Main Street: Frankie Graddon

"Talking to other mothers I quickly got the sense that loosing your way with style is a pretty universal thing."

Welcome to Main Street, the place to bump into perspectives on style from Land of Oaks and Roses readers and friends.

Hi friends! I’ve been thinking about how to do this series on style for awhile. I’ve always been drawn to the good energy of a great outfit. I’ll never forget the feeling of walking into the sample room (where they keep the clothes) on my first day at Prada. I worked for other luxury brands before this, but these clothes were in their own world. They felt like make believe. And their magic persisted in spite of whatever heartbreak, fear, or annoyance was going on in my 20-something-year-old life of trying to make it and grow up at the same time.

I still love that world. But, what inspires me more now is when I see someone who’s figured out how to bring that magic down from the ether and into the minutiae of their real life. Like when my best friend (+ my first boss at Prada + mom of 4!) showed up to a black tie wedding with wet hair dripping down the back of her red, floor-length dress and looked incredible! It wasn’t just that she made a non-effortless dress code look so effortless. It’s that she made magic out of her real life. I think that’s what we’re really after. More so than an escape, we want to bring good energy to the lives we’re actually living. And I think getting dressed can have something to do with that. It’s a way to take the pieces of who you were, and who you are now, and who you want to be, and play around with them until they fit together. It turns an internal process into something you can see and feel, which is great news, because that means we can do it together.

There are so many readers here with incredible perspectives on style. I hope they’ll start to feel familiar to you! My dream is for this to feel like it did when my friends and I would get ready to go out in college. We’d blast our favorite songs (probably Chris Brown pre-Rihanna break up), open all our closet doors, try on outfit after outfit, borrow ideas and things, and give/get advice until we all left the room feeling like magic. That’s how I want you to feel here. Welcome to the first (of hopefully many) editions of Main Street!

First up is Frankie Graddon. Frankie is a London based fashion journalist and mom who brings expertise from both worlds to her perspective on style. Her newsletter, Mumish, was one of the first I subscribed to when I learned about Substack + she was among my first wave of new readers when I made the move here. I feel like she’s my Substack fashion friend who keeps me in the know on the best style happening on the playground in London. Frankie, thank you for being our inaugural Main Street run in!

Olivia: Tell us about you and how you came to write Mumish.

Frankie: I initially had the idea for MUMISH when I was on maternity leave with my first baby. I suddenly felt like a stranger in my own wardrobe and just couldn't get my head around getting dressed. My body and lifestyle had changed and the clothes that used to make me feel great, no longer fit - in every sense.

Talking to other mothers I quickly got the sense that loosing your way with style is a pretty universal thing. And also that sense of invisibility, especially when you're pushing a buggy. And yet there isn't much out there speaking to it. I think fashion is reluctant to associate with mums for fear of being considered frumpy and uncool - which is such a shame. Some of the best-dressed women I know have kids.

I knew there was space for something fashion and motherhood focused - and as a fashion journalist with the lived experience, I felt I was in a good place to offer it. I sat on the idea until my second baby was in childcare and then pulled the cord and launched my Substack.

It’s been a lot of fun writing it and I've had a really lovely response. I aim for it to be a mix of addressing the practicalities of dressing with small kids (coats with hoods! Bags that fit loads of snacks!) but also celebrating the joy in clothes and wearing things that make you feel amazing.

Olivia: What’s your perspective on getting dressed in this era of your life?

Frankie: A lot of what I wear is dictated by time and ease - so there are lots of jeans and jumpers I can chuck on when I'm in a rush getting the kids to nursery in the morning. Washable fabrics, comfortable flats (I can't do heels at all!) simple shapes and colours that all work with each other.

But there's also the flip side of this in that I crave glamour more than I used to. I need that break from the everyday and to feel special and sexy every now and again - it's so easy to not when you're covered in toddler snot and mash potato. So when I go out, I probably make more of an effort than I did before kids. Even if that's just remembering to put on great earrings and some perfume with my jeans and shirts.

Olivia: What pieces are you wearing over and over again right now that we should know about?

Frankie: I'm really enjoying my Citizens of Humanity Miro jeans. They're a slightly slimmer take on a barrel-cut so feel current but super easy to wear with shoes and boots.

I like COS for basic tops - the long-sleeved T-shirts and merino wool tops are useful layering pieces. I also have a quilted jacket from there which is good for staying warm in the playground.

Shoes wise, I've been living in shearling mules from FitFlop. The slip-on ease is great when I'm in a rush.

Otiumberg pavé mosaic hoops for everyday sparkle.

Adanola does the best leggings.

Olivia: Any advice for someone struggling to translate who they are into personal style?

Frankie: I think comfort is really important. If you feel comfortable in your clothes and they work for your lifestyle then you're much more likely to look good in them. And you're more likely your wear them.

Don't feel beholden to rules. Reach for what makes you feel good - clothes should be about joy.

And if you feel stuck in a rut, start small. Details can make a big difference - be it switching up the silhouette of your jumper, doing a different colour of sock or adding a belt. Little tweaks that feel easy to do.

Olivia: Who do you look to for inspiration?

Frankie: Years of writing about fashion means I'm still a sucker for street style. I love seeing what people are wearing at the shows - and actually there is often a lot of real-life wardrobe inspiration to find among the OTT outfits.

Olivia: Let’s dream a little bit… Imagine the thing in your life you’ve been hoping for came true. What would you be wearing as this next version of yourself?

Right now all I'm dreaming of is a sunny holiday somewhere far away and with lots of time for reading books on a sun lounger. So I'd be wearing a beautiful swimsuit from Eres (the ultimate fantasy!) and a linen shirt over the top from With Nothing Underneath.

For more from Frankie, subscribe to Mumish or follow along with her on Instagram.

See you next week!

With much love,

Olivia