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...

I forgot about the pea coats! The Parisians love them, but they tend to have a bit more of a feminine fit. Comptoir always have one currently a bit longer in a deep jade (pic 3) colour and navy. The sales seem to have started in full effect so it's been marked down quite a bit already.

Eek the net a porter sale has started....

I'd love a short peacoat like the first one of your images bo. Those wide lapels. My office is very chilly so I'll try to find one I could use as a blazer indoors and with a huge scarf outdoors.

Oh, that deep green peacoat is a thing of beauty! I love that colour.

I don't think I had better look at Net a Porter sale.

In the interests of body shape, and I think it was bananafish who said she was an ectomorph (sorry, can't be bothered to trawl back), so I did an online quiz. I've always thought I was mesomorph (medium build but puts on muscle/tones up easily), but interestingly, I came up as 50% mesomorph but 38% ectomorph, so tall and long limbed but medium build. Perhaps that's why I sometimes come up as a rectangle/it.

Grumpy squirrel have a look at these cos oneswww.cosstores.com/es/Women/Trousers/Slim_Fit/Slim-fit_leather_trousers/86822719-79470720.1#c-24480 I have them in the bugundy and they are a really nice fit

I adore pea coats and think they look super sexy in those photos. I think my issue is that if it's cold enough for a winter coat, I generally need to wear it done up - and although not quite a duffle coat, on me a done up pea coat looks a little bit Paddington Bear-esque. My beloved All Saints City Monument coat looks really nice undone, but pretty much the only time it actually gets worn that way is when I step into the tube station and immediately start disrobing lest I expire from heat exhaustion. I haven't worn the IM blanket scarf on a work day yet, it's been a weekend only thing, because it's just a tad unwieldy to untie and retie without getting completely tangled up in my cross body bag and headphones (weekends when the tube is less busy I can leave it done up). I'm also slightly nervous about wearing it on a red lippy day, cream wool next to my face whipping on and off feels like an accident waiting to happen!

I know they're a bit ubiquitous and probably quite unfashionable now, but I've always rather lusted after the Bella Freud slogan sweaters. I've now just discovered Orwell & Austen and am rather drooling over their patterned cashmere. I wouldn't ever wear the French slogan ones to work, because in an office where half the folk are French it would feel like a bit of a piss take. But I'm quite lusting after this 'Semper Femina' sweater - although sadly only available in large

http://store.orwellausten.com/product/semper-femina-charity-sweater-for-our-sansar

This starburst pattern would be yet ANOTHER grey sweater, but it's not plain! I'm imagining it with my leather skirt or my navy J brand skinnies

http://store.orwellausten.com/product/starburst-in-grey

(also quite adore the Bowie lightning flash versions)

It's cold and rainy so it's a puffa coat day, but felt ever so slightly Parisian when I remembered it's from Cop Copine - don't know if that's actually a French label, but it certainly sounds it, which is maybe halfway there if not?!

Oh my word I shouldn't have started looking at orwell and austen

@Brillenbar thanks, are they tight on the ankle? They look quite loose on the skinny ankled model.

Bloomed, Carven usually do a single breasted version of that in jackets but not sure if they're warm enough. Think there's a few at the Outnet now.

See by Chloe is usually quite 70s inspired and have them now and then too.

Banana no ! Sorry, this is purely personal perception but I think the Bella Freud sweaters (and when I've seen them in real life I was rather shocked with the poor quality of cashmere they use) and all their derivatives are the most Mumsnetty sheep thing you could buy. Not in a mean way but I have to assume it's all the mummy bloggers that hyped them up at some point along with the ubiquitous star patterns. Don't let me stop you, they're perfectly nice and all and a Bowie starburst actually sounds quite fun but I struggle to see myself wearing one long term and still liking it the same.

