Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux

[TossDaily]

New thread for those of us who would like to let a little je ne sais quoi into our lives...

So here's the RL translation, oversized leather weekend bags worn as bags, and it can have a great effect. Especially if it's a bit battered and seen some travel and actually wearing it with not much in it also changes up the shape and stops it from being too bulky and much more wearable than you'd initially think. Maybe not for every day but a fun experiment nonetheless. And look how well it goes with yesterday's scarf

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The first two pics in the first post with the bags are just large/oversized handbags, and the third looks like she is actually getting on a train or something 😂but I go to Paris regularly and i s something I've noticed too.

But also in general handbags are getting bigger.

Yes, I have lived here for 15 years and it certainly is a thing! Really enjoying these threads...........

Just dropping in to say I managed to get hold of the L'ORÉAL X Balmain Res lipstick, wore it tonight and got so many compliments. It was a great colour and very easy to wear texture, not too Matt or drying.

Thanks @botempt for the recommend

I’ve become totally obsessed with this thread.

I don’t think it’s actually far off the way I dress anyway but I’ve been surprised how just a few tweaks have resulted in so many comments. My neighbour (in his eighties!) noticed my red lipstick and said I don’t normally wear it - I wear it every day, but never red.

Again, I always wear scarves but treated myself to an enormous one from And Other Stories. Several work colleagues (men again ) have complimented me on it. I’m in my fifties and usually invisible!

Thank you Lazy I'll have a look tomorrow. Hope you continue to move forwards and upwards. Self care is very important, even just tiny things.

Oh, a big, beat up leather bag sounds great. Not sure I'd have a chance to wear it, but it does look good (especially with the scarf). Thanks, bo

Midlife you sound very chic, I agree it's sometimes the little tweaks that make all the difference.

Hope you are continuing to feel better, Lazy

I'm still lurking around this thread, having been briefly in the first one. Am trying to get myself in order in fashion and beauty terms and this is an inspiration! Trying tweaks to keep my spirits up as I attempt a major me overhaul.

Lazy glad you are feeling better. I've had a bad patch family wise and am using the while french chic thing to turn things around. Thanks for a lovely thread Botemp

I'm in northern Scotland with tartan blankets and LOTS of snow. But I've been pinning images of snowy Paris on Pinterest so my heart lies there too.

I do love me a leather bag.

midlife I totally get the invisible thing. I have just turned 50 and was heading the same way. I even started a thread about it on here and apart from a few sympathetic souls, was told I was making it up and needed to be more assertive.
I have found these last few days that people at work have noticed things about me that I usually wear when I wear the red lipstick and my cap. They are noticing me and looking at the things I am wearing when infact I wore the same stuff the week before and they didn't notice.

It is actually the tiny little tweaks that make the difference and it doesn't have to be big and expensive things at all.
I think if you feel you look good and therefore have an air of confidence, or at least you don't worry that you look dowdy, then people will notice you, you will shine, that's the secret i think.

Which scarf did you et btw?

I'm heading into town today to do last minute xmas shopping ( help). There is a kiko, any recommendations?

@ProperLavs I went to Kiko in Paris on a work trip recently. Love the products but I’m still trying to remove the eye shadow pencil, it’s incredibly long lasting. Very helpful, friendly staff.

The scarf was charcoal/blue, a lot money for my tight budget but I’ve worn it a lot.

The invisibility thing is interesting. I’ve just had a five month sabbatical travelling around Europe and noticed that it was less of an issue in France and Italy. I got age appropriate attention! I try not to base my self worth on my appearance, particularly now I’m ageing, but it was a lovely boost.

I like the sound of an eye pencil that doesn't budge. I have very oily lids and they are slightly hooded so nothing sticks.

I'll check out the scarf-see if I can find it.
Of course it boosts us to be noticed- it boosts anyone of any age.

Thank you all for the good wishes

I really like the blanket scarves in Zara; lovely and soft and very affordable.

I bought this bag from Next. Ignore the flower 'charms' hanging off it - they are now in the bin!! The actual bag itself is quite a nice practical shape. Due to house buying awfulness (currently attempting our third purchase) all of our money is going on legal fees etc., so I can't afford to spend anything significant on clothes ATM.

So pleased that people are feeling boosted by the positivity.

I totally agree that spending a bit of time on yourself is a wonderful thing. I love relaxing in front of TV to paint nails.

I'm trying to prepare outfits the night before, I have hooks on the back of my door and am hanging them there for the morning which means I'm spending a little more time thinking about the look as a whole, adding accessories I might not otherwise (for example a skinny leather belt over a cardigan to nip in my waist)-plus it has the advantage of buying me a couple of extra minutes in the morning to really massage in moisturiser etc.

A tip for those who are nervous of new make-up looks. It may sound odd, but I try it just before an bath/shower. This morning, I plan to experiment with red eyeliner (well, it will be a lip one until I see if I like the effect) so that I can remove it straight away before my bath/shower. I find if I try something new just before I go out, I just get quite flustered and frustrated.

