River Island is one of those shops that I always wanted to buy from when I was a teen but was way too broke!
Nowadays kids want Gucci bags and LV but all I wanted was a damn pair of River Island jeans…
I always enjoy seeing River Island‘s new collections and this year’s Spring/Summer press event was no exception.
The first rail that really caught my eye was the swimwear. I love browsing swimwear even though it’s not something I would buy every year.
This stunning baroque print swimsuit was one of my favourite pieces.
It’s €50 which is quite pricey but apparently, you can buy in sterling from the River Island UK site and get it delivered to a store near you. I haven’t tried this myself but let me know if you have.
The other thing I noticed about this is that you’d probably need to size up if you wear a larger bra size, the cups on a size ten looked quite small.
This lime green beauty with a black belt would also look great on the beach.
Belts seemed to feature on most of the one-pieces.
I’m not sure yet if I like this trend but it’s definitely going to be a thing because I saw Kylie Jenner wearing a belted one-piece on her Insta!
This lilac cut-out swimsuit was another favourite.
I prefer one-pieces to bikinis more and more these days!
What really excited me is that River Island now do homeware and my love for homeware knows no bounds!
There wasn’t a massive selection but the chair and cushions above made a great photo backdrop and there were also some cute lanterns, candles and storage boxes.
There’s some gorgeous bedding, vases, planters and mirrors on the website and I can’t wait to check it out in-store as I’m always looking for nice things for my apartment.
The homeware range is available in Swords, Blanchardstown and Dundrum in Dublin and also online.
Animal prints and logos are sticking around for 2019, judging by these styles.
Neons, polka dots and pyjama-inspired prints also featured heavily.
This little polka dot dress would be the perfect holiday or summer wedding outfit.
Snakeprint was a common motif on shoes also.
There are lots of co-ords in the new collection which I really like but I’ve never worn one yet.
My favourite was this denim ‘Couture’ jacket and skirt set. The jacket is €60, while the skirt is €35.
From a more formal look, this powder blue blazer is gorgeous for a special occasion and there are shorts to match.
River Island do really good accessories, especially bags and wallets.
There were lots of sunglasses and some jewellery on display also, including this fabulous lion head Versace-esque necklace.
River Island shoes are on the expensive side but they are also quite hard-wearing. When it comes to footwear, it’s worth paying a little more for better materials.
I’ve a pair of RI heels that I bought in 2012 and cowboy boots that I’ve had since 2015 so not a bad investment.
If you have a decent pair of shoes, it’s worth getting the heel tips or even the soles replaced as they wear, rather than just buying a new pair.
I used my old digital camera to take some of these pictures as the lens is better than my phone and I’d left my DSLR at home.
The results were mixed some of the photos on my phone came out better but it’s handy to have an alternative.
I also browsed the menswear and kidswear ranges.
The childrenswear really impressed me, it was really trendy and cute and I wanted most of the adorable girls’ shoes and backpacks!
On my way out the door, I stopped to grab some delicious snacks from the Black Sheep food stand.
I had a two-hour drive ahead of me so they were just what I needed.
Thanks to the River Island team for a lovely afternoon.
Hope you all enjoyed this post, I hope to have some homeware and outfit posts coming soon, including some Aliexpress purchases so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook page.
Edel
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