Ulster women look to Diaz for fashion lead

Forget Kylie and Kate Moss - Ulster women favour Cameron Diaz as the world's fashion icon.

In a new style survey, the Charlie's Angels star, who can switch from surfer chic to red carpet siren with ease, has been crowned "Most Fashionable Celebrity".

And Northern Irish women, it seems, take their lead from celebrities - choosing the vintage-style smocks worn by Nicole Ritchie and Mischa Barton for a first-time date rather than the little black dress.

When it comes to a girls' night out Northern Ireland's fashionistas have one style staple - skinny jeans.

Women in Londonderry like the rock chick look, dressing up their jeans with a glitzy top while Armagh ladies put their own twist to their favourite jeans with a pair of skyscraper heels.

Derry lasses are also less self-conscious about their figures with over half of women there preferring the bikini as beachwear. The rest of the province opted for the more conservative one piece swimsuit.

For meeting the parents, women across Northern Ireland had a surprising favourite look. The days of a safe dress and flat shoes are long gone, with local style queens stepping out in shoe boots, high waisted trousers and Pucci print tops.

The survey was commissioned by Diet Coke to mark the introduction of six limited edition design cans. The cans, which feature vibrant designs from the world of fashion, textiles and art printed on their surface, allow the buyer to " Choose The Looks They Love" from the collection.
This was the challenge set to local fashionistas in the survey.

Developed in conjunction with Caroline Baxter, the Omagh-born executive fashion editor at style bible New Woman, the survey revealed what's hot and what's not in the style stakes.

Caroline said: "Women here are definitely fashion aware and look to celebrities for guidance as to what is "fashionable". Her fashion personality is very informed and fashion led.

She said: "The first date preference of a customised vintage smock dress is definitely driven by what a female friend would choose for her. "Jeans are always popular and skinny jeans are the most trend-led option at the moment - even with the wide flared look coming through. Jeans can be dressed up in heels or down in flats. It's a youthful trendy look started by Kate Moss wearing Sass and Bide jeans a couple of years ago and has since become the uniform of both WAGS and muso's everywhere."