THE leggings revival: Discuss. It is one of the most curious fashion stories of the last two years. When these '80s staples first reared their aesthetically unpleasing head, those who remembered them the first time around quaked in fear at remembrance of things past. Those who didn't remember them also quaked in fear at the thought of donning what is potentially the most unforgiving garment a woman can wear, followed only by dungarees. It was generally assumed back then that, like this season's Miu Miu turbans, leggings were more so a concept than an actuality and one of those trends that would never make it beyond magazine fashion pages. However, the unthinkable happened. They made the crossover into mainstream fashion and are now sported by women of all ages who are buffered by the thought that this year's dress shape de jour (the smock) covers the requisite amounts of offending thigh and junk-in-the-trunk. Leggings may be replaced with footless tights, come summer, but it amounts to a same thing: a valuable lesson in the mesmerising, drug-like quality of fashion. One minute you're worrying about the size of your derriere; the next you're giddy and sweaty, hyperventilating with the belief that a voluminous tulip mini skirt is precisely what you need to inject some 'oomph' into your wardrobe.

Fashion, lovely fashion, is the quick fix and instant mood elevator. It's the "Sod it, I've nothing to wear tonight, I'm going to buy something" school of thought. Style, on the other hand, is its measured, sensible, grown-up cousin. It's not that most of us don't want to be stylish, but it's just that in comparison to buying into whatever the latest trend might be, it's seems, well, like too much work. And money. And time. Coco Chanel summed up the essence of true style best when she decreed, "Elegance is refusal." True, no doubt, but not what you want to hear when you're rocking your Giles Deacon New Look spotty dress, Buffalo snakeskin platforms, Ray Ban aviator shades and a Marc Jacobs Stam bag, all at the same time.

Yet deep in the heart of any of the fashion-fixated is the sour knowledge that while they might be so 8 April, 2007 right now, it's not a look with any longevity. To quote another Chanel phrase . . . and no apologies for doing so, she did after all invent the Little Black Dress . . . "Fashion fades, only style remains the same."

The rules of style are simple but not easy. Buy the best you can afford, remain true to yourself, dress to suit your shape and your personality, practice the art and always be confident.

Vogue might bang on about the wonders of Penney's but its staff are just elegantly slumming it, unlike the rest of us peasants who can't accessorise our 17 dress with a pair of Louboutains. And be wary of those misguided moments when you think you're a bit Scarlett Johansson. You're not.

It's rather telling that over the last century, only three names are regularly cited as style icons. They are Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy and Kate Moss. Of course, there are many more incredibly stylish individuals out there and many of them not household names such as Lagerfeld's muse, Amanda Harlech. Then there's Sienna Miller who seems to strike a miss for every score she hits but definitely deserves points for trying. But the holy trinity of Hepburn, Onassis and Moss is never absent from history's style roll call.

Givenchy dressed Hepburn; Onassis favoured Givenchy too as well as Chanel, Mainbocher and Cassini. Their enduring appeal lies in their classicism. Moss, meanwhile, subscribes to no particular designer but wears everything with such insouciance and confidence that it becomes immediately covetable. Break her wardrobe down and there's nothing very special about it. But add in whatever that magical quality Moss possesses and it's hot . . . waistcoats, micro shorts, bedhead hair.

Thousands of women will buy her Top Shop range, hoping for a little bit of Moss alchemy but there is only one Kate.

But possibly and reassuringly, there is another way forward that exists on a plane that is neither fashion nor style. That is the Liz Hurley route. She is not stylish (white jeans, blatant lip liner). She is not fashionable (a decade of wearing crotchskimming Versace dresses, and again, white jeans) but she looks utterly fabulous. This path seems to involve marrying a billionaire, being best mates with Elton, living on a watercress soup diet and eschewing a lower middle class background by buying a country pile, deciding to be exceedingly posh and calling ordinary people 'civilians'. In summation: a Top Shop run will make you feel better about yourself but only briefly; you can emulate a classic look on the cheap but it only works from a distance; you'll never look like Kate Moss and a designer dress split up the side and fastened with safety pins will catapult you into the celebrity stratosphere.

