God Save the Queen - its Jubilee Weekend

It has been a month and quite some month – there have been some fundamental changes in my life in the last month and with all change you have re-awakenings, realizations and sometimes you just see things a little more clearly.

I went on holiday for the first time in 9 years – no it wasn’t 5 star, it wasn’t glam - it was me, my man, my dog – a very small caravan, a tap and a beautiful piece of land in the hills in Liguria in Italy.  Not me….No…. didn’t think so myself either, but the caravan is stylish, the nearby town is chic and we are in easy reach of Monaco, Cannes and Nice – this was my reasoning.  I hated Monaco, didn’t get to Cannes or Nice and spent my whole time, cooking, cleaning, breathing and I could not have loved it more – came back fitter, re-awakened my love of yoga – long lost with a bad back injury – and my love of good food and wine.  I have a million allergies and food had become a chore to be thrown down my throat to fuel the next mad rush.  I didn’t miss the internet or the telly – in fact the lack of these where what made the holiday totally perfect.

I came home and then there was another fundamental change, we have bought the woodland next to our house – another piece of heaven – baby foxes, birds, air, streams, falls, lakes, deer – you get the picture and all I want to do is be in my woods doing yoga and re-balancing my life – it would seem I am embracing my inner Barbara!

However saying all that I am still Margot and I still love designing, styling and beautiful things but they are no longer the obsession they once were – I have had a massive clearout – I just don’t want a million things that in many ways make my life harder – and believe you me there is nothing like a big ebay to make you think – what a bloody waste of money – I won’t be going mad in the sales – I will be designing and I will compliment those pieces with the beautiful accessories I already have and new ones I will cherish and spend time enjoying buying with no personal pressure to acquire.

Of course all of this has meant I know longer have the time or desire to be on the computer constantly but I miss you and I have always enjoyed the fashion ventures we have shared – so will still be posting and visiting – but not as much and as often but there is no less appreciation of the work we all do for the love of fashion.

Have a very good bank holiday weekend – and in the spirit of patriotic fervour – the red blue and white has got to me – long live Queenie! Xx

My latest fashion and frank offering - silk - top and maxi and what a print - easy, peasy

Gorgeous new Lanvin Sunnies, old bottega bag, love this outfit it goes with every bag and pair of shoes i have virtually - highlight the nude base or pick a colour - sooo many colours - this is what i love with a good print - the ease of accessorising 

We made the back really full and it just moves beautifully

 

And because it is fashion and frank and he has come home with a rather latin temperament and refused to participate in todays shoot - excuse me - Franco!

Not bad for an iphone - Arma di Taggia - on the coast and my lovely boy

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And because i said i had a stylish caravan and i am sure you do not believe me ....

I know not very visible but meet the TAB - holds the landspeed record for a caravan - oh yes - Mr told me that - Mr sourced it - the wine is going to my head - the weekend has started and this uber long post must make up for my lack of previous???  have a very good one xxx

Skirt and Top - my own design, Shoes Valentino Rockstud Gladiator, Sunnies Lanvin, Bag Bottega Venetta, Jewellery - a lot of Marco Bicego and all long loved and owned 

Rain Rain Go Away!

It has not stopped - incessant, deluge - and my constant "oh but we need it" echoing forth through the land is quite frankly wearing thin.  And of course, when the weather poses sartorial conundrums, i muse forth...  I dont want to wear black shoes, i want to wear my new spring colours, they do not go with black shoes but i do not have any rain proof other than black shoes - see, fashion conundrum, and then i remembered these really, really old brown dries booties - a tad cowboy-ish, rather long in the length - but retro and i think somewhat cool ( i am not sure i am not beyond cool ) however i am clinging to a vestige. Then i remembered my decade odd old Choo handbag and it all kind of worked with my new, very new, fashion and frank jacket and mint ( i know, i know - trend driven or what) fashion and frank blouse, add my blush miu miu cardi, ubiquitous hat and i think i can brave the weather tomorrow for a day of much needed rest and recouperation - in my case - shopping!  Have a good one xx

These Jeans are fab but i never get jeans that fit me straight away so i took them to Colpani and now they are absolutely perfect - i am now doing this with all my jeans that i buy that are good and never stay that way instead of re-buying i tailor - it is saving me a fortune and it is the way to get that ever so elusive perfect jean.

