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...

Rhubarb, sorry, it's Sergio Rossi not Gianvitto but Gianvitto Rossi seems to do them as well, bu the Sergio's were the ones I was thinking about.

Happy Christmas- joyeaux noel tout le monde! I don't know about otk boots- I tried on a cheapie pair in new look last year and they made my short, muscly legs look fantastic (was wearing opaque tights and a mini), but sadly also made me look like a hooker- whether that was my legs or the price point I don't know! Was almost worth it for the leg boost though!

When it's all the same colour then it looks like your leg carries on beyond your feet, then they're flattering but say black suede over a very blue denim and then you create this solid rectangle of colour that reads quite wide and the spindly black legs beneath tend to disappear. The hooker thing really comes with them being slouchy and coming up high on the thigh and/or with heels, it's a tough balance. A good pair can make you look amazing, an unfortunate pair really terrible.

Thanks for the equipment advice bo. It's so hard with cashmere! Merino wool is def more reliable.

I won the eBay HL leggings woohoo! £134 v pleased.

Rhubarb, I've just remembered, there's a relatively new brand here that I keep meaning to visit in their studio to check out their Merino sweaters. They're online only though, technically, and have an ambitious business model that seeks to create the best item in the best material, whilst showing the factory it's made in, ethical supply chain, etc. A bit like Madewell. They meet my made in EU criteria without being extortionate (€120) and they promise high-quality Wool Mark Merino that won't pill and is machine washable. They look a good fit too with raglan sleeves (find those much more flattering, generally).

They're Dutch so they'll be longer in the body, not sure if it would meet your fitted criteria enough. The shipping is a touch high but first order discount basically cancels it out, no free returns (but if you have the Paypal setting on your account enabled to reimburse those costs that should see you covered) and narrows down at the waist. Also available in a roll neck and various other colours.

Teym

*weird the sentence 'and narrows down at the waist' and subsequent sentence was written after the raglan sleeves bits and brackets

Thanks bo

I have a pair of OTK boots that have been languishing in the back of the cupboard, as wearing them with jeans felt a bit too footballers wife / Kardashian, so I hadn't really worked out how to wear them

We're moving into rental while doing some work on the house & aim to get it on the market, so have been having some pretty brutal wardrobe culling - storage space isn't dissimilar to what we had in our last place, but apparently my wardrobe seems to have accumulated in line with the available space!

What's left is mostly my staple capsule wardrobe everyday workhorses - I have limited space, but feels like a few more interesting - less 'safe' - garments would help to add a bit more pizzazz. Would eekxi

I did bring over 2 older (& pretty knackered) pairs of ankle boots, but actually I don't really wear them any more, as

Gah fat fingers! Post too early - hang on....

I just need to work out what bits I should actually be looking for, if I'd like a fewer, better quality items that'll complement my everyday monochrome basics

Boots wise, I absolutely live in ankle boots and am wearing the hell out of my beloved pointy flats - my (pretty knackered) rounder toed Chelsea boots just aren't getting a look in, as they feel/look a bit like scuffed up wellies. Think it might be time to swap them for another pair of more stylish workhorse ankle boots, so I'm not wearing the same pair every single day. All and any thoughts welcome!

As for the otk boots - over jeans is definitely out, what about with leather leggings (too Miss Whiplash?) or black tights + skirts / dresses? Now I've re discovered them languishing at the back of the cupboard, feels I ought to give them a proper reprieve before deciding their ultimate fate...

I need ankle boots too, preferably suede and low cut as I'm short. I also recently started wearing over the knee boots. I have a dark grey suede pair bought years ago but only recently worn. I use them with skirts and dresses. They are dark grey enough that I can play with it as another texture with black.

I think shoes are a tough one at the moment as we're in a general silhouette change, so the skinnies and leggings with slouchy bum covering tops are even beginning to feel tired to the hardcore devotees. That silhouette required more chunky footwear to ground it, so the Chelsea boots, the brogues (especially the platform types), uggs, OTK boots, etc. all feel a bit out of time when a more delicate shoe seems to be vying for attention with pointy toes and/or kitten heels, trainers are less fussy and loud, knee highs with a heel are slowly coming back, as that suits the more straight fit and/or voluminous trouser better. It's also the general mood, it's less about being very grounded to the earth now and more about looking up at the sky (and therefore the future, it's a bit more optimistic in tone, expect a bit more frivolity too) like you're on your tippy toes and reaching up again, so footwear that used to work before can suddenly feel like a heavy anchor all of a sudden.

It depends on which type of OTK you have, the ones with a heel have a bit more versatility as they still look good worn with a skirt hem covering them, mini lengths (great with a tuxedo jacket that ends at the same length), under the more voluminous floral winter dresses with dipped hemlines that are around at the moment. The mini with a long slouchy cardigan that falls low, however, feels a bit tired though.

