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Nine low-effort ways to wear soft stripes this summer

Nine low-effort ways to wear soft stripes this summer

Irish Examiner22-05-2025
Sandy toes, seaside linen, and summer stripes. As style vibes go, this one's a classic. Well, sort of.
There's a definite shift in mood and tone. Nautical lines feel cold. Deck chair tropes look overplayed. Shades of caramel, sage and light pink subjugate the bold and bright.
In fact, anything that feels sharp or high-def warrants a filter. It's as if the fashion gods decided it's a soft life for stripes this season which must be why pyjama co-ords continue their trend domination.
So, what can we expect? In aesthetic terms, comfort rules both fabric and silhouette. Roomy shirting is rivalled by puffy sleeve tops and quilted gilets – cushy and relaxed with laissez-faire string ties. For maximum ease, layer over a boxy tee and wear with an A-line or puff ball midi skirt with an elasticated waist, of course.
Should tailoring be your north star, look to languid materials like satin in an unassuming palette (think Stine Goya's brown and sky blue or promote your matching set to something short and sweet as seen at Alberta Ferretti.
Feeling playful? Pair mismatched stripes like diagonal with vertical styles, ensuring there's a colour throughline to keep you looking put together. Add off-duty accents like a slouchy cardigan, clogs or oversized suede bag.
Just be sure to choose no more than two of these, so as not to confuse soft with sloppy.
On those bare minimum days, consider a key piece like a striped polo or easy bandeau top for visual interest. Leave the rest to serendipity. Soft doesn't do effort, after all.
Alberta Ferretti, Runway during Milan Fashion Week
A model walks the runway at the Alberta Ferretti fashion show during the Milan Womenswear Spring/Summer 2025. Picture: VittorioA model walks the runway at the Alberta Ferretti fashion show during the Milan Womenswear Spring/Summer 2025 on September 17, 2024, in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vittorio)
Striped gilet
Striped gilet, Penneys, €26
Penneys, €26
Striped crossbody bag
Striped crossbody bag, Parfois, €29.99
Parfois, €29.99
Faithfull striped bandeau top
Faithfull striped bandeau top, Net-a-Porter, €170
Net-a-Porter, €170
F&F sage stripe bow tie top
F&F sage stripe bow tie top, Tesco, €23
Tesco, €23
Per Una striped trousers
Per Una trousers, M&S, €65
M&S, €65
Poplin stripe skirt
Poplin skirt, Arket, €89
Arket, €89
Wallpaper stripe dress
Wallpaper stripe dress, Stine Goya, €300
Stine Goya, €300
Embroidery stripe shirt
Embroidery stripe shirt, Stine Goya, €255
Stine Goya, €255
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Nine ways to add dimension to your wardrobe with fringing
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Flesh hung like ribbons from bones…ghostly figures collapsed, never to rise – inside horrors of WW2 atomic bomb
Flesh hung like ribbons from bones…ghostly figures collapsed, never to rise – inside horrors of WW2 atomic bomb

The Irish Sun

time4 days ago

  • The Irish Sun

Flesh hung like ribbons from bones…ghostly figures collapsed, never to rise – inside horrors of WW2 atomic bomb