Kept chopping off either my feet or head but i think you get the idea of the boot ...

I love the way the jacket picks up my eyes really well - and you can really see it in this pic - gorgeous fabric - Joels again.

Blouse Fashion and Frank, Jacket Fashion and Frank, Cardigan Miu Miu, Belt Chloe, 

Jeans Current Elliot, Bag Jimmy Choo, Hat Borsolino, Boots Dries Van Noten

Birthday Rings, Champagne and Pussy cats

It was my birthday a couple of weekends ago and i had a really lovely Saturday, met friends lunchtime and then my lovely man, Frank and i went for a wander up Sloane Street, some mutual shoe shopping and then champagne and nibbles at the Capital - culminating in a cupcake and a picnic at Birling Gap the following day - it was truly fab.  Now i can honestly say i am not that enthralled by another year post 45 but hey i love the pressies and all the lovely people that remember and make it special, not to mention champagne and cupcakes.  So this is what i wore (the sloane street bit, not the picnic!).

Its here my fashion friends so from me to you - have a very good weekend xx

I love a bit of camel - but i like to liven it up a bit so i got these duck egg blue pumps from Ferragamo - i love them - they kind of do the pastel thing without having to do it too hard... mmm? knowing me - watch this space 

This is my birthday pressie from my lovely man - how stunning is that blue and matches my shoes - double lucky me

This is one of Franks feline nemesis's (english??) - my lovely maine coon Marmy - who is old and arthritic and soo very gentle - gentle giant 

Done up - kind of essential with the weather - hot/cold - what is it doing??

I saw this fabric and fell in love with it - then the buttons and you cant see but it has apple green lining - it is really very easy and the cut is perfect (thank you Jackie) I adore the colours but the fabric is a bit of a pig and even though it is interlined twice i fear for its longevity - so i am loving it right now even more 

I liked the way the bag echoes the fabric without actually matching and the pickup of the ring and shoes plus the bangles pick up the colours in the jacket too - just in case you are interested in quite how anal i am when it comes to my sartorial choices 

From behind - what a cut xx

Jacket - Fashion and Frank, Bag Bottega Venetta, Shoes Salvatore Ferragamo, 

Trsrs Carven, Cardi Miu Miu, Hat Borsolino

To tight or not to tight that is the question

Or some random fashion musing - might be more apt.  It is that time of year girls - the sun is out - but our legs are white and really is it that warm??  Now there is always the jean or the pant but if you are a skirt girl - at what stage of spring is the black opaque just too, well, black, winter, dark, brr - you with me??  Now you can go for the coloured tight - a look i love on others but never seems to quite make it to my legs - now being a child of the 70's - i love a tan so relatively speaking there is still a touch of colour to my legs (a touch being the operative word) so in the interests of spring i have gone for the bare leg - so girls here is our Thursday fashion musing - should i have done the tight and if so, which ones??  Mmmm....  have a good weekend - nearly here xx

The scarf adds that pop of colour because i do love beige and i feel the need for a bit of colour

Here he is the lovely boy

And this is what he thinks of random fashion musings ..

I love my new Amadeo Cameo Ring - kind of shown here!

High back pleat (in motion) - the idea - the front (high) split will not be quite so ... well split

Borsolino hat, Prada shoes, Herself scarf, Marc Jacobs bag, Chloe blouse, Very old Burberry Mac, Fashion and Frank skirt xx

My favourite, and i mean most favourite, coat

Now i promised you a fashion and frank shoot with the man and my new most favourite coat ensemble - what you got - cos life is like that - is a Claire shoot with half the ensemble - but hey it is a start - i wore this last Friday and met my lovely tailor/friend Jackie who (bless her) said i looked totally fab and loved the outfit and then laughed that i was wearing my mums shoes and i so was!

Now the other half of my fashion and frank fave masterpiece is a pair of shorts - yep - you heard it - so i am now a 45 year old in shorts and their mums shoes!  and that truly is fashion for you - Frankie sends fond hello's xx

Spot the lining

A lesson i have recently learnt - the bag is not quite right with the coat but very right with the trsrs, scarf etc - by adding a couple of accent colours you can make two colours that dont quite work on their own work - it is all in the entire outfit so just keep adding accents, mix mix mix - makes your pieces go further and might prove more interesting 

Trousers and Coat Fashion and Frank, bag LV, Shoes Prada, Blouse Equipment, 

Hat Borsolino, shawl Eric Bompard

OMG its been a while!

