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Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux

914 replies

TossDaily · 02/12/2017 21:33

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

OP posts:
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botemp · 20/12/2017 23:01

DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
botemp · 20/12/2017 23:02

DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21

Pour Homme

Nope, we're not dressing men, or like them, we're just going shopping in your OH/DH/DP/DF/DB/etc. closet and stealing their best pieces Grin. Men are more brand loyal so they get the better fabrics, the duller silhouettes that don't change all that much as they're more dependable to bring in the necessary revenue to cover those costs. Boring has it perks, but that doesn't mean menswear is boring, it can be anything but, especially when worn by a woman.

Whilst menswear-inspired pieces are very much a current trend, the French have been doing it as a matter of course for quite some time.

The men's blazer with rolled up sleeves worn as an outer coat is probably the most recognisable rendition, the oversized fit often means it gets worn almost like a wrap coat, sometimes belted with a slim belt.

Trousers are of course another, the voluminous high waisted fit has endless possibilities, becoming rather feminine in the process.

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
botemp · 20/12/2017 23:02

However, it's probably in the much-neglected accessories drawer where the most fun is to be had. Forget the ties, yes, even the bow ties. It's the suspenders you want, and paired as it has been here with the very feminine curves of a flare provides that balance and stops it looking too much like dungarees.

Men do bags too, boxy square things in lush leather which they never wear, and yes, why not wear it like a clutch?

This last one asks for a bit of caution, he may actually notice this one missing, but if you've always wondered if those wide legged cropped trousers in a stiffer fabric would work for you, steal those chinos.

DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21 - DAY 21

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
botemp · 20/12/2017 23:10

I won't be alone but plenty of time to spare and no demands after the 24th. We'll have to think of something other than advent to keep us preoccupied with here.

AuldA, if you get a slightly roomier size you could get one of those lightweight Uniqlo down vests to wear under it.

Littlehenrylee · 20/12/2017 23:19

Bo - do you think they are actual men's jackets or an oversized but made for women style jackets?

I adore wide leg trousers but they are hard to get.

EnidButton · 20/12/2017 23:26

Well I'm still going to try the socks over tights thing. Grin

I tried a matte lipstick for the first time ever this week. Finally understand why they get so much love. So easy to shape your lips with and then it doesn't budge. At all. Unsure if I looked a bit 'doll' like and not a fan of the dry feeling. One to try out again. I feel like matte lips aren't very French style for sone reason. They don't really go with the natural enhancing make up look.

Bloomed · 20/12/2017 23:30

I've been wearing a men's cashmere poloneck as an almost sweater dress today. Synchronicity Grin

Littlehenrylee · 20/12/2017 23:37

Is there a trick to painting one's own nails on the opposite hand to your dominant one

LesserSpottedLurker · 20/12/2017 23:58

Ooooh just seen day 21. I love a little masculine tailoring and an androgynous look.

For Bo and @ChangoMutney this is a new pattern and a dead ringer for some of the trousers on day 21. Its the Esther trousers from victory patterns. www.victorypatterns.com/products/esther-pdf/?utm_source=thefoldline

@ChangoMutney I'm planning a coat next. In keeping with all things Parisian chic, its the Eagle Jacket by Vanessa Pouzet. I'm hoping I'll be able to look at least as half as glam as the model.

LesserSpottedLurker · 21/12/2017 00:00

I love the look of nail polish, but really struggle to get it to last more than a day or two. I don't like gels as I have soft nails that just can't handle the removal.

The Chanel colours are just gorgeous though. I'm willing to try again!

EnidButton · 21/12/2017 00:09

3 thin layers of polish last much longer than 1 or two thick ones. Essie Good to Go Top coat is excellent too.

Little Just practice really. Kelli Marissa on YouTube has lots of top tips videos. I'm sure she'll have addressed it.

Littlehenrylee · 21/12/2017 00:11

Thank you Enid

EnidButton · 21/12/2017 00:32

Little I use a tiny flat angled make up brush dipped in remover to go around the edges. I think KM did a video on it. You can get that perfectly curved bottom edge much easier and clean up any bits that have touched your skin.

quirkychick · 21/12/2017 07:18

Oh, I love a bit of masculine styling. I have 2 pairs of winter wide-legged trousers, a grey, wool, Great Plains pair (which are lined and very warm) and a Maxmara herringbone tweed pair (charity shop bargain) that are not lined so better for milder weather. Mine are quite slouchy round the waist, as I find too high waisted looks a bit rubbish on me, but I might play. I have a men's, brown messenger/crossover bag too that came from a local leather shop. Some of those pictures are lovely, bo. What about a twelve days of Christmas after advent? Smile

Lesser those look lovely, especially the jacket in the middle.

I am going to paint my toes dark teal green today. It's a revlon colour, called midnight I think. It's quite old, though.

LazyDailyMailJournos · 21/12/2017 07:23

Lesser and Little (what a great name combo!). Practice and number of coats and finish are your friend.

For painting the nails of your dominant hand, I find that sitting at a table with plenty of room is the best way. It means that you can rest your non-dominant hand on a flat surface and minimise shaking and jerking.

Take it nice and slow and don't be scared of trying to get full coverage in one sweep of the brush. Better to go back 2-3 times and slowly 'expand' - as this is easier than trying to remove splodges and spills. Enid's tip about a make-up brush dipped in remover is excellent advice!!

In terms of getting polish to last - some do better than others anyway, but my usual process is to apply two coats and then a coat of Sally Hansen on top. That normally does me for 3-4 days (as I've said before, my job involves a LOT of typing). I might get the odd tiny crack or flake, but that's easily remedied with a quick touch up and some more top coat.

