Sharp-suited Daniel O'Donnell meets old friend to ensure style on stage

A menswear shop is enjoying the Daniel O’Donnell effect on business after fitting out the country superstar with sharp new suits for his comeback tour.

Tony Riordan was delighted when the crooner popped into his Cork City outlet to get a brand new look for himself and his seven-piece band after an 18-month sabbatical. Daniel and his musicians were kitted out with on-trend suits for a fashionable return to the stage.

Mr Riordan described Daniel as a “fashion icon” among fans and especially among women hoping to get husbands and boyfriends to dress smartly. He said the singer has a tall, lean frame and is a “dream to dress”.

“Daniel is a model figure to dress. He keeps in great shape and the clothes hang very well on him,” he said.

“The brief for the new outfits was to give Daniel and his band a sharp, on-trend look. Daniel also needs fabrics with a bit of stretch in them for dancing on stage.”

The businessman, who owns Tony’s Menswear on Marlboro St, and the crooner go back more than 25 years. They first met when the Munster man started taking regular holidays in the singer’s native Donegal in the early 1990s.

Their friendship has seen Daniel choosing the Cork outfitter on a number of occasions including his honeymoon wardrobe for his wedding to Majella in 2002.

The retailer of 28 years said many people don’t realise Daniel makes about three costume changes per concert. This time, his devoted audiences can look forward to seeing the popular performer in a sharp, three-piece navy blue suit with beige piping by Marc Darcy; a mid-blue suit with shadow-check by Torre and a silver-grey mohair three-piece by Carl Gross.