Síle so modern

“The clothes that we wore when we were kids,” reminisces Síle Ní Bhraonáin of TG4 fame. “All those different patterns, bright colours, with big flowers everywhere. I used to have a real tomboy streak in me.

“I used to wear big, baggy jeans and NafNaf jumpers. Then I started going to school discos so I couldn’t get away with that – I had to make an effort.”
The transition’s certainly paid off: the tomboy’s turned very much the lady, with a suitably honed-in instinct for shopping.
“I love buying clothes,” Síle enthuses. “If I buy a new pair of shoes on Saturday, I have to go out that night. If I haven’t bought anything new, I’m not pushed to go out.”
Now that’s a woman whose clothes matter to her. That said, she’s by no means a fashion victim, preferring to weed out particular items in the latest fashions that suit her in particular.
“Fashion changes every second day, if you ask me. I do my best to try to keep up with it of course, but I try to gear it towards what I like and what I see in the shops.” And what would those shops be?
“I’d go into BT2 for more special social engagements, but I love the high street like TopShop and Morgan for the casual funky look.”
When it comes to a particular style, however, Síle prefers to keep her options wide open. In the normally divisive field of jeanwear, she admits to wearing skinny-fit, bootcut or baggy, depending on what mood takes her. Similarly, her overall look isn’t themed.
“I wouldn’t say I’d be a rock chick or go for the punk look,” she ponders. “It depends what I feel like when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I’d want to wear jeans, other times knee high boots and a nice skirt. But I change quite often at work too as there’s a wardrobe there.”
Oooh – fun! Has much of the work wardrobe found its way home?
“No, we don’t get to keep the clothes, but we get to claim them for ourselves so we can wear them at work when we want. And then sometimes if there’s an award ceremony or something, a particular shop will dress us. For example, I presented a series called TG10 so Brown Thomas gave me a different dress for each episode, like Karen Millen, Moschino and the like. I didn’t get to keep them, but at least I got to dress up in those stunning dresses.”
So aside from the one she’s chosen for hotpress, does she have any stunning dresses at home that she whips out for very special occasions?
“I do have a ballgown I bought for €400, which is probably the most I’ve spent on one item as I don’t buy Jimmy Choo shoes or Louis Vuitton bags – but it’s a beautiful dress. I wore this to the Style Awards last year and because you can’t wear the same thing out twice I’d only be able to wear it again when I wouldn’t be photographed, like at a wedding,” she sighs, before a mischievous look comes over her. “I’ll have to find someone to get married!”