MNVogue Vol 25

[mignonnette]

Continuing on from Here.

A safe non combative place to discuss fashion, beauty and style. Newbies and Lurkers welcome.

Bring those links!

Good luck Mig! How funny we just passed ours yesterday. Feels good when it's over!

Yes I get really anxious because neither of us have the time to mess around with repairs etc. And I would rather spend the money on other things! Neither of us are car people.

DH is off sick today. He has never had a day off sick in my memory. Not even when his Father died. Not when his first marriage ended. And he has to spend some of the day sitting on a depot forecourt.

Quiet here today!
I returns loads of things - even if they are inexpensive I have decided it's madness to keep something that isn't perfect just because it was 'only £20' or whatever as that is £20 I could put towards something much nicer. I am aspiring to your approach Marsha of loving everything in my wardrobe. I have also realized lately that there are always lovely clothes around so that takes the urgency out of feeling like you 'have' to buy it. The Cos pink jumper was a good example of the exception to that rule as it is an unusual colour so makes sense to grab it.

Using the Clarks bag today and I am really pleased with it!! Yesterday I felt a bit like I was compromising but actually it looks really nice and it is the perfect size and shape. Thanks for all the nice feedback.

QueenC I was thinking about your boots dilemma this morning. I don't wear knee length boots over jeans, mostly because I have chunky calves and struggle to get boots over them without adding the extra layer of denim too. I like chunky calf length boots like my Caterpillar bikers over skinnies and that seems to balance proportions a bit. I feel like an utter arse with jeans tucked into ankle boots as I have average length legs and I think it works better if you have long legs - don't have to be tall necessarily but legs need to be long in relation to the rest of your body IYSWIM. I like low chelsea boots or desert boots with straight cut jeans. I really have thought a lot about this occasionally considers that I might have the ability to do something incredibly useful with my life if I gave half as much though to something meaningful like world peace, but heigh ho

at liberty thinking about my boot dilemma. I could probably solve world peace with you if I didn't obsess as much over stuff as well.

Quiet day here as dd has tummy ache as is not quite herself. We tried the zoo but after 10 mins she wanted to come home. Lucky we have annual membership!

Wrt to the return conversation I've got very strict about returning stuff that isn't right. That's a combination of you lot and having had my colours done.

Yes I guess that's it......I get home with something and think a) how much will I wear it? And b) do I really need it? I obv don't "need" anything really but I mean "do I have something similar already .
I think step 2 in my "stop-buying-so-much-crap-and-invest-in-fewer-nicer-pieces" mission is to be able to ask myself these questions in the shop and not once I get home

liberty I love you!

You gave me good advice re the cable jumper now returned and I'm sitting here not doing what I'm supposed to be doing nodding in agreement;

I also return cheap stuff because £20 here and there can add up to quite a lot ( I kid myself that my spend on clothes is low because individual items aren't that pricey....then I look at how many items I buy.... )

And I also agree about QueenC boot dilemma. I have short legs (as you know) and look equally stupid in the skinny tucked into ankle boot which was the prob with the bikers I kept trying, the proportions were all wrong on me. The calf length clarks ones are much better funnily enough, with a good, high percentage elastane skinny.

I now return anything that doesn't fit/makes me look shit. i used to just shove them in the bottom of the wardrobe and pretend they weren't there as i was terrified of having to ask for a return but not anymore. I even return cheapo Primark stuff if it's not right.

I had a white shirt on yesterday but I'm binning it because I just felt so.....frumpy and ordinary in it. I don't know why really but I just hated it.

White cotton shirts can look incredibly chic One it's just a question of finding the right style for you. They always make me feel bulky, I like drapey fabrics or fitted styles ... It has taken me years to find a good one which is fitted and much more flattering.

I liked it when I bought it and I liked it the last time I wore it, just yesterday, it felt terrible. It's fitted on my bust now but baggy round my waist (which I have lost an inch from recently) I think it's the waist bagginess that's made me feel crap in it, it just wouldn't sit right and I had to change as I felt so ugly and grim in it

Ah thanks Dry - I love you too

One the perfect white shirt is the holy grail item. I have a couple but neither are perfect - ok under a jumper or jacket for work but when I do find the perfect one they will be banished.

Me too.

Who do you think does the perfect white shirt?

Susie So So blogged about a Whistles shirt recently (might have been called the Freya?) that looked great but it was sold out very fast. I haven't looked properly for one in ages. I'd like a silk/cotton mix I think, neat on shoulders but a bit of drape, so it looks good worn loose over jeans or tucked into a skirt. Nice buttons essential!

Hello to MrsR - are you moving ATM? Hope all is well.

I've had a closer look at my white shirt and it's 100% cotton so I'm considering dying it a different colour. I'm thinking a rich red or deep purple as both those colours really suit me.

I'm still thinking about boots . If I could tolerate skinnies them I think those and my calf length boots would look fine. My straight legs this year just seem too baggy. I wonder if i've shrunk, the jeans have got old and stretched or whether I just looked crap last year and didn't notice

Bloody sodding car failed. Why? One bolt on the bracket afixing the battery. Have spent the whole afternoon driving about sourcing this fitting because we'll get a free re-test tomorrow morning if we can sort it. So DH now fixing car in the darkening outside.

and . What a waste of a day. And when he took off the base underneath the battery (or whatever you call it) we found a spanner with a Kwik Fit tag on it that last years garage mechanic clearly left behind!