IT was the day that changed the world for ever – when the first atomic bomb brought ­Armageddon to Japan. Oscar-winning 2023 film Oppenheimer tells how the world's most destructive weapon was created. But it does not show the A-bomb being used in action. Advertisement 9 The explosion of the first atom bomb, Little Boy, devastates Hiroshima - instantly killing up to 100,000 people Credit: Getty 9 The bomb that hit Hiroshima, nicknamed Little Boy, was 10ft long and 28inches in diameter and had the explosive force of 20,000 tonnes of TNT Credit: Getty - Contributor 9 Enola Gay on the day of its attack on Hiroshima Credit: Getty Next week marks 80 years since scientist ­ Incredibly, the weapon that could destroy all life has since brought eight decades of peace, through fear of mutual destruction. Here, minute by minute, we detail the story movie ­viewers did not see – of how US ­President Harry Truman approved the bombing of ­Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, before Japan's Emperor Hirohito ­surrendered six days later. MONDAY AUG 6, 1945 1.30am (Japan), 2.30am local time: Nine days after US President Harry Truman had warned Japan to surrender or face 'prompt and utter destruction', a US Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber emerges from a top-secret compound at the world's busiest airbase. Advertisement READ MORE WORLD NEWS Lieut-Col Paul Tibbets, 29, is at the controls of the plane, named Enola Gay after his 57-year-old mother, on the Pacific island of Tinian, 1,500 miles from the ­Japanese mainland. In the hold is only one warhead — a bomb so deadly that it could not be armed in advance in case the plane crashed on the runway, wiping the US base off the face of the Earth . The device, nicknamed Little Boy, is 10ft long and 28inches in diameter and has the Physicist Harold Agnew, who would be flying alongside to monitor the explosion, confessed later: 'That bomb was completely unsafe. If they'd crashed, anything could have happened.' Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive 1.40am: Photographers and film crews surround the Enola Gay, which is lit up by spotlights as her ten-man crew pose for photos. Theodore 'Dutch' Van Kirk, who was on his 59th mission, recalled: 'There were all these people — photographers, newspapermen — everywhere. It looked like a Hollywood premiere.' 1.45am: Heavily overloaded with the five-tonne bomb on board, Enola Gay rumbles down the 1.6mile runway and takes off with 200ft to spare. Inside the eerie abandoned Los Alamos lab where Oppenheimer created the weapon that could wipe out the world Behind are two more planes with nicknames — The Great Artiste, carrying scientific instruments to record the blast, and Necessary Evil, with a camera crew on board to film the explosion and damage. Ahead lies a six-hour flight in a moonless sky . 2.20am: Also on board Enola Gay is US Navy captain William 'Deke' Parsons, 43, who had ­witnessed the horror of Advertisement Parsons, along with electronics specialist Morris Jeppson, 23, wriggle into the crammed bomb bay to carry out the 11-step ­process of arming Little Boy. Working by flashlight for 15 minutes, they insert a fuse and four bags of cordite gunpowder that will detonate the bomb, which contains 64kg of highly enriched uranium. 4.15am: Van Kirk would recall: 'That morning, the sunrise was the most beautiful I'd ever seen.' 6.25am: Jeppson returns to the bay to make final adjustments. Little Boy is now fully armed. Advertisement 7.09am: Straight Flush, one of three US weather reconnaissance bombers sent to check out three possible cities to attack, is seen over On the ground, Hiroshima's ­citizens have heard a rumour that the Americans were saving something for their city because, for the last two months, US planes had been dropping ­harmless orange bombs, the same size as Little Boy. Oppenheimer had warned that the bomb's shockwave could crush his plane like a giant hand swatting an ant. 7.30am: Over the intercom, Tibbets announces: ' Co-pilot Captain Robert Lewis, 27, writes in his report: 'There will be a short intermission while we bomb our target .' Advertisement 8.10am: Flying at 285mph, Enola Gay reaches 31,000ft. Her crew, now wearing flak jackets and welder's goggles, search for their aiming point, the T-shaped Aioi Bridge in Hiroshima city centre. Akihiro Takahashi, 14, is in the playground of a high school, watching the bomber overhead. 