Meet Claire from French For Cupcake!

Hey everyone,

I'd like to introduce you all if you aren't already familiar with Miss Claire from French For Cupcake. A beautiful, quirky Irish girl whose blog is a mix of fashion and baking.

We've been online buddies for a few years now, sharing a love of old time glamour, Japan, gold jewerelly and dresses. She let me ask her questions like the fangirl that I am:

1. Your blog combines fashion and baking. What relates the two?

When I started my blog over a year ago now it was just my little space on the internet to share recipies I liked, but occasionally I would post a few outfits from my day and people seemed to like that so I kept doing it. Basically all that relates the two is my love for them both. I don’t really follow fashion shows that much, but I love developing my own personal style and my readers are always very enthusiastic about it so I don’t worry about my blog not having one key focus as much as I used to.


2. Retro is huge right now (burlesque being more popular than ever, vintage clothes being so expensive), and do you think baking is making a comeback as part of this?

I certainly agree that these things are all making a comeback and I do think k there is a definite love for nostalgia going on at the moment. I think the image of the 1950s as a glamorous time for women full of baking, dresses and burlesque is a huge misconception but I love the style of it all and I think it is the style that appeals to people. The joy in it is that I am in the kitchen baking because I want to, not because I have to.

3. Where did your passion for baking begin? Would you ever like to do it as a career, for instance open up a cake shop or patisserie?

I’ve always loved baking, it was never something we did a lot of when I was little so it was always a real treat. When I was about 14 I started baking for school events and my love took off from there. In terms for a career there is nothing that would make me happier. I want to open a bakery café and maybe one day I will. At the moment I am keeping my options open and working very hard in my final year of university, and academia is something I am also very passionate about so who knows where I will end up!


4. You're also a curvy size 16 girl - do you have any major problems when it comes to shopping with sizings?

I do have some problems in high street stores, for example fitting my boobs into things is sometimes a struggle! I’m also quite short, around 5’1 so things are always too long for me! Also one of my favourite shops is Topshop and although I am a 16 everywhere else, things in Topshop never fit properly. They’re one of the main offenders in the boob department, there’s never any extra room on top, just around the middle. I think some high street stores need to grow up and introduce a wider size range.

5. How would you define your style now? Who are you fashion inspirations?

I think my style now is a mix of everything. As I said I don’t really follow trends, I just go for what suits me. I do enjoy retro fashion and I wear a lot of floral dresses. My main output for displaying my style is jewellery which I love. The bigger and the gaudier the better. I love anything with animals on it, in particular birds. In terms of fashion inspiration I really get more from other bloggers than from celebrities, but I do love the style of Zooey Deschanel. She always looks beautiful!

Be sure to check out Claire's blog at frenchforcupcake.blogspot.com!


Muchos love,
MessyCarla.