Even my mum has been bemoaning my lack of blogging - why - i am not sure but at least i have one fan!  I have had the most full on Jan/Feb with work, but it is calming down - at least for a week or two and we have produced some fabulous results so it was worth it.  When it is mad like that i have to manage my priorities and they are my man, my mates and my work so something had to suffer and it was my blog - i have been keeping up with all of your fab sites but not often had time to comment - so if you havent seen me for a while i was there - virtually!

I thought i would come back with what i wore on Saturday - as i have forgotten most of what has come before - it was a bit of self portraiture which is not my fave but i have an amazing Fashion and Frank outfit to share with you which mr has to capture this weekend - it is ammmmaaazing.  In the meantime i will share this little vignette which a lovely young girl told me she loved and that i reminded her of SJP in it - i told the man as i was extremely flattered - he felt it not a compliment - and therein i think lies the difference between man and woman - have a very fab week xxx

Who is peeping behind Mummy - sulky boy 

Saturday was a pretty fab day - meet my new handbag

What a gorgeous day - i think winter sun is my favourite kind

The skirt is one of my own - i think one of the hardest things to find is the perfect basic in a really really good cloth - so to that end i am designing a range of basics for myself in cashmeres and silks - this is my classic A-line front pleat in a Lora Piano Grey Cashmere - i wore it in the car for nearly 4 hours and all it needed was a light steam - that is a successful piece to my mind - that and that it fits and flatters

Cardi Balenciaga, Boots Celine, Bag LV, Belt Gucci, Blouse Equipment, Lanvin Scarf, Fashion and Frank Basic Skirt, Coat Moschino Cheap and Chic, Hat Borsolino

Cardi's as dresses, and other sartorial musings

Just back from London work is done and it is fab to be home with my boys, and it is London that has inspired most of my multi functioning outfits - i always take loads, wear loads and run out - which should be quite impossible - i am not a light traveller!  but hey believe you me it happens - there is of course always one outfit - normally heavy in both thought and reality, made of many components that never gets worn but that really is a whole different post.  And this is where i have learnt to multi task - this cardi, has been a dress, a cardi and even a scarf - i love a layer - and on that note have a very good weekend - nearly here xx

I often stick to really simple jewellery on my easy days, and i do love a delicate gold bracelet and necklace

This was one of the scarfs my man got me for xmas it is so fab as it ties in browns, blacks and beiges - i absolutely love it and it makes me feel very grown up - laughable i know - i dont know how in my head i am at least 20 years younger! 

 And here he is the lovely boy xx

Marni shearling lined gilet, proenza boots, stella cardi, bottega bag, lanvin scarf, borsolino hat

All pieces from previous seasons updated with a new scarf and hat 

Denim inspo - that not so skinny jean

I eventually succumbed to a bug so after a couple of days enforced nothingness i had time to get off that denim inspo post.  Now i know the skinny is the current staple and beloved by most including on very slim days myself but i have to say it is the not so skinny that works easiest for me - in light of that i am starting this new little series of denim inspo with the one that i love the best - the not so skinny! x

Double denim meets burgundy - great fit too - somewhere between a skinny and a boyfriend

Loving the pattern of the blouse and scarf with the neutral boot and parka

Oh it is so in that turban

Two gorgeous looks - loving the burgundy loafer and tortoise sunglasses that lift the monochrome perfectly

Adore this shot - the contrast of the sandal with the so much more wintery jacket, the knees -  and what a top knot - fab

Sarah Harris, i adore her long grey hair, classic oversized sweater, perfect straight leg fit and a pop of colour in the shoes, the classic clutch and pump that are far from classic

Now this is winter perfection, there are quite a few neutrals in here, the navy of the cardigan that is just seen, the tans, burgundy brown bag, black, white and grey, all blended perfectly and this is the look that most closely resembles my own denim style - pure personal inspiration

I am ending with the classic boyfriend jean styled in its easiest form, monochromatic and very borrowed from the boys 

Images sourced from (in order from top to bottom) :

A love is blind, Vanessa Jackman, Jak and Jil, Fashion Wandering, Fashion Wandering, Dvora at Fashionistable, Julie Ansiau.com, Vanessa Jackman

Their are some new blogs as well as the more well known and they are really fab - go and check them out