8.15am +16seconds: An alarm sounds as Bombardier Major Thomas Ferebee releases Little Boy, which nosedives towards the earth. Engines screaming, Tibbets turns Enola Gay into a steep diving turn of exactly 159 degrees. Oppenheimer had warned that the bomb's shockwave could crush his plane like a giant hand swatting an ant. Advertisement 8.16am +2seconds: Little Boy explodes at 1,890ft above the ground, creating a fireball of 10,000F — the same as the ­surface of the sun. The explosion rips through Hiroshima's Communications Hospital. Of 150 doctors in the city, 65 are already dead and most of the rest are wounded. Some 1,654 of 1,780 nurses are also killed or too hurt to work. At the Red Cross Hospital, the city's biggest, only six doctors out of 30 are fit to function. One of them is surgeon Dr Terufumi Sasaki, who is trying to deal with at least 10,000 wounded who descend on the hospital, which has just 600 beds. Advertisement Van Kirk recalls: 'Everybody was waiting for that bomb to go off because there was a real possibility it was going to be a dud.' Despite wearing goggles, the explosion 'was like a photographer's flash going off in your face'. Tail gunner, George 'Bob' Caron screams: 'Here it comes!' Moments later, the shockwave hits them, followed by a huge radioactive cloud that can be seen from 400 miles away. 9 Advertisement 8.17am: As Enola Gay levels off, Tibbets tells his crew: 'Fellows, you have just dropped the The B-29's crew look for ­Hiroshima. Van Kirk says later: 'You couldn't see it. It was covered in smoke, dust, debris. 'And coming out of it was that mushroom cloud.' Lewis writes in his log: 'Just how many did we kill? My God, what have we done?' Advertisement More than Another 40,000 would succumb to their injuries, while thousands more would suffer death by ­radiation poisoning. In the devastated city centre, 8,000 children aged 12 and 13, helping clear firebreaks to limit damage from air raids, are vapourised as the fireball engulfs the wooden buildings. Eiko Taoka, 21, is on a tram clutching her year-old son as she hears a screaming noise and the sky goes black. Fragments of glass suddenly appear in the baby's head. He looks up at his mother and smiles. Advertisement That smile will haunt Eiko for the rest of her life. Her little boy will live for three more weeks. Akihiro Takahashi is blown across the playground, his skin on fire. He staggers to the Ota River to cool his burns, jumping into the water just as the huge wall of flame engulfs the city. 10am: Faced with such devastation, Lewis believes the Japanese will have surrendered by the time Enola Gay lands back at Tinian. He signs off his log: 'Everyone got a few catnaps.' Advertisement Akihiro climbs out of the Ota River and finds a school friend, Tokujiro Hatta, who has burnt feet and his muscles are exposed beneath peeled skin. They head slowly home with Tokujiro crawling on his knees and elbows and leaning on Akihiro as he walks on his heels. Thousands of naked, badly burnt people are also shuffling out of the city. Setsuko Nakamura, 13, would recall: 'Some had eyeballs hanging out of their sockets. Strips of flesh hung like ribbons from their bones. Advertisement 'Often, these ghostly figures would ­collapse in heaps, never to rise again. With a few surviving classmates, I joined the procession, carefully stepping over the dead and dying.' 1.58pm: Enola Gay lands back on Tinian 12 hours and 13 minutes after take-off. In Hiroshima Akihiro spots his great-aunt and uncle walking towards them. He said it was like 'seeing the Buddha in the depths of hell'. Akihiro would survive after months in hospital, but his friend Tokujiro died. In 1980, Akihiro met Enola Gay's pilot Paul ­Tibbets in Washington DC. 3.05pm: Tibbets is first out of Enola Gay. Waiting for him are 100 men, including General Carl Spaatz, commander of US Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific, who pins the Distinguished Service Cross on Tibbets's chest. Advertisement 9 Lieut-Col Paul Tibbets, 29, is at the controls of the plane, named Enola Gay after his 57-year-old mother Credit: Getty 9 With no sign of surrender, the US prepared to drop 'Fat Man' — a plutonium bomb 40% more powerful than Little Boy Credit: Getty 9 A victim of 'Fat Man', the Nagasaki bomb, is burned beyond recognition 4.20pm: Enola Gay's crew undergo radiation tests plus examinations to see if their eyes have been damaged. All pass. Advertisement 10pm: A party is held on Tinian, while Captain Parsons, Enola Gay's weapons expert, signs ­documents confirming Little Boy was deployed. Meanwhile, at the Red Cross Hospital in Hiroshima, worn out and wearing glasses taken from a wounded nurse after his specs were lost in the explosion, Dr Sasaki wanders the corridors, binding up the worst wounds. WHEN the Americans do not hear any sign of surrender from Japan, they decide a second, ­bigger, atomic bomb is needed. This explosive, 'Fat Man', is 40 per cent more powerful than ­Little Boy. With no electricity, he works by the light of fires still burning outside and candles held by the ten remaining nurses. Patients are dying in their hundreds. The stench of death is overwhelming. Advertisement 11.55am Eastern War Time: President Truman is on USS Augusta, heading home from the Potsdam Conference in Germany where, with British PM Winston Churchill and Japan of the consequences of failure to surrender. He is handed an urgent War Department message: 'Hiroshima was bombed at 7.15pm Washington time August 5 . . . results clear cut, successful in all respects.' Truman shouts: 'This is the greatest thing in history!' The crew cheer and bang their lunch tables. One sailor says: 'Mr President, I guess that means I'll get home sooner now.' TUESDAY, AUGUST 7 WHEN the Americans do not hear any sign of surrender from Japan, they decide a second, ­bigger, atomic bomb is needed. Advertisement This explosive, 'Fat Man', is 40 per cent more powerful than ­Little Boy, with a core made of plutonium rather than uranium. THURSDAY, AUGUST 9 2.47am (Japan time): US Air Force B-29 bomber Bockscar, piloted by Major Charles ­Sweeney, who had been on the Hiroshima mission, sets off from Tinian. The target is the city of Kokura in Japan's west — with Nagasaki as a back-up in case of bad weather . 