in dresses. Sarah refuses to dress in anything other than funky clothing.
“This is a common problem among pre-teens and their mothers,” says stylist Una. “Shopping with your kids can be a nightmare but when you have established common ground, fashion has a unifying quality.”
The pair selected their favourite fashion items while stylist Una Kruize McIntyre from Montenotte demonstrated how to modify them in order to make them more age-appropriate.
“Sarah loves to explore my wardrobe,” said Dolores. “Sometimes she’ll take note of what I’m wearing and ask if I might buy her that same outfit. I always have to explain that what suits someone in their 40s would not
necessarily suit a girl her age. It’s a revelation to see that we can style outfits in different ways in order to make them more relevant to our age group. Sarah and I are practically the same size so we love borrowing each other’s clothes.”
Sarah chips in: “Mum is really glamorous and everybody admires her style. I’m always really proud when other girls in my class comment on her clothes. It’s funny because Mum is always secretly complimenting the other mums on their outfits too.
“It’s fun to have the chance to wear matching outfits. I wouldn’t normally wear dresses but I like the gold one when it’s teamed with the top underneath. The hair band and pumps make it look like a completely different dress to the one Mum is wearing.”
Dolores gives her verdict on the occasion dress.
“I never would have suggested this for Sarah but it looks really cute when coupled with the top and Sarah seems comfortable in it. It’s very important to feel good in what you’re wearing because if you’re not comfortable it will come across.”
Read the full interview and see more photos in WOW!, free with Wednesday’s Cork Evening Echo
