Now back to sheer!

I wasn't feeling 100%, so before meeting my friends I took myself off to Harrods Shoe Heaven. A little bird had told me some new shoes were in. Yes, but that little bird wasn't anyone that looks after me… So nearly a wasted visit. Nearly in so much as nothing I really wanted, but I did find out the date of the pre-sale. Except I've decided that although I can always find something to buy, this time (with so many great styles coming in mid-January) I will wait. Or at least try to. Not too sure that really is a option but you never know. And then, what do you know, I felt better! Must be clearer air on the 5th floor...

I went to a great party. The hostess with great legs (really great legs), covered them in fine, black, sheer tights to finish off a shortish, black, sequinned loose dress and high-heeled pixie boot outfit. I wish!

Someone mentioned sheer tights a while ago. I can't remember the last time I wore them but for me, if wearing a skirt above the knee and one is over 21, then this or a tight or stocking (whatever denier) has to be the way to go. No bare thighs on show please! But the reason I mention this party was the abundance of leather legs. I think now I've written it, it doesn't matter. Or does it? I know I've touched this subject before but How Old Is Too Old? As in "am I too old?" I'm not really one for a tight trouser of any kind. Have never worn leggings, jeggings or skinny jeans. Actually that’s not quite true - I did buy a pair of skinny jeans, wore them once, had a meal and could never get into them again! So gave them to my 20-year old niece! And now leather legs… Hmmmm, probably not. As luck would have it, I just tried some on and happy to say the answer is still No. Mutton dressed as lamb, very important to recognise this!

Jewellery news! For eight years (to be precise) I've had a large natural pearl necklace sitting in my safe. Actually it's part of a demi-parure that my ex-husband bought, me but I digress. I hardly ever wore it until I had the idea of having it restrung. And what do you know - I'm loving it! Just must remember to not spray perfume whilst wearing it. But now I'm thinking of having the big single pearl earrings reset as well, and my everyday diamonds! This has really started something! Well, if all it takes is a fresh view then why not!? I sized up  a ring from my third figure to my index finger - love that too! I may even reset my diamond rivière…

Have discovered one of the best (OK not so new, but new to me) restaurants in town. Milos in Lower Regent Street. Great size, great ambience, great food and in future that will be my restaurant of choice.

As the year comes to an end, so it seems we may be heralding the end of the bi-yearly Fashion Collections as we know them. Social media it seems is causing havoc with fashion. Or more accurately the “See Now Buy" brigade has landed. No one wants to wait anymore! For anything. Fast Fashion has a lot to answer for. What they're going to do and how is not my problem, but maybe one day soon we'll look back at magazines (I'm a bit hooked on Pinterest) like we look at letters as a thing of the past. Nostalgic for the feel of paper. But hold on a moment - Francine (before you sign the death warrant!) isn't Vinyl staging a comeback? Yes, and I'm going to look for a record player with a cassette player and Bluetooth and all the other modern technology. So all is not lost, the equilibrium of life will probably not be steamrollered into "Now" and waiting will not become a thing of the past…

Have wonderful holidays!!

And take the time till my next (read: New Year) post to revisit some of your favourites from the past, then the wait will seem invisible!

Happy Shopping

F   XX


PS: Now is the time to start thinking about all those new year resolutions that come  January 1 we can put into practise to forget by January 7 .

...dressed as a whole Roast Dinner

Winter White and Clingfilm ( or Francine on a Night Out... probably)

I was papped (as in a Style photographer shot me in Sloane Street).

I don't know if I told you about my M&S sale find - £20! The sludge green, paisley, size 24 dress with long sleeves that had been taken in twice (the alterations cost more than the dress) over my winter white trousers. It's a complete winner and with my dark green mink jacket balanced on my shoulders - need I say more?! So this morning, debuting my new suit I put on black ankle socks with black suede shoes. This look resembles the high-heeled version of the pixie boots but without the price tag. And what do you know? I loved the look! Embracing all these new looks is such fun and I wholeheartedly recommend trying all this.

Seems many of you agree with the divorce dressing and whether husband- or wallet-hunting, these women definitely exist.

Am I the only one who hates looking at clothes on the web? A small thumbprint of a cardigan or a dress. That's just not what you want. Please, please stop. If I want to see clothes (and this I like doing - hence my blog) I'll go and see them in a shop. But now, as soon as you visit a site they grab your email and loads of other people join in the hunt for shoppers. I'm sick to the point where I don't want to turn on my phone or check my email. "Fashion Harassment" I'm calling it, and now on Facebook too. And obviously I click the links on Vogue or Harpers - just more pictures. Who knows - maybe one day soon there'll be another picture of Moi! You can keep it to yourself if you see it first.

