Buy Designer Clothes

To a certain extent, this was seriously threatened when the Euro came along and meant that most of the countries you might like to visit now used the same currency you use at home. Prior to that if you were spending drachma, pesetas, zlotys or francs then you had no idea how much things really cost anyway, so found it easier to convince yourself you had a bargain on your hands.

Like many people I’ve now managed to dismiss such thoughts from my mind. If you’re in a shop that you need a passport to get to then you are permitted to blow the month’s shopping budget on something with a designer label on it. It’s the law!

In Dublin there is no need to look too closely to realise its shops provide a good selection of some of the finest worldwide designer brands. You will be spoilt for choice with goods sporting just about every famous label you can think of. And it’s not just clothes either, we’re also talking perfumes, furniture, tableware, shoes, lingerie, and anything else those cunning designer-types whack their name on.

From Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Chanel for the ladies and Ralph Lauren, Armani and Hugo Boss for the men, you will surely find your favourite names here.

A good thing to know about Dublin is that it is home to some huge designer shops. Perhaps the best known of these is Brown Thomas – a Dublin institution since being established by Hugh Brown and James Thomas in Grafton Street in 1849. This shop excels when it comes to clothes for children and young adults and although it’s the place where all the trendy youngsters get their designer labels, it caters for all ages. It’s now part of the same group that runs Selfridges and Amsterdam’s equivalent flagship top-end department store, De Bijenkorf.

The Westbury Mall is one of Dublin's most upmarket and exclusive shopping centres. It is situated off Grafton Street and connected to the highly exclusive Westbury Hotel. Among the many clothing stores you will find in there is the highly fashionable Rococo, with its wonderful selection of stylish clothing and accessories. There’s also a jewellery shop called Angles, which can create bespoke pieces for you in the on-site workshop, if the price is right.

Costume is a shop worth seeking out in Castle Market and carries a wide range of clothing from top designers including Alice Temperley and Anna Sui to newer labels such as Hoss Homeless. For designer shoes, Cherche Midi is renowned as the best place in town, attracting everyone from young fashionistas to an older crowd in search of a stylish, high quality footwear. Brands carried include Emma Hope, Kate Spade, Jane Brown, Sonia Rykiel and Givenchy.

So go on, give yourself a treat, and get some designer wear in Dublin!