MY STYLISH LIFE: FOUR STYLE DECISION MAKERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS J ALEXANDER Runway coach and judge on 'America's Next Top Model' EVERY WOMAN CANNOT WEAR WHAT THE WOMEN ON THE CATWALK WEAR AND LOOK GOOD IN IT. These models are women who are tall; who are size three; who are wearing layers and layers of clothing. Wear it on the street and you would look absolutely ridiculous. You could put it on but you wouldn't have the same spirit, the same energy and the same character and that's what most people don't realise.

RIGHT NOW, THE LUXURY OF FASHION IS GONE. There's so much access that people have to it, it's not a luxury anymore. It's now mass produced goods that people are buying because they want to be able to feel part of it. If I pull a Chanel lipstick out of my bag, I'm a bit of a "Mmm, I belong" but the other thing is, you know, "I can't afford to pay my rent but I got this lipstick."

H & M HAS DONE WONDERS FOR PEOPLE, AS HAS MARKS AND SPENCERS. People can go there and buy inexpensive clothing but if you have a great sense of style, you can make them work.

I'M SIX FOOT FOUR. People aren't that open to giving me clothes because nothing fits.

I'VE BEEN AROUND SO MANY DESIGNERS.

When you are sitting in the workroom and you're doing fittings with John Galliano; that is an experience that the average person will never understand and it really can be overpowering. I worked with Alexander McQueen and it really is the most amazing experience because you see the creative process. Everything comes to life . . . the hair, the make up and the girls get into the whole spirit.

JENNIFER LOPEZ'S MARCHESA GOWN THAT SHE WORE TO THE OSCARS MADE HER LOOK A BIT MUMSY. If it was more fitted it would have been absolutely amazing off her body.

J-Lo has booty. That ain't going nowhere.

I WANTED TO DESIGN CLOTHES AT ONE POINT. Then I saw the drama and the madness involved and I thought, "Shit, hell no."

But now I could probably bang my name on something, do simple dresses or something.

HERE IN DUBLIN, I'VE SEEN DECENT SHOES ON GIRLS, I'VE SEEN DECENT DRESSES. But I haven't been out here yet. I'd like to go to a local club. I think that would be interesting . . . all the pink lippy, all the lipliner, I'm sure, all the bronze skin, the hair extensions and the boobs hanging out and the high shoes and the no knickers. I would love that. I would just sit in the corner and observe all night long.

MEN, LOOK AT MAGAZINES. Don't get FHM.

Go get Esquire. Look at all the shoes you can buy for $100. Look at the suits you can buy for $150. You need three basic suits . . . grey, navy and black. And a blazer. If you want to be daring, do it with a tie. Do it with a fun shirt.

YOU DON'T NEED A LOT OF MONEY TO LOOK GOOD.You just need to have a sense of style and live out of the box.

WOMEN SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A NAVY BLUE AND A BLACK DRESS IN THE CLOSET.

You can always dress up a shift dress, from funerals to weddings, daytime, lunchtime, cocktails, throw on some nice jewels, a great pair of shoes and you're good to go.

A GUY GOES TO THE STORE AND BUYS A JACKET BECAUSE HE LIKES IT. He buys a shirt because he likes it, he buys pants and shoes. But he doesn't think about that jacket going with other stuff in his closet to make it all co-ordinate, so that's when some men need the male Mary Poppins, people like me around to give them a kick in the nuts and get it together.

KATE MOSS HAS A GREAT SENSE OF STYLE.

I think Naomi Campbell does too. She can be hit and miss but she always looks very good.

Victoria Beckham, she's not bad but the husband I think has a great sense of style. Charlize Theron on the red carpetf Nicole Kidman takes risks but she does pretty good fashion, as well.