8.44am: Sweeney's crew arrives above Kokura and finds the city covered in fog. They attempt three bomb runs, but cancel each one at the last moment because they cannot see anything below. Advertisement 10.32am: After 'animated discussions', the crew decides to fly on to the secondary target, Nagasaki, 95 miles south. Nagasaki was only added to the list because US Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, had happy memories of staying 19 years earlier in Kyoto, the original No1 target. Nagasaki was added instead after Stimson insisted: 'I don't want Kyoto bombed.' 10.58am: Arriving at Nagasaki, Bockscar only has enough fuel for one pass over the bustling city, which is also covered in fog. 11am +50seconds: Bombardier Captain Kermit Beahan yells: 'I see a hole!' But the gap in the cloud is above an area several miles away from the point they had planned to drop the bomb. Advertisement 11.01am +13seconds: Beahan shouts: 'Bombs away!' and releases the most powerful atomic bomb ever used in warfare. 11.02am: Fat Man detonates 1,650ft above the harbour city. Sweeney later says this bomb seems 'more intense, more angry' than the one he watched fall on Hiroshima. Everyone within one mile of ground zero is vaporised — at least 40,000 people die instantly. Advertisement About 30,000 more will rapidly die from burns and injuries. Despite Fat Man being more powerful than the Hiroshima weapon — with a core temperature of up to 1.8million F — the death toll is far less. That is because this bomb falls in a valley, and the sides contain some of its spread. Just outside the vaporisation zone, British prisoner of war Geoffrey ­Sherring is trying to light a ­cigarette when 'a very, very ­brilliant and powerful light' fills the sky, 'completely eclipsing the sun'. He will later recall: 'It was the colour of a welding flash, a blue, mostly ultraviolet flash.' Advertisement Geoffrey then feels the 'thundering, rolling, shaking' of the bomb's shockwave. This brings down a wall in the camp, which crushes fellow ­prisoner Corporal Ronald Shaw. The 25-year-old, from Edmonton, North London , is the first British person to be killed in an atomic bombing. 11.06am: Bockscar's crew decides to head to the US air base at Okinawa because they do not have enough fuel to reach Tinian. Advertisement 11.30am: Japan's Supreme War Council is in the middle of a meeting in Tokyo to discuss a possible conditional surrender when a messenger arrives with Noon: Bockscar begins its descent into Okinawa, with less than one minute of fuel left. Sweeney takes the mic and shouts: 'I'm coming straight in!' He lands and another crew member later recalls: 'A bunch of very jittery people debarked.' Advertisement 4.30pm: Bockscar takes off again and heads for Tinian. The crew switches on Armed Forces Radio hoping to hear of a Japanese surrender, but are ­disappointed. 9.30pm (Japan time), 10.30pm Tinian time: Touchdown at ­Tinian, but there is no fanfare and photos for the arrival, unlike the scenes after the Hiroshima mission. However, Tibbets, from the Enola Gay crew, comes out to meet them. Sweeney asks: 'Now what about some beer?' Advertisement Tibbets says: 'Chuck, I'm afraid I have some bad news. The beer ran out.' FRIDAY, AUGUST 10 2am (Japan time): J apanese Emperor Hirohito tells an ­emergency meeting of Japanese war leaders in Tokyo: 'I cannot bear to see my innocent people suffer any longer.' He says his 'sacred decision' is to surrender, on the condition that he is allowed to remain as head of state. The news is cabled to the US, which rejects the terms and demands unconditional surrender. Advertisement WEDS, AUGUST 15 Noon (Japan time): Japanese radio broadcasts a pre-recorded speech by Emperor Hirohito, announcing unconditional ­surrender — the first broadcast by any Japanese emperor. In the UK, this will for ever be known as VJ — Victory over Japan — Day. SUNDAY, SEPT 2 9.04am (Japan time): World War Two formally ends when Japanese officials sign the s­urrender treaty aboard USS ­Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Additional reporting: Eleanor Sprawson 9 US ­President Harry Truman approved the bombing of ­Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 Credit: Getty Advertisement 9 Six days later on August 15 Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced his country's unconditional surrender Credit: PA:Press Association