The cos leather leggings are not super tight at the calf and ankle on me they skim rather than stretch over the calf. I have reiss black leather leggings and they are tight on the calf and although softer leather than cos I prefer the fit of the cos ones. They are also not stupid long I am 5 ft 2 and they are about 2 to 3 inches too long for me

Thanks, I think I need to go and try them on, really want tight ankles. Joseph is another possibility I guess

Joseph are quite narrow, perhaps too narrow for a pear, and the legs are endlessly long.

I think if you want that really tight fit all the way down with enough stretch to accommodate a pear I think the J Brand L8001 are probably the best able to meet that criteria.

Ahh, these?

I have fantasies of morphing into a beautiful Parisian woman but sadly I am 5'2" and since my twins I'm still pretty large (mostly my belly and hips and I've never been this shape before so I have no idea what I'm doing).

Is there any way I can pull this off as a short dumpy woman? I love Breton stripe stuff so much but it's not exactly flattering for the wide amongst us!

+1 with bo

The Joseph leggings would still be too long for a giraffe - they are ridiculous!

I got a load from NAP to try on and I can only assume you're supposed to have the Joseph ones taken up, as they have several inches extra at the ankle compared to every other pair I tried on

For that money I want them finished at a length a human being could wear!

Yep they're the ones Grumpy. You can have a browse on Google image search, they were given to a lot of celebrities. They suit a lot of shapes from very much chopstick legs to, normally not much advertisement with some, a proper pear like Kim Kardashian, which would make them more versatile if you lost weight as your waist measurement is steady. On the Outnet or Yoox they usually go for half price/third of RRP.

Tammy, I'm just under 5'4 and have been told in France I'm tall . Height isn't the issue, I think, more understanding what your body is like now. Sounds very stealth boasty but not intended as such but I've had the opposite journey over the last year and a half or so. It takes time for your mind to catch up with your new shape and it takes time and experimentation to figure out what suits you now and that's without all the mindfucks that come with our feelings about losing/gaining weight.

I'd start with getting to understand your body shape and look in your current wardrobe what pieces you do enjoy wearing and question why that is, what's the common denominator? Breton stripes can definitely be done but you're probably better off with a pattern made up of a series of very fine stripes that look like one wide one in a pattern, since you're already shorter delicate and fine details will probably suit you well.

I agree re the pea coat and warmth. When I was trying the one on yesterday I thought it would be great for autumn/ spring but not now.
I do not need any more jackets or goats , but they are a real weakness for me.

I don't need any more goats either

oh dear- bloody autocorrect!

I love pea coats but the wide lapels don't suit me - because of the boobs and broad shoulders I end up looking like an American footballer

Faded skinnies today with black biker boots, very dark navy v-neck sweater, 3/4 sleeve Zara black boyfriend blazer and a cheapy black and silver star print scarf plus black cross-body bag. It's amazing the difference it makes when you feel pulled-together. I really liked today's outfit - it was practical (cold and drizzly here) but I felt smart and the shapes and lines suited me. Black's not normally my colour but the silver of the scarf next to my face helped lift it, as grey is a good colour for me.

It's funny but even with 2.5 stone still to lose, the odd grey hair poking through and suitcases rather than bags under my eyes(!), I'm starting to feel more confident and assured with 'me' now, than I ever did in my early 20s when everything was youthful, pert and naturally radiant!!

Thank you! I think that's the biggest problem - I don't feel like anything I have looks nice now! I'm sure I will be able to lose weight again after Christmas but my body shape has changed and I dont think it will go back again!

I have a fab wool rich coat which is a cross between a peacoat and a military style jacket

www.superdry.com/womens/jackets/details/63298/military-pea-coat-black

It covers my bum and it looks great buttoned up or left open. It is warm and when its freezing, a scarf and a hat is enough to keep me warm (I get cold easily). Much more stylish than duvet type coats (of which I have one for when it rains and I can't be arsed to use a brolly).

I like the look of that mamia and it is more in my price range. I love the comptoir one, but it is too expensive. What are superdrug sizings like? I am roughly a small 10 on top, but would obis want room for jumpers underneath.

superdrug? FFS I am all over the place today! SUPDRY!

I think of peacoats a bit like donkey jackets or crombies.