Libby Carradice French is a mum, fashion stylist, and content creator. She lives in a small market town with her boyfriend, Jonjo, and their three little people, Frida, Delphine, and Linus. We love Libby’s cool girl style, so we caught up with her to chat about everything from her favourite brands for mamas and minis, to motherhood online, and her top styling tips…
How did you get into fashion styling, and how did that evolve into what you’re doing now?
I started 9 years ago when I would assist producers on shoots, it was on set that I met brilliant and talented fashion stylists and they asked me to jump on board their teams as a stylist assistant. I’d do all sorts from running around central choosing clothes, contacting PR agencies and brands to source pieces, assisting with fittings, styling assisting on set and managing the returns. On days when I didn’t have paid assisting work, I’d work together with small teams and shoot editorial tests. Once I started sharing my work, I grew my own client list and was hired as lead stylist for various campaigns, music videos, e-commerce, event styling etc. After a while, I fell in to working on kids shoots and found it so fun and creatively fulfilling. Being exposed to all the great kids brands pointed me towards the sense of style I shaped with my own children. I share outfits and little moments of our life and from there my following has grown and I’ve connected with so many lovely brands and content creators.
We love your style! Has the way you dress changed since becoming a mum, and if so, how?
I dress for comfort way more than before, I need to be able to move around freely and lift and carry little people constantly, so outfits can’t be too precious or restrictive. I have to be a lot quicker choosing what to wear these days as it’s become my last priority in the mornings. I’ve stripped back my wardrobe lately so that everything can easily go together without too much thought, perfect for when I’m in a rush and have to throw whatever I see first on!
How do you approach dressing your little ones?
Much like when I dress myself most days, I like to dress them in comfortable clothes, lots of loose silhouettes so they can move easily and freely and play without restrictions. I like to not take their outfits too seriously and mix in lots of fun colours and prints!
What are your favourite brands or shops right now, for you and for the kids?
Us mums and dads are so spoilt for great kids brands. Some of our favourites are Bobo Choses, Konges Slojd, Tiny Cottons, Caramel, Apolina, Misha & Puff, Organic Zoo, Mini Rodini, Sissel Mini, Nights by Wilder… I could go on! There’s a great shop called Spilled Milk, the ladies who run that have the best eye and it’s full of a beautiful curated selection. Some other favourite independents are Scout & Co, Cissy Wears, Luna & Curious, Word Store and Junior Edition. For me, some of my top favourites are Shrimps, Sea NY, Deiji Studio, Doen, Paloma Wool and Gimaguas.
What inspired you to start your Instagram and share your style and family life online?
I’ve always enjoyed taking photos so posting on Instagram was a natural interest to me. I started sharing more to keep a log of memories to look back on, I like using it almost as a journal with capsule round ups of moments in time. There’s a really lovely connected feel amongst the mums on Instagram, it’s so nice to share parts of motherhood within the online community. Instagram can be such a great source of inspiration for style, food, interiors, holidays, crafting with the kids… I think when used with that intention then it can be such a great place to be.
How do you balance showing your family life (especially your kids) while maintaining privacy and authenticity on social media?
It’s for sure something I consider more as my following grows. I’m conscious to not share anything that’s too personal or crosses a line with the children’s privacy. My content is intentionally curated, sticking to a format of outfits and snippets of our life, mainly to inspire or connect with other mums. It wouldn’t feel natural or comfortable for me to share every detail of every day so up until now it’s always felt organic and authentic.
Are there any parts of Instagram you struggle with, or find tricky?
I think there’s an increasing feeling of pressure to constantly post content amongst the chaos of raising 3 tiny children, through the sometimes difficult and tiring days. I think it’s healthy to have a boundary in place and prioritise focus on life off the screen when it feels like it’s entering territory of more energy spent online than with the children.
And finally what are your top five styling tips for little ones?
Comfort is key. I find it helpful choosing a colour palette of 2 or 3 colours for the outfit and letting that guide me. Don’t be afraid of a little something kitsch here or there. If in doubt, oversize. Shop preloved!
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