The flat OTK I'd only wear with a mini skirt or sweater dress of the same length at this point I think. Suede pairs could possibly do the floral winter dresses but their range is quite limited. I'd wear a slightly sheerer tight (just not shiny) and recreate that top heavy volume like the old silhouette needed for balance, but rather than go slouchy, go a bit more structured instead like in pic 3 with all the sartorial layers, the pop of white from the shirt helps make it all a bit less severe too. I don't really like the leather on leather with LL and OTK boots, for the hell of it I just googled it and the first image results were all 'Lady something or the other' I assume advertising some sort of specialised services I do like long leather gloves worn over a leather jacket though, that looks ace.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Enid, you really made me .

I had a pair of SW boots and never wore them as they just looked cheap/poorly made. I bought them (new) frim ebay for a steal but just gave them to a friend.

I won't be online shopping but have a few days away coming up where I will rl shopping and visiting a designer outlet which i'm looking forward to-hoping to get some high quality classic items rather than just going for heavily discounted items that I would normally be swayed by in the past-usually loud/already had it's moment garments that I would rarely wear.

I have a grey leather otk boots. I tend to wear them with dark grey tights and short dress. They have a very small shaped heel and have kept their shape well. Can't remember where they were from at the moment -will hunt them out later.

Reading the footwear posts with interest.

I never wore skinnies, as I have wide hips and skinny legs and felt I looked really daft in them. I've just kept right on wearing straight leg or even bootleg jeans, so looked v untrendy but felt it suited my body shape. My clothes and footwear need to be compatible with cycling up a steep hill, too.

I have a pair of much loved brown leather, shearling-lined Converse boots, and brown Chelsea boots, plus a pair of knee high brown boots and black biker-style boots.
They are all 2 yrs old at least (in fact the knee high ones I bought in Paris about 4 years ago), but I only wear boots from late Nov to late Feb usually, because of the climate here. I rotate them all, and it works pretty well for me. They are quite interchangeable, except that I can't wear the converse or Chelsea boots with skirts/dresses as my ankles are too skinny.
But, as I said, I am very much not a trend follower, and once I've found something that fits in with my body shape, lifestyle and "look", I'll go for it irrespective of whether it's in or not. I swithered about OTK boots two years ago, but I feared the panto look and I'd never have worn them enough to justify the cost.

I don't think it's the shoes themselves that date all of a sudden, it's just that they no longer feel right in the way they once used to as most change out clothes faster than shoes, so you have to find a new way to wear them or they just sit there, sometimes it takes a few years to get them to work again. For example, wedge boots have completely disappeared, but it won't be forever, they too will return at some point but worn in a different way to make them appealing again.

Well, got some good Les Parisiennes goodies yesterday.

• Chanel Coromandel lipstick
• Dior 999 lip pencil
• Touche éclat
• Large silk square in a lovely red (main), purple, aqua, cream and coral pattern
• Aqua v-neck (with a slight roll) cashmere
• Dark green (almost teal) nubuck desert boots from Timberland with velvet laces and velvety ankle padding.

The only problem with them is that I'd wanted them to be able to wear in wet weather and muddy fields while watching ds play rugby....

They're gorgeous though - so I'll dig out my old desert boots (standard creamy colour) and just accept that they'll get muddy.

I haven't tried on the Timberlands yet - tried to do so briefly last night just before going out and it was going to take too much effort to rejig the laces though to get my instep into them. I'll have another go today. Hope my ridiculously high insteps can get into the boots and that they're not "small" to size

Dh had searched and searched Glasgow to find me a nice big white shirt and failed. All the standard suspects (Pink, TM Lewis, Charles Tywhitt ? ) only do them on line now.

A Merry Christmas to all the Parisiennes de Mamansnet May you all find your mojo and individual style. Many thanks to Toss for starting it and Botemp for all her words of wisdom.

Not porny, you say, AuldA. I beg to differ, I can clearly make out some womanly breasts in there... or eyes... or you know, just circles with circles in the centre

They're lovely though, I'd be tempted to go with the blues but with SoF lighting that would be lovely in S/S but really gloomy and probably drab in A/W. The current yellow and red colour scheme has the opposite problem.

Have you considered going very dark with the door? It has such delicate details that could really carry that well and sort of nod to a wrought iron door with equally delicate detailing. I wouldn't go black but something near it like charcoal and in a semi-gloss or matte finish (also means imperfections aren't spotted as easily). Then go much lighter on the walls, if you're keeping the two-tone scheme (which helps make a narrow space feel wider) I'd go for a slightly warmer/beige (something like LGC Slaked Lime Deep, it's a neutral that colours with the seasons) in gloss (easier to wipe down) and do the the rest of the woodwork the same so it melds as one, lifting the space a bit, with a brighter chalkier white on top that would feel cool and fresh in S/S and in A/W will colour slightly with the warmer gloss from below (tonally they do have to be compatible though) but the shine in the bottom half brings a bit of much-needed coolness in S/S again. Would still work if you decide to restore the rooflight, although Ikea is selling large square LED panels these days that mimic the same effect, may be worth a look. Think they're called Float or Flot or something like that.

