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I've just got back from five days in Le Marais, and I've decided I want become Parisian, s'il vous plait.

911 replies

TossDaily · 01/11/2017 09:38

So there.

EVERYBODY looked fantastic. EVERYBODY. DP and I just sat open-mouthed in fascination. Whatever their age, they looked amazing.

So I'm sitting here on a diet, wearing an Isabel Marant jumper and frantically googling 'How to turn French.'

As far as I can tell, the rules are:

  1. Be thin, despite the fact you are walking down the street at 11am gnawing a cheese and ham baguette the length of your forearm.
  1. Have your hair the colour and texture of natural hair.
  1. Have the most amazing skin, despite the fact you have a permanent Gauloise on the go.
  1. Never get pissed and lairy, despite the fact you are having a glass of red wine with your lunch and it's Tuesday.
  1. Wear shoes you can walk in.
  1. Have an amazing coat.
  1. Know how to tie a scarf so it looks like you have slung it on and it's just choosing to snuggle up to you because you are SO FRICKING GORGEOUS.
  1. Have a pharmacy on every corner that is just an Aladdin's Cave of miraculous skincare delights for less than a tenner each.

Anyone else have any tips? Joking aside, I loved the style - the shops, ohmigod the shops! It was like I'd walked into my internet shopping history.

I could actually walk around in my biker jacket without feeling like a twat.

I want to be French. Aidez-moi.

OP posts:
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MinesaPinot · 14/11/2017 17:15

Botemps can you re-post the link to the scarf/stole and the bag please (because I'm not sure I can wade through the pages to find them!!)

fridgepants · 14/11/2017 18:34

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ZaraW · 14/11/2017 18:39

The Japanese can be very judgemental I wanted some supplements when visiting Tokyo they recommend something for me to lose weight. In Bangkok the assistants always get me a large size and look mystified when I can fit into a medium. I'm 5'9" and a UK 8/10 depending on the brand so hardly big.

fridgepants · 14/11/2017 18:45

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OCSockOrphanage · 14/11/2017 19:59

The website for the faux fur stole and my little bag is parfois.com. It's a Portuguese company and they ship from Portugal, via DPD, so delivery is five days. It seems to work. I am happy with purchases.

botemp · 14/11/2017 20:09

It's just right for my dog poo bags

^^ I think that's probably the best thing I've read on MN for a while Grin. See you wouldn't get that on a blog. Though in all fairness, we really do need to know if those poo bags accommodate St. Bernard-sized deposits or teeny tiny Chihuahua turds.

Ninon, interesting, if I try to sign up/in with the privee site I'm automatically ushered into the exclusive one. The sales must vary per country, we had the DVF sale a few weeks back.

Minesa, this is the scarf. I don't know which bag Sock bought.

Fridge, I had a friend who lived in Japan for work and she deeply regretted learning the language. Colleagues could be brutal too, they're very polite but things that don't seem rude to us can be and vice versa. Don't know how they ended up discussing that but at some point, one of her co-workers was in complete shock that she was not a virgin, because 'Who would want to have sex with you! You're hideous.' Shock. At this point another co-worker piped in, 'Was he black?' because only that would explain it as they really think even lower of POC. It wasn't said in mean spirit, it really was just their logic.

Outside of Tokyo and Kyoto was generally worse, she got chased out of an onsen once in rural Japan because someone that big (she's very tall, about a size 16 or 18 but not overweight, that's just her natural healthy weight size) was a man Confused

To Japanese eyes anyone not the model ideal as Westerners are portrayed in advertising is considered really hideous by default, there's not much of a scale. I also know someone who modeled there briefly, mostly lingerie and swimwear as Japanese women refused to at that time considering it immodest and a lot of bridal wear as they all want to be Disney princesses on their wedding day, ergo Western models are preferred. She was continually harassed and groped on public transport and propositioned by businessmen as if she were a prostitute.

Anyhow, not caring is always good. In 99.9% of those cases, it says more about the people expressing that judgment than the subject.

I did a minor detour via Zara this evening, they had a really good classic single-breasted camel coat with an interesting button detail for very little money. Can't find it online now but it was 80% wool and I think around 80 euros. A tad narrow on the shoulders but really well cut on the shoulders then very good deep plunging collar and slim lapels, room for boobage and a tum if you've got it and gave a really good straight long silhouette. I think I took a picture, but think the colour looked a bit off. Will have to dig it up in a bit. True to size by Zara standards but if big in the shoulders then I'd size up.

botemp · 14/11/2017 20:35

Here's the pic, apologies for the odd lighting. May I also point out the diagonal pockets, much more flattering as you're drawing diagonals that complement rather than disrupting the vertical line with a harsh horizontal pocket. Not a coat that will last ten years but at least a few winters with a bit of care.

I have just realised I was wearing a very thick jumper today so maybe not as tight in the shoulder as described, unless you always wear heavy knits.

I've just got back from five days in Le Marais, and I've decided I want become Parisian, s'il vous plait.
OCSockOrphanage · 14/11/2017 20:51

While I hate to disabuse Botemp's view of me as a woman who stows dog poo in a handbag (we're not quite that weird here), please allow me to clarify that it is only a ROLL of poo bags I carry. We have bins for poo disposal!

I bulk buy dog poo bags; there is one in the pocket of every coat I own and in every bag. Would you wish me to do otherwise? I don't think so!

OCSockOrphanage · 14/11/2017 20:53

SockDog is a beautiful, fighting fit Lab bitch, aged 3.