So, good to my word, as soon as I'd picked up the intrepid Mrs Shiffer (my Mother to you and I) from Kings Cross, off we went to view some dresses for next year. Well I tried with the dark blue brocade cocktail. It could have worked on someone else. Tried on a black version. No. Then they bought out a winter white, long, bias cut gown. With the blonde hair and a huge smile that had invaded my face - it was so beautiful! Thinking. Definitely thinking... Imagine bias cut cream or Winter White or whatever you want to call it. It's so wonderful and of course it just couldn't be the same price as the blue could it? I leave you to figure that out…

Just watched Micheal Kors pre-fall 2016 show. What a clever man! Or should I say,"what will he do without Raf Simons at Dior, never mind a smattering of Ralph Lauren." He's a fashion magpie, taking the best from here and there. He's just opened a flagship store next to Dior on Sloane Street and every time I've passed it (as they've taken to open-planning the whole shop a la YSL - see: magpie again), I've never seen anyone in it - just some bored assistants. But that doesn't matter as he sells shedloads of handbags in his Michael (read mid-priced range). Quite why I don't know. Of course I know why, it's in the pricing - “Midprice.” But, there you have it. Thinking about open plan shopping - who wants the whole world watching you selecting clothes? Not me, that's for sure and Marni have also adapted this style of voyeuristic shopping. Maybe they think it taps into the showman/exhibitionist  in their clients. Definitely not for me. But as we know from other posts, there are some out there who adore this mode of shopping - "Everyone look at me!"
OK thats definitely the last time I try on the Winter White gown. Three times - yes, three times and each time it looks better. But who am I? I'm not Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday Mr President." Can I really stand up and introduce my charity dinner in a goddess gown. And you know me with flying food (I'm a magnet). So no, I haven't bought it. But I can't say I've stopped thinking about it...

I had a little accident during the week. I was changing a tea light and the one I was changing was full of wax. Hot wax everywhere. My mahogany table! My beautiful bag! And my cocktail dress!! So yesterday I got some brown paper bags for the spots on my dress (a warm iron and hopefully the wax will lift into the paper). The table was cleaned with much elbow grease and an old credit card. The handbag has to go to the Handbag Hospital. No it doesn’t! I used the brown paper bag and some heat. All is well now! The handbag hospital - it does exist! And I'm thinking of Winter White!

As if by kismet I found myself in Marylebone High Street. I know you all love this area - a bit like Primrose Hill. All quaint and village-like. Somehow I don't get it, but maybe that's just me. Anyhow, back to the story. As luck would have it I parked outside Matches so I popped in. Not a store that I like particularly, but never mind. I went to have a look at their cruise offerings and what do you know?! Winter white/cream was everywhere. You know where this is going… My Goddess Gown! Maybe... Just maybe... (Oh Francine get a grip. We've had this talk). I know, I know but… Probably to be continued.

I took a style leap. I wore a big black cashmere cardigan over my full black cocktail dress. I did try the silver socks with silver strappy shoes, but my sister said that they were a style tip too far. Still not convinced! Gucci pre-fall 2016 continues on the “Granny Takes An Acid Trip Into The Dressing-Up Box." Full of fun, colour and print. Geek styling with humour and wit! This mishmash has no evidence of disappearing. Which is good, isn't it?

I'm just reading the weekend FT and the magazine has a feature on Women of 2015, which has me thinking - who are my Women of 2015? Tricky… very tricky!

I gave a ladies lunch at my home this week for the charity Langdon (I'm dinner chair) and on thinking of the women in the room… I’m actually thinking of renaming it for next year “Women of 2016” and they'll all be contenders for the title. Many of my guests have been major achievers during this last year, whether as dinner chairs or art philanthropists, business or family. I am surrounded by women who continue to achieve great things on a daily basis - so you are all my Women of 2015! Congratulations!!

Happy Shopping

F   XX

Imagine this with a body inside it.

The great Cover-Up. Probably.