I did my nails on Sunday and only had to touch-up two tiny cracks last night. I have a mega day of typing ahead of me so I'm anticipating that they will start to go again on Saturday. Which won't matter because at that point I'll take it all off and leave my nails for a day, and then re-apply on Sunday. The end of the week tends to be my mani-pedi time, as it feels like getting ready for the start of the following one.

LazyDailyMailJournos · 21/12/2017 07:26

Oh and one fairly obvious point - if you do washing up by hand (which I do as we have no dishwasher!) then wear gloves! Better for the skin on your hands anyway.

Bo I adore masculine tailoring. One of my favourite things was to go into charity shops and find a good quality man's jacket to wear as a coat. The fabrics used for men's clothing tends to be much better quality as well.

cuirderussie · 21/12/2017 07:29

Another unexpected source of masculine tailoring is school uniforms. One dark morning a few years ago I blearily put on a white shirt which turned out to belong to my then-14 year old son and it fit perfectly! It had a nice sharpness to it that my own shirts didn't have and was small enough to fit me ( the voluminous men's shirt thing doesn't work on short women, you just get lost). M&S, I still pick them up. I'm broad shouldered and small-breasted which probably helps.

Floisme · 21/12/2017 07:39

Oh! oh! oh! j'adore those trousers, especially the grey ones and the chinos (first and last pics). I'm short so used to assume I shouldn't wear wide legs but if they sit high enough they give me a tiny waist, bypass my thighs completely and give the illusion of longer legs. It's kind of masculine with a dash of 1940s glamour.

In fact I like all men's clothes. Better fabrics, as Lazy says. And pockets - proper pockets in unexpected places.

ProperLavs · 21/12/2017 08:06

After my dad died last year I asked to have his jumpers. He had a huge amount of very high quality clothing, he never bought cheap. So
I have lots of Brora and Inis Meain, all made from pampered baby alpaca!
Trouble is he was over 6 foot and I am small, so they are pretty big. I did manage to successfully shrink some simply to big rather than massive!

So can you wear men's jackets if they are way too big?
I was always told the shoulders had to fit. That was the reason I rejected that pea coat last week. Now I am fretting that I should have bought it anyway.
I have no OH to borrow from. I like the idea of boys' shirts.

Floisme · 21/12/2017 08:15

I've bought a couple of men's jackets in charity shops (one has a Savile Row label) and taken them to a tailor for altering. I got him to fix the shoulders and narrow the sleeves. He won't touch raglan shoulders but he'll take on pretty much anything else.

Floisme · 21/12/2017 08:23

Sorry missed a bit out - it means they're outsize everywhere else but fit on the shoulders so it looks kind of deliberate if that makes sense.

botemp · 21/12/2017 08:36

Littlehenrylee, yes I think they're just vintage men's blazers, probably cashmere. If you get a women's blazer in larger sizes you wouldn't have the wide sleeves that allow for that easy foldover, women's are always cut more tapered. I mean they do exist as an imitation of that look, this just dropped in my inbox this morning from Rouje(Jeanne Damas' own label). I expect they'll sell out fast.

Flo since you're the more experienced 2nd hand shopper and my local market is completely messed up, does it still hold true that men's second hand is significantly cheaper as the demand is less.

When I was last in Antwerp I came across a beautiful men's outdoor blazer from Stephan Schneider (who does amazing things with tailoring, he has women's clothing too but it's the men's stuff I lust after). It was very much the model like in the second pic but it had a mohair white and sky blue oversized herringbone pattern. Not something most men would want to wear and it looked glorious on me, falling about mid thigh. Unfortunately, when I put my hands in the pockets I came across a used tissue and was grossed out beyond belief (was a very fancy 2nd hand shop too), wish I'd let that go at the time because it was such a lovely coat.

Lesser those pants look fab, I'm loving all the additions of homemade patterns. I love seeing them come on so much, I did quite a bit of sewing as a teen but ended up making my own patterns (usually by deconstructing 2nd hand pieces) because the only thing available was Burda which was really frumpy in my mind.

Twelve more days quirky Though the French do make the 6th of Jan and the days up to it quite special after Christmas. I think we should all dress like we're one of the three kings those days accordingly Wink

I use the edge of a table and but my hand against it to get a decent finish on the dominant hand. First do the thumb so you're pretty much holding the table top so it lays flat, then switch and make a similar position with the rest of the hand splayed, but not uncomfortably so, and just not move that hand much, that seems to work best for me. I also run pure Shea butter (vaseline should work too) all over the skin surrounding the nails, leave it to sit for a few minutes then take a qtip to remove it from the nails and follow with a qtip dipped in nail polish remover so the grease is just on the skin to stop varnish from staining it, and if you do accidentally catch it, it's easily removed.

I don't know if this is true for all sizes but I believe you take your EU size and add ten to get your men's size, so 34 is 44, 36 is 46 and so forth, though you may size down of course but those are supposed to be the equivalent fit, albeit an oversized one.

Proper, I know many that rip out the shoulder pads to take out the severity of them or if they have wide enough shoulders already. Granted, something you're much more inclined to do with cheap second hand than a brand new expensive item.

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet - Thread part deux
botemp · 21/12/2017 08:38

*Indie patterns not homemade

botemp · 21/12/2017 08:41

Oh and to further clarify, the plus ten rule gives you the Italian size, which a lot of the European brand use as the norm for menswear.

Floisme · 21/12/2017 08:47

Bo it's a lot cheaper where I am - I don't buy second hand online so there may be less difference on Ebay etc but the prices are definitely lower in the shops and particularly the charity shops. Of course if you get things altered you've got to factor in those costs but even then, you've still got a much higher quality product because the fabrics are so much better.

But yes you do get the odd bit of grossety in the pockets Grin

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