At the moment I've been lost in a hunt for jeans after all of Bo's really helpful advice. I'll keep you posted.

I'm very tempted to go to KiKo as I'm lucky enough to have one in the nearest town centre; I've never been in so am very curious. BUT I have promised myself no more make-up etc until I use what I have as I really have more than enough. I have about 5 MAC lippies such as Ruby Woo that I will start wearing to use up as I normally only use them for nights out. Won't repurchase it though as didn't realise when I bought them that they sell to China (who test on animals).

Tonight I think I'm going to spend half an hour in my wardrobe as it feels quite full at the moment and there are several items I feel that aren't being loved. I like to have options but do enjoy a relatively minimal amount of clothes-all ones that I truly love rather than items I just feel 'okay' in.

A biphase eye make up remover will shift the kiko eyeshadow stick.

Such a life-affirming thread. I haven't anything stylish to add, but I want to keep it in my I'm On reminders. Gosh, I do hope Dsis loves the Parfois scarf... but I have been wearing more and more red lipsticks and have become quite comfortable with them.

I've tried wearing lip colours that aren't red but they don't suit me.

That reminds me, O have t heard a thing from Parfois since I returned The Stole. I'll have to double check my bank statement.

Good to know it's a nice colour Lesser and even better that you had a fab night out with it.

I'm not surprised at the new attention Midlife, most of these things refocus the gaze to our face (by framing it) and paints our shape as a whole rather than this notion of emphasising one or two things and reducing us to boobs and/or bums by pulling things together. Men especially, notice that where you'd think the opposite. They're less good at spotting one change, even if its a drastic one, and I think subconsciously if you're holding a gaze for longer they're usually convinced there's a reason and there's this need to decipher it. A hint of that French mystère right there.

Methen, absolutely agree that it's about consuming time rather than money much more than anything else. Time is precious but we don't always treat it as such, especially our own, but to consciously claim it can be such a game changer simply from being released the obligation of knowing everything right away, most decisions aren't life or death if we don't act in immediacy, time is such a wasted resource in that sense.

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This will take a bit of time, but a lazy Sunday morning with terrible weather looming would have that to spare, non? It's an interview of about an hour with Caroline de Maigret. In case you're wondering why the interviewer, Ellen Hillingsø, seems so familiar, she's pretty much in every Danish tv show, like any Danish actor so that's where you know her from in various roles. The interview is prompted by the book CM co-authored and touches a lot on what we've talked about on here, self-acceptance, letting go of this notion of perfection, slow fashion, etc. A lovely accompaniment to the book or for those interested in it, a good preview.

(And if you're ever in Copenhagen the Kongelige Bibliotek is really worth a visit for the architecture alone).

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Oh, wow thanks for that, bo. A nice bit of inspiration on a cold, miserable Sunday. I had read bits of Caroline de Maigret's book that was excerpted in, I think, the Sunday Times supplement. I do like that being the best version of you, accepting all your flaws, being stylish by being you and that it is acceptable to be older and attractive as well as intelligent and attractive. The 10 things to be Parisian was quite funny too.

On yesterday's advent, I've been editing my Pinterest boards and realised I had pinned loads of pictures of oversized bags .

It was minus seven when i left for work this morning so my Lands End granorak was accessorised with a mini hot water bottle tucked inside.

I've got a cherry red marks and spencer pure new wool cardi from about 1999 (when they still made lovely classic pieces in natural fibres) along with skinny jeans in petrol blue and a black short sleeved top on and was wearing crochet beret under the granorak hood.

Make up is a dab of liquid eyeliner and lashings of mascara.

I've got a cherry red marks and spencer pure new wool cardi from about 1999 (when they still made lovely classic pieces in natural fibres)

Cardi sounds lovely - I really do mourn the death of decent knitwear from M&S. It used to be so reliable - if all else fails you could go there and get a lambswool cardi or jumper for reasonable money.

I was looking for knitwear on the high street on Friday and really struggled to find things that were:
A) reasonably priced. I still have 2.5 stone to lose so I don't want to spend 'investment money' right now (plus can't really afford it due to legal fees for the house).

B) actually nice fabrics rather than awful polyester mixes. I don't mind some acrylic but the amount of nasty cheap poly stuff was ridiculous. C) not covered in hideous frills, flounces, cut outs, ties, cold shoulders.

Being a funny size at the moment it's very difficult to buy online - I'm a 16 in some shops, a 14 in the ones that vanity size and in places like H&M it just depends on the garment because it's anyone's guess! I also like being able to look at things in real life before buying - so I can feel the fabric and see how it looks.

Why is buying reasonable clothes so bloody difficult? I'm 38 and not quite ready for Country Casuals and Per Una just yet!!

I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for Woolovers on here. I use Uniqlo to feed my cashmere addiction and I’m very happy with the quality.