Post Divorce Dressing. As I'm divorced I feel very well placed to ask this question. Is there a difference between, married, divorced, and just for good measure - single dressing? In days gone by I think there might have been. Well, there was for married and widowed. Queen Victoria saw  to that. She even had mourning (widow) jewels. Yes, yes... but we're not talking about that, we’re talking about mainly post-divorce. Probably. There's not a difference, just the secret codes of dressing. Take another step into the complicated language of  clothing, regardless of whether you’re dressing for men or women! Do you want to look good for dating-and-mating? Hmmm... but Francine I think you’re missing the point. Is it advisable to look too grand for a divorcée and does it matter? I saw someone all gussied up and that's when this crossed my mind… No, it  wasn't my reflection (see? I'm way ahead of you!) I'm still having fun in the mishmash zone. I'm going to give this question my full attention, then report. Maybe the question is - do you look different if you’re married? (still thinking)

Probably, (as above) - what does this word mean to you? “A reasonable chance that something is true.” So really, regarding anything more than a 50% chance of success. Rubbish! It's the most negative word around. “Probably" means - nothing, zero, don't waste you’re time even saying it! Probably… I tried to make Shalom over a “perceived” miscarriage of justice. Like, after 21 years - let's make peace! To which the other person replied "Probably" and still we don't speak. I for one would much rather that said No, than “probably."

Hand Art… (What?!) No, not what you’re thinking at all (not some action that you’re good at with your hands), but painting more than your fingernails. Not tattoos, but just washable skin ink. Seems everyone's painting some part of their bodies. This week’s fashion in the FT's How To Spend It painted the model in body glitter, all except her face. Took a while to see where the dresses started and the paint finished but this is maybe the beginning of a trend. You can already find it it in some hairstyles. Must explore... As long as the paint doesn't rub off on your dress I think we may have something. To be seen at a Gala near you very soon. (You think?) I dare you to go first...

Great news for us “Women." Pirelli have just released their 2016 calendar and Annie Leibovitz photographed real women (read - Serena Williams, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, Amy Schumer to name a few) in whatever glory they felt comfortable with. No supermodels dressed as tyres or in next to nothing! As I heard with Playboy, gone are the days of the full frontal (one click of the mouse and you can see all the porn you like…) Now they're really buying Playboy for the articles. Well done I say! And I "might"  even try to get a calendar. I can always give it as a present…

You know I'm looking for new earrings. Well I saw the loveliest pair of Aluminium Pansy ear clips by Jar in the upcoming Christies Important Jewels sale. So my first phone call was… My ex-husband! Who, every day, buys and sells at auction - on what to do (and you know I always believe there's a chance...) There was No Chance. Provenance - how much have earrings like that sold for? So we did our due diligence and a pair this colour haven't come up before, so they're rare. I think they'll go for a lot more money but the process was fun. Can't go to the sale and you never know maybe they'll be unsold (Francine the Eternal Optimist!) and I can then get them. Chance would be a fine thing, but if I did  get lucky, forget my usual earrings - I'd be “Have you seen my Jar?" or those in the know would say “Is Francine wearing Jar earrings?” Wow! How cool would that be? Listen, it could always be an early birthday present. Just sayin’...  As expected the earrings went over the estimate but at least now I know what I'm looking for.

I found myself looking through some old photos yesterday of me married and they started me thinking of my married life. The clarity that they bought to me, from then to now, in what I want in my future life was massive. This must be where the phrase "Back to the Future" comes from… I certainly recommend taking that trip (but it’s not for the faint hearted).

Just watched the Chanel pre-fall 2016 show. Now I must say I'm not really a recent Chanel fan. Went through that phase a long time ago (and now just too expensive for me) but… Congratulations Karl - and your styling team (read Amanda Harlech) was brilliant. It so diffused the heavy thick suits that are the Chanel staple that I really enjoyed it. And what is the most valuable piece of styling?... The tights. Yes, the multi-layered, patterned, black lace tights. They are the key. So off to Fenwick Bond Street I go. I've been wearing my multi-flowered tights with my tri-coloured shoes and trousers. A totally winning combination! They had nothing remotely like them. Just too early Francine. How quickly can they produce a tight or stocking when the show was only yesterday?

The pre-sales have begun. I received a phone call from Erdem - I was interested in a long dress but not at full price. So they called to offer me a 40% discount and I've booked my slot in the changing room (that's a new one one me!) Will (of course) let you know how it looked. Hmmm… Very, very demure but not 100% convinced. If it becomes very cheap I might! Joseph in Brompton Cross also offered me 40% off last week. They even had my tri-colour shoes in the blue/black and brown version in my size that Dior worldwide had sold out of. Just 6 weeks  too late. I'm making a concerted effort to "not" buy the same shoes over and over again in different colours (tell that to Roger Vivier). Anyhow I'm debating the Dior pixie ankle boots. (Really Francine?! Are you sure?) OK, no not sure. But like the sequinned trainers I could always display them as modern art.

So, if you happen to come across a bargain in the pre- or official sales… Just think - wouldn't I really prefer new season? I mean isn't winter over now?

Happy Shopping

F   XX

This blog film might contain upsetting scenes for those suffering from a lack of humour 

PS: Exploring themes for the Jewish Social Scene Movie...