Skeletal crew

Fashion is having a bit of a gorgeous Gothic moment right now and we too want to go to the dark side. We would like some Vivienne Westwood diamante skull earrings. We would love a Markus Lupfer flower skull tee-shirt. There's very little we wouldn't do for an Alexander McQueen skull-print scarf (rose please, and the wool blend and not the chiffon) and we were thrilled to discover a website catering to all our skull-related fashion needs, www.theskullery.com. But far more affordable and just as cute is this purse from a-wear, which is a trifling €4.

Love is a butterfly

It's high street but it looks as good as anything from his catwalk collection. Matthew Williamson is back for Debenhams and the AW09 Butterfly range is a riotous array of sequins, colours and prints. Key pieces include a swirl sequin dress, a black tailored jacket and a jacquard bandeau dress with waist cinching detail. Our favourite is this pewter jumper with embellished shoulders (€62). Practical, warm, but a little bit disco too.

Tea is for Tokyo

Coffee certainly has its place but it can't compete with tea in terms of soothing comfort. Even coffee paraphernalia is more aggressive than tea accessories, being all about the plunge pots, grinders and frankly terrifying space-age espresso machines. Now consider something as pretty and stylish as these washi tea canisters from Le Palais des Thés. They're handmade from metal and covered in traditional Japanese rice paper (washi) with traditional patterns, and each canister has a second inner lid to ensure that the tea is kept in the best condition. They come in three different sizes and prices start from €12. Le Palais des Thés, 31 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 6708752.

Peas and a 'pod

Wouldn't it be fabulous to live in a Cath Kidson world? You'd spend your days pottering in your herb garden, wearing a tea dress and the cutest of floral-sprigged wellingtons. Your adorable children would like nothing better than to eat your homemade brown bread and apple compote. After dinner, after all the family have helped with the washing up, you all sit around a roaring log fire and chat about your day, because of course you prefer that to watching television. And you'd rather cover something as brash and modern as an iPod in this sweet little zip up case. €10 from Cath Kidston, Dundrum Town Centre, 01 296 4430, www.cathkidston.com

The Shopping Audit

* We love Graham Knuttel for Tipperary

If the artist's paintings are a little out of your price league, pick up some of some of his eye catching cappuccino and espresso cups, serving plates and large limited-edition plates for Tipperary Crystal. Available this week in Brown Thomas stores. Prices start from €45.

*We're not sure about Laddered tights

How upsetting. You spend most of your adult life trying not to snag your hosiery and suddenly the ripped-tights look becomes a fashion trend, as seen in the Kate Moss Topshop shoot and, ahem, on Peaches Geldof. Inelegant and we're not buying into it.

* We're buying This coat!

For the definitive guide to the winter coats you should be buying, turn the page to see our fashion editor's picks. But this red one from French Connection is one of our favourites – so vivid, so warm, so Little Red Riding Hood. Kitty wool coat, €230.

* We're lusting after Tom Binns jewellery

The Belfast-born jeweller (Michelle Obama is a fan) is producing a new range for Disney based on Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland. It's not debuting until 2010 so until then we have our eyes on these pearl and Swarovski crystal earrings, €255.57 from net-a-porter.com.