Yes, the tiles are very fecund looking, Bo
I was thinking of painting the door panels dark, partly because bikes and scooters come through there several times daily, there's little room to manoeuvre, and I'm tired of trying to wipe tyre marks off the white.
I'd thought about charcoal, but was worried that with the lack of light it might be too dark, and might date quickly, as it was all the rage here a year or two ago, but I will get some tester pots and experiment a bit.
I also couldn't decide whether to just paint over all that tricksy stuff on the lower door panel, other than the framing trim, or whether to pick out the wreaths and other bits as they have been done before, which would be a faff (hence my urge to avoid doing it...).
In the entrance, I was wondering about a paler yellow for the lower half, and chalky colour for the top, but less of a contrast would be better, and yellow is just a bit 'oh look, we are in Van Gogh/Cézanne country.' Thanks a million for your input.

The IKEA Floalt is an inspired idea, and one I'll store away until I've saved enough to get the stairwell painted. Not a job I'd contemplate doing myself.

I am even more indebted to you as I have just ordered that green Comptoir coat at half price. I'm going to a conference in Philadelphia in late Feb, about which I am inordinately excited. My current work coat is getting very worn out, so I'm really pleased about this one. Thanks for the VP code.

prettybird your Christmas gifts sound fantastic.

Hope you can get the Timberlands to fit and work for you.

I find that if you don't do high gloss in near black those details come more into their own, only high gloss white seems to supersede it but it has to all be in perfect condition and painted with extreme skill and precision. I'd just go lazy and paint it all the same colour, less busy too. I think the trend colour that was around a few years ago was a bit more purpley/red in undertone, it faintly leaned to aubergine (like the plant skin not the general colour name) I never liked that either.

Well done on the coat, I hope it's as lovely in real life as it is online.

I just wanted to add my thanks to Bo in particular for this thread, I haven't posted much but have really enjoyed it.

I gave dd1 a beret in her stocking she was thrilled and says they're on trend with her friends who are 18 year olds doing a fine art degree so I figure the beret will be ubiquitous again soon.

Struggling to decide if I should get these chunky prada grey ankle boots in the NAP sale...
www.net-a-porter.com/product/895516

I have black ones that are too high / too spindly to be comfy.

Would they go with wide leg trousers too?

Those would be too high to be anywhere near comfortable to me, that's without considering you're pregnant. I think they'd go better with a kick flare than a wide trouser as well on account of the squarish nose.

Chango send out the bat signal if they're wearing them with over the knee socks next

Thanks as ever for the awesome sartorial guidance and inspiration bo - my OTK are flat pull on ones, either Carvela or Dune, so very much like the ones in the last photo. I don’t own or wear any midi length skirts or dresses: they’re all short, so glad to know this hits ‘acceptable’. I tend to be a skinnies gal, but skirt wise my leather mini is a staple, and I have a couple of jumper dress. Wouldn’t ever wear LL and OTk boots as feels like a bit Miss Whiplash - but glad to know that leather mini + thick tights + OTK is acceptable. I haven’t worn mine in over a year because they were buried in the back of the cupboard, and I didn’t have any skirts I really ever wanted to wear (and no longer acceptable to wear with skinnies!)

Love the way you’ve described the delicate footwear trend and how it relates to the current general mood. Unfortunately with my hypermobile ankles and Raynaud’s, I fear I shall have to watch the kitten heels from the sidelines. I shall have to remain a little passé, and stick to my ankle boots and brogues

Dare I admit that I was thinking of replacing my knackered chelsea boots with something like these tougher-looking buckled ankle boots, as a slightly less Tank-girl alternative to my biker boots (which are great in the snow/ice, and toughen up a floral dress, but might verge a bit too much on the GI Jane side to wear with my skinnies/LL and shirts to work….)

www.stories.com/gb/Sale/Shoes/Boots/Buckle_Leather_Boots/114721578-0496691001.2

Talking of sales…
My regular wardrobe is along the lines of the outfits in these photos (only worn much less stylishly, and don’t yet have the perfect enormous black oversized sweater, put myself on a ‘no more black jumpers’ ban, and trying to resist the temptation to let one happen to fall into my basket in the sames). Ie very monochrome,

Don’t have a lot of clothes storage, so whatever I get needs to work hard with other stuff in my wardrobe - but if I were going to treat myself in the sales, what do the Parisiennes hive mind think might be good bang for my buck, but push the boat out a bit to get me out of my samey shirts/skinnies/jumpers rut?

bananafish I went for those boots in the sale too! Will report back. I've been lurking around here admiringly and jumped on the Stories sale link and ordered that white sweatshirt too. I need to tone down my wardrobe and try to make it more grown up for a new workplace so I'm aiming to improve the quality of things I buy - which is going to mean waiting for sales in future instead of buying half of Topshop. You are all great inspiration!