Time for a spring jacket?
Plus the chicest splash pad shoes
MUMISH is in The Sunday Times Style! I'm giving my two-pence on the subject of cool mum dressing in Bex Cope’s brilliant piece.
I thought Katie O’Malley’s piece for the Standard on the luxury market finally acknowledging mums was very interesting. It certainly feels like brands and business are waking up to the importance of catering to women with kids - not least because of our spending power (I recently received a press mailer from luxe Aussie label Aje with postpartum dressing ideas - the first time I've seen something like it in my 15-plus years in fashion). I nodded vigorously at this quote from Artipoppe’s chief marketing officer, Sophie Ludmann: “Motherhood, somehow, became a chapter where a woman's desires were expected to disappear; where her needs were framed as purely practical rather than aspirational,”. £3,500 is a bit steep for a baby carrier though…
On the subject of expensive stuff, at a work event this week I was chatting to a glossy fashion PR who currently has a teething 13 month-old. Despite her severe lack of sleep, she looked incredibly fresh faced. She put it down to this megabucks eye cream, which is apparently like a de-puffing lymphatic drainage massage in a bottle. I guess it's cheaper than a lower blep.
There was much furore over these jellies at the M&S press preview. An ideal shoe for splash-pad summers, swimming lessons and beachy holidays.
And how cute is this pickel (or courgette?!) T-shirt from the latest Organic Zoo drop?
The jacket of the season is wonderfully child-proof
Gorgeous weather this week. Cue morning panic over what to put on, namely which jacket.
Obviously there are the spring classics: denim, overshirt, bomber, barn. For those at a parenting stage where suede isn’t going to get attacked by snot or flying yoghurt, I tried on this camel suede from Sézane and fell in love (I'm a size 10 and the M looked best).
If you're looking for something new, the style to know is the funnel neck, as seen all over the SS26 catwalks. Call it the Phoebe Philo effect; the funnel is a signature shape of the cult (and much emulated) designer - see this season’s aviator and harrington jackets.
Phoebe Philo aviator jacket
The best interpretations come in lightweight technical fabrics and with blouson or cropped silhouettes. Hitting somewhere between a bomber and track jacket, they make for an easy throw-on style to coolify jeans and a T-shirt. Or do a high/low mix with your slouchy tailored trousers for work. They'll make dresses feel less prim too.
The high street has loads of great versions. I'm going to be wearing Hush’s bubble-hem zip-up, (£110) which has a great slouchy fit and is made from soft, light cotton which could be folded up to nothing and stashed in the bottom of your buggy or big tote bag.
It's billed as burgundy, but I'd suggest it's a deeper prunish shade that will behave in the same way as brown when to comes to styling it with other colours.
It has pockets, it's wipe-cleanable and while it isn't waterproof, it would be quick to dry if you were caught in a spring shower. I’m wearing the small which fits a size 10-12 with enough room for a jumper underneath.
The perfect playground/pram walk/school run/pre-pick-up pub wine jacket.
Here are five more to try:
One more thing…
After a postpartum fitness specialist recommended I take collagen to help rebuild my muscles following my cesareans, I've been on a quest to find a powder that doesn't taste weird, and tried several that claim to be tasteless but aren't. Founder of OneTrack Club, Laura Fletcher, introduced me to Ancient + Brave’s True Collagen and it really is undetectable in my morning granola or porridge. Supported joints, plumped skin and strong nails, here I come!
That's all for now. You're doing great, Frankie x
Ahh so well timed with the arrival of spring this week. And gah, the jellies! I love your take in the STS, and did a little jump for joy at seeing your name in the article ✨