Describe your personal style.

I lived in Paris for two years and I think that my time there gave a chance to become familiar with French chic! In general they like their clothes to be feminine and often wear layers and different textured clothes. Because we don’t have a busy social life I wear clothes that most people would wear to go out to go and pick up the girls from school. But I do get to wear fancy clothes when I’m working as a harpist. I wouldn’t say that I follow fashion – I think that I follow my own fashion. I tend to keep my clothes for years and I also believe that my style doesn’t age at all.

Do you have a favourite designer?

I don’t feel that I go after big names but I have noticed that I do tend to be drawn towards the same designers every time. I think that four names in particular come to mind; Jus d’Orange, Derhy, Zone Bleue and Cottonade.

Your everyday clothes and beautiful. Do you own a lot of Jus d’Orange clothes?

Yes, quite a few things! But some do go back a few years now. I bought these trousers in Paris a few years ago and I wear them with this jacket that has ruffles in a shape of a rosette on it, and of course a ruffled top to go with it!

You have quite a collection of berets!

I started to wear a beret every winter a few years ago. I buy theme at a reasonable price in every colour in France and then I customize them myself to match what I’m wearing. It’s important to me that the beret matches the clothes, shoes and bag that I’m wearing. By now the girls also wear them. Most parents have a hard time trying to persuade their children to wear a hat, but mine started quite early and young enough that they are now used to wearing them to go to school with their uniform.

What does fashion mean to you?

It can be a bit of an obsession and it’s now started to create a problem with the girls as the sometimes fuss over what to wear. But they are now at an age that they have an idea about what goes with what. Before, if they were home alone with their father they would wear some interesting combinations of clothes, and sometimes even each others clothes!

This is a wonderful outfit, and you’ve also got a bag and a pair of shoes to match.

I don’t often mix and match outfits. I buy everything separately but to go together. I bought the dress first and then the cardigan. I recently walked past a shop window in Llandrillo yn Rhos when I saw the bag and shoes. It was on a Sunday and the shop was closed and I was only there for the day. I happened to mention it to my parents, and then a few weeks later I had a phone call from them to say, “We’re in a shop in Llandrillo yn Rhos. You do know that there in some yellow on the bag don’t you?” They were worried that I wouldn’t want the bag because there was a little bit of yellow on it. But bless them; they bought the shoes and bag as a gift for me.

Do many people buy you clothes as gifts?

No one hardly buys clothes as a gift for me, not even my parents even though they know what I like. But Gareth bless him, I do sometimes moan at him for not buying me something as a surprise, but I don’t think he understands my taste anyway!

How do you decide on you performance outfit?

I play a duet with a girl who plays the flute and we always have to phone each other before a performance or wedding to know what each other is wearing so that we don’t clash.

What kind of clothes do you wear to perform?

I bough this outfit quite recently. I fell in love with the style if this skirt – it’s exactly the kind of thing that I would wear. I had trouble finding anything to go with it so I bought the dress from the same line and wore it as a top. I already had a bag that would match it at home – so I put them all together to complete the outfit.

There is a rose of some kind on nearly all of your clothes, where has your fondness for them come from?

I think it’s because they’re quite feminine and they add a different texture to the clothes so that the material isn’t flat, and of course it’s interesting and fun.

This is a beautiful outfit.

I wear full length dresses to perform but I will also often wear trousers with a fancy top. I was travelling back from France through Trois when I saw this blouse and thought that it was interesting and a little different. I wore it to a wedding a few days after I bought it and I’ve worn it a lot since. This make is very difficult to get hold of, but I’ve found out where their headquarters are in Paris. They usually only sell to shops but I managed to persuade them to let me, and two kids into their headquarters!

This is coat is very unusual.

This also has roses on it. I was in Madrid travelling in an open top bus and they were preparing for a Royal wedding decorating the streets with flowers everywhere and I was wearing summery clothes. But all of a sudden it started to rain heavily and so I jumped off the bus and went into the first shop I saw and bought this coat before hopping back on the bus and carrying on with the tour. I believe that if you have to spend some money you should spend on something that lasts!

Are you disappointed with the clothes in this country?

I’m not keen on the style of the clothes over here as I like my clothes to be very feminine. Some might say that they are more practical than the clothes I wear, but I think that what I wear is practical as I’m used to wearing them by now. When I pack to go away on holiday I always have to take a pair of shoes to match every outfit. I take a suitcase full of Besimon pumps from France, I can’t imagine going on holiday without them. I also always make sure that there is enough empty space in my suitcase to buy some more clothes for the next season. I always feel so happy wearing these clothes, maybe it’s because they’re French – and I love everything that’s French, but they make me feel very content.