In My Style withLauren Leckey

Beautiful Lauren Leckey was crowned Miss Northern Ireland in May 2019 at a glittering gala event at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.
Lauren Leckey Crowned the 2019 Miss Northern Ireland at the Europa Hotel, Belfast on Monday 6th May. 
Lauren aged 20 From Lisburn won the title from over twenty-three other finalists, to acquire the coveted crown from previous title holder, Katharine Walker.  Photo: Kirth FerrisLauren Leckey Crowned the 2019 Miss Northern Ireland at the Europa Hotel, Belfast on Monday 6th May. 
Lauren aged 20 From Lisburn won the title from over twenty-three other finalists, to acquire the coveted crown from previous title holder, Katharine Walker.  Photo: Kirth Ferris
Lauren Leckey Crowned the 2019 Miss Northern Ireland at the Europa Hotel, Belfast on Monday 6th May. Lauren aged 20 From Lisburn won the title from over twenty-three other finalists, to acquire the coveted crown from previous title holder, Katharine Walker. Photo: Kirth Ferris

Lauren from Stoneyford, just outside Lisburn, won the title from over twenty-three other finalists, to acquire the coveted crown from previous title holder, Katharine Walker.

The raven haired beauty who works for the family business, also competed in the 69th Miss World competition which took place at London’s ExCel.

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Lauren took time out from her busy schedule to give us a little insight into where she gets her style inspiration and much more.

Describe your personal style

This is quite a hard one to answer as I would describe my day to day looks as quite edgy with a touch of glam and it definitely has to be comfortable. If you look in my wardrobe you’d see a lot of black, white, greys and neutrals so lots of my clothes will go with each other. A staple in my wardrobe is a long camel coat-it works well with everything.

For events I go to the other side of the spectrum with bright bold eye-catching colours and I’m drawn to anything with sparkle. My go to dress shop for any occasion is Rosie’s Closet in Newry. They have such a wide range of styles, colours and sizes that I never leave empty handed!

Where do you find your style inspiration?

I follow fashion pages on instagram along with lots of different ladies who’s style I love - whether it’s going out clothes or street style looks. In my free time I’m always browsing online shopping seeing lots of outfit ideas and saving them in my wish list.

What is the best style advice you’ve ever received?

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Do not worry about the size of the clothes or jeans that you buy, always try it on and see what fits YOU best. I am an 8 in some high street stores and a 12 in others.

What is your favourite fashion trend at the moment?

Oversized puffy sleeves! If I’m going for a nice meal or a drink in town this would be my go to outfit with skinny jeans and heels.

I also love oversized blazers with mom jeans and clean white trainers if I’m having a girly shopping day in town and I need to be comfortable.

What’s the oldest item in your wardrobe?

One of the oldest items, but the one I definitel still wear the most, is an oxblood brown leather jacket I bought over five years ago. When I bought the jacket the store recommended sizing down in it as the leather would stretch and this will give it the best shape even after lots of wear. I just love it, it’s so versatile, it was a great investment piece.

And the most recent?

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On my Christmas holidays I picked up a loose black blazer that is covered in black and silver sequins! It’s been worn to lots of family dinners over the holidays.

Do you keep things in your wardrobe that you haven’t ever worn?

I try to do regular clear outs just to keep my wardrobe organised with the clothes I wear a lot so they’re easy to find. I’ve found the best way to do this is putting colours together. Most of my wardrobe is black and white so a large selection of clothes is there. I then have pink, blue and spring colours together and lastly autumn colours like burgundys, greens and mustards. Before I buy clothes I always think to myself will I get good wear out of it and have lots of other clothing options I can wear it with.

What was your worst fashion mistake?

There have been many. One that makes me laugh the most is wearing a denim skirt over a pair of jeans..what were we thinking?

Is there a current trend you like?

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In November of last year I spotted Alison Clarke wearing a sleek black two piece suit to a Miss World event in London and I couldn’t get enough of it! It looks so sleek and I knew I wanted to get myself a ‘power suit’. I am now the proud owner of a black suit and lovely bright mint blue one. I normally just wear these with a black or white turtle neck for through the day and for the evening I’d just wear the blazer and trousers with heels.

What is your favourite rule-breaking colour combination?

I think pink and red go great together! Even though they’re both very bright and close on the colour spectrum I think they complement each other. I have very dark hair so I always try to stick to bright colours they would always look better on me as I think pastel colours tend to wash me out but look fabulous on blonde hair.

What shoes do you wear most often?

During the week and for the most part of weekends you’ll usually find me in fashion trainers, a nice clean pair of white leather trainers with some detailing. They are so practical and can be worn with any outfit.

For heels I would always wear courts with a pointed toe and a thin heel. Alison taught me over the course of Miss NI that they are the most flattering and elongate the leg. Straps and blocky shoes can shorten the leg. I own them in white, nude, black and red so they pretty much cover most outfits I would wear. They are definitely the comfiest I’ve owned!!

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Are your looks well planned or do they come with less thought?

If ACA models ring me to go to an event I’m always thinking in the back of my mind what I will wear. The night before I would try it on to make sure I’m not rushing before I go. If I ever have last minute plans sometimes I would swap and change bottoms five or six times before I was happy with the choice.

What are your favourite local shops?

I’ve mentioned them before but I honestly love Rosie’s Closet in Newry. All the ladies in store are so lovely and always help me find the dress that makes me feel so beautiful. If it’s high street stores I love Topshop, Zara and All Saints.

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