Am tired and cold and fed up.

On the subject of fashion- I first and foremost shop in my closets. I have tons of clothing that i don't get rid of. I replace items like white T shirts, white shirts and other basics but I usually can find pretty good versions of whatever trends come in each season. More and more I am buying one offs for more money and less of the filler stuff. I am more discerning than ever before. Certainly I get pleasure from purchases but I love the fashion talk and the whole circus of the shows even more. I have yet to find THE white shirt. I have some very fashiony versions from Comme, Helmut and Yoji but very few basic everyday ones.

Marsha the problem is that, like with jeans, what constitutes the "perfect" white shirt for one is completely different for another.....you and I could hardly wear the same jean ..........for me it needs to be neat and fitted with a deep cuff, yes to nice buttons (mother of pearl pref).

And look at my new scarf ( inspired by Liberty's EWM one).......I'm in matchy heaven. Wearing with jeans, long line camel cardigan and cream lace blouse, brown boots. Will have the ultimate matchy ensemble when I eventually find the camel coat of my dreams hopefully in 11 dats when I go to J Crew

For me the perfect white shirt is a blouse

I've had more deep and meaningful thoughts today by thinking about how complete my wardrobe is. I've got to where I want to be and have something for every occasion without having to go out and panic buy. Aside from the elusive green cardi and grey bag I don't intend on buying anything else this season. Note, I say intend, not won't . I go to Marrakech in march so I'll want new bits for that so I'm going to try and save my money till then.

Mig for you. The only white we have in the house is some sweet desert stuff. When dh gets home we're ordering a curry and I will collect it via the off licence! He needs some tlc as he's had a shitty day telling a 19yo that they have incurable cancer. Although we've both had to tell people bad news 100s of times, there are some cases that just really make you emotional.

Oh QC it doesn't get any worse than that. My friend is an oncologist and I've seen her go through similar things.
I always think my wardrobe is complete....until.........
love sweet desert wine, chilled.......a nice Sauternes or a premiere cotes de Bordeaux , loveleeeeeeeeeee.
I am beginning to feel like a single parent for the last 17 yrs DH out again, have raided the wine cellar garage sod it! and cheers !

Cheers. Curry ordered. 1 dc in bed, 2 to go.

Evening!

for queenc and mig

grumpy you ok?

The Perfect White Shirt is still eluding me as well. I quite liked Thomas Pink shirts and Hawes & Curtis shirts when I was working in London but loathed TM Lewis as they were a b&!?-#% to iron.

I have been lusting after an Equipment shirt but have yet to try one on.

Nice scarf dry!

I wore the polka dot Boden jumper today and I still don't know what to think of it.

On the positive side, even though it is a lot thinner than I expected it does feel nice when I wear it and it drapes well.

On the negative side, it doesn't look nice with skinnies. And I feel a bit like a ladybird wearing red with black polka dots.

Will try it with a skirt this weekend.

Hi all.
QueenC That is really sad, it must be awful for your DH.
I am also trying to buy less and have been better recently. I went through a phase of mindless spending last year I realise now it was a coping mechanism for a v stressful time. I have just got rid of a load of the stuff I bought on ebay, mostly with the tags still on.
I have taken all your advice and returned the MJ bag. The gold hardware was just too much for me. The leather was beautiful though so I have look at another MJ bag.Will prob wait for sales now
The whistles cashmere jumper has also arrived and I suspect it will be way too big for me although it is so soft and snuggly looking! Will try on later
DryI like your scarf (and the gorgeous bag) I have a similar one. I really like tartan check scarves. Btw my dark grey skinnies are from Cos and are great for fit and holding shape, one of my best recent buys.

Dry you're right! of course. I'd like to modify my question to: do you think you have found your perfect white shirt, or know where to find it?

I love that tartan scarf with the lovely Nancy. Gorgeous combo.

QueenC oh that is so sad. I'm sorry to hear that.

Linus lol at ladybird. I'm sure you look fab.

Justa some good editing going on there!

Foxy how are things?

Shop wherefore art thou? Hope all is ok.

Dc in bed. Dh out at a work thing. Bliss! I don't mind any night like this, just not Friday nights for some reason. By then I'm ready to pass on the little delights to dh.

The only thing that gets me about my wardrobe is that it doesn't expand at the rate I would like, and I have to wait for things. Darn!

My love to you QueenC. There is nothing that can make that right or fair is there? Have been there-know how bloody angry and awful it makes you feel. .

Don't care about the MOT anymore. Have had a dose of cold hard perspective- thanks Queen and much needed too. It is only a minor irritation in the scheme of things after all.

Hello all! Amazing how many people commented on my fuschia dress today!

For Mig, QueenC and KingC. Poor KingC, reminds me my job is totally unimportant as opposed to stuff like that.

So our solicitor has received our money (god I was nervous wiring that!) and the bank's money. It will be wired over to their solicitors first thing and the house will be ours by 10.30am! (Dh having a little freak out over the mortgage this afternoon, I decided he was best left to it!).