Coronation Street star signs new contract to keep her on soap for another year – and escapes cost-cutting axe
Coronation Street star signs new contract to keep her on soap for another year – and escapes cost-cutting axe

The Irish Sun

time5 days ago

  • The Irish Sun

Coronation Street star signs new contract to keep her on soap for another year – and escapes cost-cutting axe

CORONATION Street star Jane Hazlegrove has revealed she's signed a new contract to remain on the soap. The actress - who plays Bernie Winter in the ITV soap - has put pen to paper for another year on the cobbles after revealing she only joined the soap to pay for her new bathroom. 2 Jane Hazlegrove will remain on Coronation Street for at least another year Credit: ITV 2 Bernie collapses on her wedding day struggling to breathe Credit: ITV And it means she's escaped Jane first appeared on the cobbles in 2019 as Gemma Winter and Paul Foreman's estranged mother Bernie, but since then she's become a fan favourite. And luckily for them, she's going nowhere. Speaking to My Weekly, Jane revealed: 'I only came into Coronation Street for 10 episodes to get a new bathroom. Read more on Coronation Street 'I'd run out of money and when they said, 'Will you come and do Corrie for a bit?' I thought, 'Yes! That will pay for a nice white suite!. 'I've been here for six years now and I've just signed for another year. It's a lovely place to work. I feel very blessed.' The star's character Bernie is set to marry Dev Alahan next week in a huge soap wedding - but typically things go horrifically wrong. As she heads to the ceremony, Bernie realises she's forgotten a locket from her late son Paul so heads back to the house. Most read in Soaps But while there she finds it being burgled and she confronts them - before eventually rushing over to tie the knot. However after arriving and dancing herself down the aisle Bernie suffers a health emergency and stops breathing. Jane explained: 'Suddenly Bernie can't breathe, the poor love, and ends up in A&E. 'They've lost the plot!' rage Coronation Street viewers as they call out baffling Bernie Winter blunder 'Dev, and a lot of people, think she's on her way out because it's quite serious. 'She is really frightened, this has come from nowhere and she can't breathe. It' s terrifying. Is she going to be okay?' She added: 'That's what is so brilliant about Coronation Street, you don't know what you're going to get until you open the page of the script and that's what is so fantastic about how it plays out – we've got this woman raving down the aisle and the next minute she's in casualty , pardon the pun! Coronation Street's 2024 shock exits Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let's break down who's left the famous soap: Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza's grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life. Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite was devastated to learn he only had months left to live. Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering. Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul's impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full. Simon Barlow ( The Weatherfield legend Simon's been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy. It looks likely she'll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind. Show stalwart Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end. Her character left the Street after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia. 'The writers throw all kinds of things at you and you just hope and pray you give credence and justice to whatever they've written. 'Who knows what Bernie is going to do next, that's why I love playing her.'