MY STYLE EVOLVED BECAUSE I JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY THE THINGS THAT I WANTED. My mother and father were supplying for ten kids. My mother said, "You want that shirt? This is what we're buying, this is what I can afford." I didn't want the $4 shirt; I wanted the $10 shirt. I didn't want the $9 shoes, I wanted the $29 shoes and I started creating stuff that I couldn't afford to buy.

WE TRY TO EXPLAIN TO THE GIRLS ON 'TOP MODEL' THAT YOU GET INTO THAT ROLE WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT POSITION. Out of it you can be a slob, you can be a pig but the moment you're in front of that camera . . .

model!

WHEN YOU SEE MOST OF THE GIRLS AFTER THE SHOW, THEY'RE DIFFERENT. It's the pressure of living in that house and constantly competing, that they're so stressed and so uptight that they completely just forget everything.

But when you see them after the show, the haircuts have changed, they maintain their looks, they're dressing better, everything is so much better.

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ANNELIE MC CAFFREY, Press officer, Brown Thomas/BT2 I LIKE TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY. I hope that what makes my style unique. I like that I can see an outfit unfold even before I've seen it. It can start as an image in my mind and once that happens I find it usually materialises as you seek it out or it seeks you out I KNOW IT'S A CLICHE BUT KATE MOSS KNOWS HOW TO GO OUT IN STYLE . . . DAY OR NIGHT. I love Chloe Sevigny for her daring fashion outfits and ability to mix vintage with designer. I have also come around to the appeal of Kate Moss' protege Irina Lazareanu, once dismissed as too gangly to make it as a model. I think she has proven that she's got the style and rock star attitude to become a cult figure in herself.

THE MEANING OF TRUE STYLE IS TAKING THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT. Just because you're wearing a pretty dress it doesn't have to be all pretty-pretty.

SINCE I STARTED WORK IN BROWN THOMAS AND BT2 OVER TWO YEARS AGO, I HAVE INVESTED IN MY WARDROBE. I assess what I need rather then haplessly shopping regularly and my wardrobe is much healthier now than it was.

IF I COULD INHERIT ANYONE'S WARDROBE, IT WOULD BE JACKIE O'S. She liked designers such as Balenciaga, YSL and Lanvin. She had the world at her feet and her style was second to none . . . she really never put a foot wrong.

I NOW BELIEVE THAT IF YOU SPEND MONEY ON YOUR CLOTHES, YOU LOOK AFTER THEM. I hang my dresses on padded hangers. If the dress is heavily beaded I would put it in a box in tissue and try not to get it dry cleaned too often.

I always keep my designer shoes in their shoe bags and in boxes. It's definitely quality over quantity these days for me.

AT THE MOMENT I'M LOVING 'SIMPLY DRESS' FROM BT2. It's a small label from France and she designs from the memory of her mothers old 1950's style dresses, which is nice as they have a history. A dress with a story . . . I like that.

MY OLD FAVS WOULD HAVE TO BE MY MARC JACOBS GREEN VELVET PLATFORMS. They are about nine inches high and have a huge jewel on the front and I love them as if they were my own child. I have been stopped in the street wearing them, they really command attention and they usually get it.

PAULA REED, Style director, 'Grazia' magazine I WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN STYLE.We were a house full of girls . . . three sisters, and my mother was a hairdresser so we were sort of obsessed. She used to say "first out best dressed".

KATE MOSS HAS STYLE IN HER DNA, DOESN'T SHE? Most of us develop our personal style; she just has it innately. Her appeal is that she's kind of an ordinary girl from Croydon, who has become a superstar and she's been incredibly canny in that she's not out there giving interviews the whole time, so she's almost like this blank canvas that you can project just about anything on. You can imagine she's incredibly enigmatic or that she's fantastically funny or witty or intelligent or whatever you want really.

THE WAY WE APPROACHED 'GRAZIA' IS THAT IT'S KIND OF GIRL'S CHAT IN THE LOOS. Any of the juniors who are starting to write, I say just imagine you are telling your friend about it and you've got the voice right.