OCSockOrphanage · 14/11/2017 20:54

And a total wuss, unless you are a squirrel or rabbit. But she is fit. I just walk her.

botemp · 14/11/2017 21:14

Poo Sad Grin I really was hoping for a proper MN one-upmanship off there of 'my dog poos more than yours and they come out gilded' and 'mine only poos air and it smells of Chanel no. 5'. I'm just going to have to accept you have a unique talent for out of context prose, Sock.

I'm easily amused but if anyone is on OLD, please consider changing your description to: 'Name' is a beautiful, fighting fit Lab bitch, aged 'X'. Grin

fridgepants · 14/11/2017 21:36

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OCSockOrphanage · 14/11/2017 21:50

Apologies botemp. She's just a Labrador, does not do gilded poos, just lots of them, rolls in fox shit (given a chance) and is -- a dog. Relatively affectionate, as long as I feed her, but desperately needy of comfort and love.

OCSockOrphanage · 14/11/2017 21:59

Love your posts Botemp but SockDog doesn't do gilded Chanel poos and Labs are too small for St Bernard size turds; Tauer, possibly, or Amouages, or Heeley; just not huge.

whirlygirly · 14/11/2017 22:03

This is a delicious thread.

I have been reminded that I own and need to get down from the attic three comptoir de cotonniers winter coats, purchased in the Paris and Berlin sales one year when I had a craving to be French.
I'm now viewing them as investment pieces given how expensive their recent range is. Shock

botemp · 14/11/2017 22:24

But does she smell French, Sock? After all, that's all we care about on this thread. She may have to take up smoking and get a cashmere sweatband in place of a scarf at least.

fridge, I couldn't handle it either. My Masters was full of Asian students, predominantly from Japan, South Korea, and China. Twas a bit odd to suddenly be a minority, yet they were dealing mostly with cultural adjustments of being abroad. I'd find it very difficult to live in the way they did, with the hierarchies and rankings applied to every aspect of life, always deferring to the eldest even when they proved to be not up to the job, the imposed modesty and expected behaviour of women, the high academic expectations and limit in free will that doesn't stimulate much independent thought, the more symbiotic approach to society and not subverting that order. I'd be very miserable, and probably sumo-sized as I love Japanese food but fruit and veg are incredibly expensive.

buckeejit · 14/11/2017 22:47

Fabulous thread! Thanks to the OP & hilarious writing style & swooning again over botemp’s insane knowledge &willingness to take the time to share with everyone

I’m extremely overweight atm (vary between this & standard levels of overweightness) so not much to add but have a few additional recs of orange red lipsticks to contribute-shade will vary on skin types & a search of swatches might be best-tom ford wild ginger & Mac lady danger are 2 of my faves

Bourjois rouge edition 10-vg & quite moisturising
L’Oréal Doutzens red
Nars Lana
Max factor lipfinity-no shade shown!

Also liking the L’Oréal balmain fever shade which is an orangey brown on me.

Off to look at mango Violeta as haven’t for a while-have a couple of bits from there long ago & they’ve lasted well so thanks for the reminder 😃

TatianaLarina · 14/11/2017 22:54

I’ve done the Japan thing as 5’11”woman. Technically I was model proportions but that cut no ice and I was broadly treated like a BFG.

Except for the men who were generally terrified of me.

Picking up fag ends up I’m not feeling the yellow coat.

CotswoldStrife · 14/11/2017 23:43

Imfinehowareyou

You might enjoy the book 'Lessons from Madame Chic' by Jennifer L. Scott.

I love this book, I got it a while back on my Kindle (it was a freebie, but never has been again). I wouldn't like to say how accurate a representation it was of her time there, but I do like it.

cuirderussie · 15/11/2017 07:33

Loving this thread too. I was in Paris a couple of weeks ago and spent a lot of time staring at the awesome street style. One woman was wearing a pair of lime green culottes that I saw in my local branch of Cos in the summer- they couldn't sell them, not even in the sale as they were fairly "out there", but here was a Parisienne looking fabulous in them. Gah!

I noticed the Big Scarf trend is still going and the tasteful trainers. And the eternal red lip. This is going to sound really arrogant but I didn't feel as much of a hick as I have there in the past, dunno if it's because I'm better at dressing myself or if I have more attitude in my 40s and don't find them as intimidating? I really loved the fashion-watching- the high point was the long queue for the Dior show, every grande dame and bonkers looking fashion student in town was there! Smile

JanetStWalker · 15/11/2017 07:50

Can I just say I hate whomever it was who posted the link to this online shop. I want to buy everything, obsessed doesn't begin to cover it!!!

Am particularly taken by the white bullfighters' trousers, not a phrase I thought would ever come out of my fingers Confused

Sizing looks to be all over the place and the returns process looks a right palaver so I'm holding out, for now.

splendide · 15/11/2017 08:21

I keep nearly buying the shepherds cloak. And I love the overalls.

mrsrhodgilbert · 15/11/2017 08:21

I'm loving this thread too and have been waiting for a review of the beautiful faux fur scarf discovered pages ago. I've ordered one as it seems to actually be as good as it looks. I did a bit of a search and it's also available from Amazon for anyone who already has an account there. I'll report back when mine arrives. This thread is making me want to book a trip to Paris again next year and sit at pavement cafes in Le Marais.

Floisme · 15/11/2017 08:55

Apologies if I've missed it but has anyone mentioned my all time favourite French style crush: Francoise Hardy?

73 and cooler than ever.

I've just got back from five days in Le Marais, and I've decided I want become Parisian, s'il vous plait.
I've just got back from five days in Le Marais, and I've decided I want become Parisian, s'il vous plait.
MinesaPinot · 15/11/2017 09:42

Fantastic, thanks Botemps. Love the stole, I will tell DH he can buy it for me for Christmas.

This has to be one of the most interesting threads I have read on MN I have to say.