Penneys fans set to love new €14 wardrobe staple perfect for office in three colours for summer
Penneys fans set to love new €14 wardrobe staple perfect for office in three colours for summer

The Irish Sun

time6 days ago

  • The Irish Sun

Penneys fans set to love new €14 wardrobe staple perfect for office in three colours for summer

PENNEYS fans are set to love a new wardrobe staple that's perfect for the office - and it comes in three colours. The Square Neck Waistcoat is available in stores across the country now. Advertisement 2 The waistcoat is ideal for the summer months 2 It's a big bargain at €14 The cute piece has a square neck and flared peplum hem. It is available in ivory, pink or black and is stocked in sizes XS to XXL. "Cut to a regular length with a fitted shape, it's styled with a structured square neckline, sleeveless design and a button-down front for that smart-casual finish, while the peplum hem adds a soft, flared touch to the tailored silhouette. Advertisement READ MORE IN FASHION "Plans straight after being in the office? You know exactly what to wear." It can be worn with slacks or jeans depending on your day. Meanwhile, a fashion fan has told how she tried a from Dunnes Stores - and it's perfect for casual days. Lauren Egerton to the new arrival that landed on racks just days ago. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous She said: "Why is nobody talking about the new two pieces? I tried comfy new outfit from Dunnes for summer with lovely feature from €15 "I got the red one but I can't remember if it also comes in black. "So the two piece is a top with lovely gold buttons and a ribbed detail. "The pants are a wide leg and are the same material. They just don't have pockets. Advertisement "I used to never wear red, I hated it but now I can't get it off me. "Everything I buy is red these days because you told me to buy red! "So if you're that person that doesn't like red or don't think you can pull it off just try it." The Short Sleeve Button Detail Jersey Co-Ord Top is a bargain at just €15. Advertisement Its description reads: "This soft jersey top features short sleeves and gold-tone buttons on the shoulder, adding a stylish detail. "In a textured finish, wear with denim or the matching trousers (sold separately) for a coordinated look." The matching trousers are also priced at €20. The retailer added: "These straight-leg jersey trousers have a textured finish and an elasticated waistband for a comfortable fit. Advertisement "Pair them with the matching top (sold separately) for a relaxed, coordinated look." The outfit comes in sizes XS to XXL with some sizes already sold out. THE HISTORY OF PENNEYS THE Penneys brand grew from humble beginnings on Dublin's Mary Street, where it opened its first store in 1969. Known as Penneys branched into the UK in 1973 with its first store opening in Derby. The UK now has 191 Primark stores in total. However, the Penneys name could not travel to Britain as the American retailer JC Penney had the right to use the name in the region. And in 2006, the expansion into Europe began with an opening in Spain, followed by the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Austria, France and Italy. Primark went Stateside for the first time in September 2015, with the opening of a store in Boston. There are now 27 stores in America with branches in Florida, Brooklyn, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The retailer's opened its largest store in Birmingham in 2019. It spans five floors and features Primark's biggest beauty studio to date, a barbers and three restaurants.

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