Fearlessly pushing back the boundaries of fashion is the best way of describing the singer Niamh Farrell, of the band Ham Sandwich. Had she a motto, it would likely be “the shorter the clothing the better.”
This certainly applies to her new pair of super-short dungarees, which she accessorises with a beret and white knee-high socks. Looking past the occasional momentary brushes with fashion faux pas such as the lycra shorts she loved to sport as a child, and the matching track pants and top she wore as a teenager, Niamh has a sense of fashion that is fun and unique.
Dresses are her signature look, especially eye-catching numbers like the prom dresses she loves to sport on stage. Lately though, she’s started to tone down her look slightly. “I have this one dress I love," she says, "a blue dress with big white polka dots on it. I guess I just like looking like a doll, looking really cute. I am small, so I think I can actually pull it off. I wear jeans during the day usually, but if I went out at night in them, my friends would ask me why I was wearing jeans.”
She also prefers eye-catching, bright neon colors like hot pinks and electric blues, but wouldn't be caught dead in a gypsy skirt, “because Sienna Miller started that entire trend and I hate Sienna Miller.”
For someone so refreshingly honest and prepared to take chances, it would seem a natural progression for her to one day have her own fashion label.
“I would love it because there are not enough outlets in Dublin when you are looking for something different," she says. "The reason I love the store Proxy is that they buy from Europe. It’s like having a little piece of London in Dublin. Plus, there are just not enough leotards in the shops in Dublin!”
Her look is consistent on and off-stage. “Most of the clothes I wear onstage, I wear when I go out in the evening as well," she admits. "I also have become very attached to my friend's beret, actually. That’s getting a lot of wear at the moment! I’m loving doing the whole ‘French schoolgirl’ look.”
But for every inch her skirt loses, her heels gain. “Heels for the evening, and very high ones at that," she says. "And I love my little pumps during the day. I got new ones in pink and blue with bows on the front. They’re so cute. But if I had to choose and there wasn’t a chance of me being crippled in later life, I’d wear my heels all the time.”
Niamh's make-up and jewellery tend to be more understated then her apparel: “I don’t really wear jewellery," she divulges. "I might wear pearls the odd time, but apart from that I don’t wear it much. I don’t think it really suits me. I don’t even have my ears pierced!"
For make-up, Niamh currently uses a lot of Benefit. “It’s really great for me because I don’t like to have my face caked in make-up. It’s nice and light. I love their Benefit for your cheeks – it’s so cute, and there’s this stuff called high beam that you put at the top of your cheeks and eyes and it just makes your eyes pop. Mac eye shadows are cool as well, they come in great colors.”
Looking to the future, Niamh says she can’t imagine herself changing. She wants, she says, to be “that 60-year old woman in the extravagant fur coat with pink hair."However, she is aware that some people, seeing her on the street, might wonder what in the world she is wearing. She hopes she inspires people to be more individual, rather than imitating others.
And although most of us might not be brave enough to sport short shorts and knee-highs, we could all take her advice and experiment with our own styles.
“I think people make the mistake of following trends," she says, "instead of buying what looks good on them and works for them.”
Fashionable advice indeed.