Saoirse-Monica Jackson loves playing characters both on screen and off – perhaps one of the reasons she loves fashion so much. “I think you can change your style depending on your mood, and that’s really what I love about bags and clothes,” she tells Stylist. “They can make your personality so visceral to everyone you meet that day”.

When the 29-year-old actor sets her mind to something, it usually all goes to plan. Her personal trademark – a mini skirt, knee-high boots (“I’m a lover of them, let’s say”) and a permanently wry grin – can be traced back to Derry and County Donegal, where she spent much of her childhood. 

“The women of my city are quite stylish,” she reflects. Looking back at her style choices, she tells me, her mum was “an incredibly stylish person” whose sartorial choices have informed her own style lexicon. 

One Guess bag, in particular, that her mother bought on a trip to the US (“the States, as we call it”) sticks out as a first and favourite fashion memory. “I absolutely loved it and just slowly claimed it as my school bag in year eight, which I was very proud of’ I’ve accumulated more little pieces from her.”

Jackson is no stranger to stealing the show. Her role as Erin Quinn in the hit Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls was so well received that it saw her nominated for the IFTA Gala Television Award for best female performance.

Jackson’s not one to boast, though; she demurs on the subject of her talent and accredits the success of the show to its incredible cast and contributors, singling out costume director Cathy Prior for special praise as the person who “built Erin from the ground up”.

“It’s fantastic and so authentic. When I was younger, I used to love ringing my friends’ landlines and all of us deciding that we were going to wear a different version of the same skirt that day, and I think that Cathy really gave that flavour to Derry Girls.”

Although Jackson is no longer that girl in her late teens, traces of her youth still linger. (She has a penchant for the colour white but rarely wears it: “I’m such a messy eater!” she tells me.)

Jackson will soon celebrate her 30th birthday, marking the occasion with eBay and its bright new bag collection, 30 & Thriving. Picking and choosing bags is an ultimate luxury for the actor – for anyone, really. And Jackson has taken full advantage of the opportunity with an eclectic array of choices; “class” ones, for that matter.

Below, Saoirse-Monica Jackson reveals her ultimate handbag wish list, her favourite fashion memories and the most stylish Derry Girl. 

“I think Erin and Michelle have the best [style]… I’m sure Erin would have had to fight Mamma Mary for most of her fashion choices. Orla has amazing style; I really think that she just does her own thing and it’s whatever makes her feel fun – she definitely dresses for whatever mood she’s in. 

“Claire’s character always dresses like a baby Erin – a more childlike version of whatever she is wearing. That’s the genius that Cathy Prior, our costume designer, came up with there.”

“It will always be Sarah Jessica Parker, I think that she is the absolute queen of layering. I love the long skirts with the long jumper over a flowing loose satin dress during the summer and a knee-high slouchy boot or kitten heel. I also absolutely love Billy Piper; I think her style is fantastic.”

“My top styling tip would always be colour. I just love so much colour, different prints all mixed together. I think it just brings more personality.

“I learned to have a capsule wardrobe from one of my friends at university – she always had fantastic staples. I really like a lot of colours, and it can be hard to create a capsule wardrobe so it’s really important just to think about what you’re purchasing before you make that leap.

“I love layering, it’s so nice. I love wearing a lower-cut top with a mini skirt and making things sporty and chic at the same time. I think it’s really sexy and it makes me feel fun and young.”

“I would love a Fendi Baguette. I’ve always loved them. They’re lovely, textured bags and such a gorgeous staple that you can wear casually and dressed up.”

“I really love a backpack at the minute because it’s so practical. I love the small Gucci ones but I also love the big men’s ones. I do a lot of travelling, so I think it would just be so useful and they’re so durable and well made.”

“I love Vivienne Westwood handbags, especially the colourful tartan ones because I think that you can wear them with a lot of outfits and of course they’re colourful, so I’m all about it.”

“Jewellery is a great investment to make that you can wear with everything. It’s just so economical for your wardrobe. I love a fancy pair of gold earrings. I’m a big fan of Sandy Liang’s at the moment. I think that all her pieces are brilliant to have in your wardrobe because they are really great layering pieces. You can make them so versatile with tops and long skirts – they work all season round.”

“I think the perception of being on set can look quite glamorous, but I don’t ever come home dirtier than from set. So I really love to get a facial. I know it’s such a luxury, but I love to get a facial and just feel clean and gives my skin a bit of a glow before I’m doing any work events. I also always feel better when I’ve got my roots done.”

Celebrate a big birthday with luxury piece at Shop eBay’s 30 & Thriving handbag edit | eBay.

Images: courtesy of eBay and brands