I GREW UP IN LIMAVADY, THAT FAMOUSLY GLAMOROUS PLACE! I went to Dublin to go to Trinity and moved to London in 1985/86 because there was just no work in Ireland.

There was just IMAGEmagazine, I think the Irish Times and the Sunday Tribune had fashion pages and that was about the extent of it, and I really wanted to get into fashion journalism.

WHAT I THINK MANY PEOPLE DON'T REALISE IS THAT YOU CAN'T COPY SOMEONE ELSE AND BE STYLISH. It evolves from something and most of it is from a deep knowledge of yourself and what works for you and works for your life and makes you feel really comfortable.

I'VE NEVER BEEN FRILLY. My style is quite minimal because I've got three children and a weekly magazine and I kind of need to be able to reach into the wardrobe and pull out something really quickly. I don't have a whole lot of time to put myself together so for work it tends to be simple black trousers and a white shirt or a long grey cardigan over it . . .

it's really boring. In the summer, I love wearing dresses all the time. You put a dress on, it's one piece, it's done.

I DON'T SHOP LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS. There are girls in the office who run out to Zara every lunchtime. I couldn't bear that but I will do a lot of window shopping and cruising and if I spot something, it's usually a really heartfelt reaction. I get a bit of a flutter.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES YOU CAN MAKE IS TO BE TOO SEDUCED BY TRENDS. Just because a bubble skirt is in fashion, it doesn't mean it has to be in your wardrobe. If it doesn't work for you or your life or your body then it really doesn't belong anywhere near you. You don't want your clothes to have the last laugh. That's not the point. They're meant to make you look fabulous, flatter you and project the fabulousness of you. You're not a walking advertisement for the latest trends.

DEE BREEN, Press and marketing manager, Harvey Nichols, Dublin I'M WORKING IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WARDROBE, AS SUCH. In the store, you're constantly seeing what's coming in and all the latest trends.

I ADMIRE THOSE WHO PORTRAY THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES. My style icons are those who are confident about whom they are. Gwen Stefani has it . . . her personality comes through and that's so much more than fashion, that's style. I love Jasmine Guinness and I love Sofia Coppola. She's so beautiful and flawless. I prefer her understated look to red carpet glamour.

I NEVER HAD A TOMBOY ELEMENT. I was always girlie and into fashion. I have memories of wanting to get dressed up, since I was very small . . . either with my mum's clothes, wanting to be able to fit into her over-the-knee leather boots or dancing around in my ballet costume. I never steered away from dressing up.

IN WORK, I ALWAYS HAVE A PAIR OF HEELS ON. I'm understated but business like . . . not necessarily suited or booted but I'd wear a skirt teemed with a cami. But it depends really. I'd wear a lot of tailored jacket or a really smart dress with a high waisted, really smart belt. Accessories are important.

A LOT OF CELEBRITIES HAVE A FORCED LOOK.

You can tell they've spent a lot of time.

I LOVE ALBERT ELBAZ FOR LANVIN. I love SportMax . . . I think it's very smart. Philip Lim is a real favourite. I think he's going to be such a big designer and that his collection is going from strength to strength.

STYLE IS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT JUST HAVING EVERYTHING YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE. It's about editing. Edit what you know is right for you.

THE IRISH ARE VERY STYLE CONSCIOUS, AND MORE AND MORE SO. They're becoming more international, savvy shoppers. There's a big demand for exclusivity and getting that 'must have' bag, the next big thing, the next big label.

I AM NOT AN IMPULSE SHOPER. I would definitely be focussed on what I need and I look after what I have. I don't feel like I need to buy all the time and I like to invest in things. I mix high street stuff but I think that once you look after your clothes, you can build up a really good wardrobe and after that, it's only a matter of filling in every now and again.

IF MONEY WERE NO OBJECT, I'D GET A ZAGLIANI PYTHON BAG. I've been going on about it forever.

They're custom made and injected with a serum that makes the skin feel like cashmere. They vary in price, but you're talking over 2K. I'll need a little windfall before I get there but I think it would be such an investment piece.

TM