Bastille Day Red White and Blue – support France!
(This post was prepared before I heard the tragic news from France of the massacre in Nice. In tribute to the French people, their customs and bravery I decided to upload this feature. To the noble nation of France we salute you).
As my model ‘muse’ Marianne is named after the French feminine symbol of Liberty, it’s time to ‘celebrate with France’ on their national day Bastille Day, unfortunately I do not have a new ‘Bastille day’ outfit for Marianne (time constraints made it very difficult), but this does not mean that the party cannot go on! In fact quite by accident this has brought home to me. Recently I joined Google photos to backup my data and to my surprise what it does is to ‘auto create’ photo albums (most useful) but also animations, and then send you a notification to your phone to view, and see if you want to save afterwards. So early this week I got the said notification, and to my surprise the animation was from the photos of Marianne for my Bastille Day post last year, it’s simple but fun and the timing of course was ‘on the money’…!
Okay so I’m posting this one day late, (I do have to earn a living somehow and I was working yesterday) in fact Stephanie the charity shop mannequin, is also ‘joining the party’ with a very fetching, and I must say I ‘Mondrian effect’ outfit, with the primary colours of red, white and blue. She ‘celebrating Bastille day’ without even knowing it! From my archive I’ve ‘pulled’ some images that either pay a nod to French style, or with the red white and blue colours suggest ‘fashion options’ for Bastille Day. 
First up is a white silk scarf with red and blue edging, an elegant and understated look for Bastille day (and of course very French) carrying on with this theme it’s a Chanel ensemble from the Riviera show last year, adding a nice touch with a red striped deck chair. Then I spotted a very ‘ugly mannequin’ (in my opinion) in Peter Jones donning an outfit of ‘casual simplicity’, with a red skirt, denim jacket, blue tote bag and that quintessential French style white and blue striped T-shirt, tres chic! (And very easy to put together), so it’s a big ‘thumbs up’ for the outfits and a big thumbs down for the mannequin! (the pose is great though…).
Next is from the windows of that premiere French fashion house Dior, so which do you like best the blue or red coat? A difficult choice as both are great colours! (oh and love those grey sling backs oh yes!) I also found some sewing patterns that might suit…the red base colour can be complemented by adding either blue or white accessories in this case, blue. The pattern with a sweeping skirted dress and batwing sleeves denotes a ‘classic silhouette’, whereas the fitted buttoned dress with white gloves, or alternatively the shorts, top and dotted blouse made me think of that ‘easy & laid back chic’ early 60’s French Riviera style epitomised by Audrey Hepburn and more seductively by Brigitte Bardot.
Now for something ‘more bold’ and more ‘Essex style’, red and white ‘prom style’ dresses, add blue shoes or bag and you are ready to ‘go, go, go’! The dynamic red platforms are from the Women Power and Fashion exhibition last year, and I think…they are Charlotte Olympia..and I must say if I could walk in them I do approve! Finally, it was down to my High Street, at H&M I found the ‘blue and the white’ but not the red, (I thought red was ‘big’ this season?) Anyway I added some red effects for fun, though I think it’s time now for another coffee ‘French style’, Vive la France!
