Margaret Logan Style

This is Ken, my friend and creative/business partner at Empire Communications.

Under a print deadline for DownEast Magazine, we took a stroll this morning around Pleasant Street in Portland and did a photo shoot for a David Wood ad.

I held the camera, Ken held the vision, and the product being featured needs little introduction ~ a fabulous navy shetland wool sweater with a red Lobster adorning the back. Yes, that’s Lobster with a capital L.

These are but a few of a long line of shots taken of Ken modeling (Did I mention that he used to be a model? It goes without saying, I suppose.) the sweater to produce a workable image, a canvas if you will, for him to actualize his vision not only for this sweater and this ad, but for a campaign that holds great intrigue and promise on behalf of David Wood Clothiers in Portland.

And the image below is just a tease, if you will, of the finished product for DownEast. A fascinating peek into the makings of an ad, a talented creative mind and a humble and incredibly time consuming effort behind the scenes.

Of course, you’ll have to pick up a copy of the summer edition of the magazine to see the end result. And trust me. It’s worth waiting for.

What better way to spend a Sunday than with a friend, showcasing beautiful pearls in the charming little seaside town of Kennebunkport, Maine?

I suppose a town like Kennebunkport is synonymous with pearls. I mean, this is the land of Walker’s Point and Barbara Bush, who took her supremely oversized pearls from austere to everyday, and why not? It’s also old school New England, where preppy isn’t a style genre so much as an actual way of life.

Well, old school needs a breath of fresh air every once in a while, and Portia Clark freshwater pearls take those old classic 16 inch, 7mm’s to a whole new place. Chic and stylish, celebrating all of the unusual shapes, colors and textures freshwater pearls have to offer, Portia’s pearls are stunning, they have weight and presence, and they don’t just turn heads, they literally stop traffic. Of this I can personally attest.

These jewels aren’t meant to be kept in a case or a vault or a safety deposit box, they are meant to be worn. Every day. Every way. Out for an evening, or a quick dash to the grocery store. In jeans and a tee, or an LBD. A wedding dress or a suit and a sarong. Take a 48″ strand and wrap it around your wrist for a stunning cuff, or triple it around your neck for the perfect punctuation. The fun and the beauty of owning one of these little numbers is in learning how to make it your own.

Visit www.portiaclark.com, Helene m., Josephine in Camden or Nest in Dedham, Mass. for a closer look.

Find a little something that suits you. You’ll feel like a million bucks. And why not?

Portia Clark and her gorgeous freshwater pearls at the Nonantum Inn & Resort, Kennebunkport, Maine.

Color. It continues to evade us here in Maine, by way of blossoming trees and sprouting gardens, so we must resort to that last bastion of recreational pick me ups, spring shopping.

Although Pantone has declared Mimosa the color for spring 2009, by now you’ve seen lots of pinks, oranges and blues to inspire perhaps a purchase or two. And if that hasn’t been enough, there are lots of prints and patterns to behold, to consider and just get lost in imagining the possibilities…

Take Laundry’s Border Shift Dress. Part tunic, part hot summer day, part crisp and cool for cocktails at sunset, the white background offers a perfect contrast to the bold orange and turquoise motif. Necessary accessories? A wide brimmed straw hat and flat sandals. Done, and perfectly, I might add.

Border Shift Dress by Laundry, $245. Available at Helene m. For more information, call 207.772.2564 or visit one of their shops in Portland, Portsmouth, NH and So. Hamilton, Mass.

This next dress falls under the category of you really have to see it up close and in person to fully appreciate the colors and the print. A simple little trapeze dress with an embellished neckline designed by Eliza J., this breezy little number manages well for a summer wedding or a night out on the town with the girls. At $154, it is pretty and perfectly priced. The Watercolor dress by Eliza J., also available at Helene m.

Now this is a bathing suit a gal could step out in. It’s glamorous, it’s chic, it’s high style, and most important, it’s all black.

This clever little number by Shoshanna will not only keep you looking like you really belong on a long stretch of beach in St. Tropez, it will effortlessly conceal any trouble spots you may have with its figure flattering silhouette. The rouching along the sides is the ultimate girl’s best friend, hiding whatever extra girth you weren’t able to shed before bathing suit season. The solid black elongates, the halter neck tie and subtle v-neckline is both feminine and sexy and ooh la la.

This is 1940s Pin Up at its best. Some might call that retro. I say Meow. Let the cat calls begin!

Shoshanna Black One Piece bathing suit, $165, available at shopchantalstyle.com. Or visit Chantal at 195 Middle Street, Portland. Photo compliments of www.shopchantal.com.

Man bags. Let’s face it. It’s a fine line between acceptable and cause for question. Take the messenger bag, for example. What was once considered very “artsy” territory is now a common sight among coffee house creatives as well as boring business types. One could surmise the laptop had much to do with this evolution, but nonetheless, evolved it has and narry an eye will bat nor head will turn at the sight of a man carrying this kind of satchel.

Then there is the tote bag. Most men carrying totes usually come equipped with a bustling family not far behind. At the beach, for example. Now, if a gentleman is spotted dashing down a city street with such a tote, usually from L. L. Bean, we smile because it suggests a home life bustling with kids and outings and a frenetic pace that never stops, which we gals, especially, can appreciate.

I have, on more than one occasion, happened to notice a guy strolling down the street with an actual pocketbook under his arm. Hmm. It’s an eye catching and head turning experience all at once. And one is simply left to wonder…

Then there is your good fortune should you happen to own a bag from Rogues Gallery. Leave it to Rogues Gallery to create an edgy and entirely masculine tote bag that women will covet and men can just carry. No big deal. Yes, heads will turn. Eyes will lock on. And people will want to know where you got it. Who doesn’t want something that emanates cool, teases with intrigue and articulates a sense of style that you really can’t buy, but must innately possess?

Two top notch choices from Rogues’ spring 2009 line are the Marine Bag, handmade here in Portland from vintage sails with marine grade, hand-spliced rope for handles, and the Canvas Boat Bag, also made by hand here in Portland with marine grade canvas, antique brass hardware and black leather handles.

Remember what your mother always told you. With a good bag and decent shoes, you can go anywhere.

Rogues Gallery Marine Bag, $298. Visit www.roguesgallery.com for more information.

Rogues Gallery Canvas Boat Bag, $198. Also available in red and white stripes. Visit www.roguesgallery.com for more information.

Tempting tidbits from Milly continue to stream into Helene m. on Fore Street in Portland. With soft soothing colors like seafoam green and candy pink balanced well with the likes of coco brown, these frocks are pretty and almost a bit southern in feel.

The Raquel V-Neck silk dress is equally at home at the Kentucky Derby (can’t you just see it with a fabulous hat?) or a genteel Georgia wedding, and the knee-length crochet sweater is perfect for evenings at the beach house or even from cabanna to clubhouse over a fabulous little bathing suit. Why not?

Milly crochet sweater, $388, shown with the 34 inch Reese necklace by Portia Clark, $425, a Michael Stars scoop neck tee, $46 and white denim by Hudson, $154. Raquel V-Neck dress $320, shown with faux gold chain link necklace by Barbara Box, $92, available at Helene m.

On a more practical note, one can never go wrong with a stylish trench in springtime, and the chocolate brown double breasted coat from Milly has nice lines, a great collar and gold buttons for a little extra bling. A nice neutral that covers all the bases, and classic enough to wear for years to come.

Milly trench coat, $586, available at Helene m. For more information, call 207.772.2564.