Bonne année, Parisiennes de Mamansnet! C'est Le nouveau thread full of nouveau ideés!

[TossDaily]

Excuse the franglais.

Here it is - the third thread in the series, where we add a little je ne sais quoi to our lives, inspired by the style of our souers across the Channel.

Thanks to our top contributor and style guru Botemp, we are finding ways to lift ourselves out of the style doldrums with a slash of red on the lips, a touch of white where it counts, an insouciant scarf or even an over the knee sock or two for the brave among us.

Take it as far as you dare, Mariannes!

All these brown, lace up boots reminded me of a pair of duo boots that I had, brown knee length with a kind of brogue pattern. They lasted 10+yrs, but have sadly bitten the dust.

I don't need any more boots either, or coats, or jackets...

All those lovely jewellery pins reminded me of a cuff bracelet I have and dug out, similar to the Paris map one. I don't often wear gold, but it's a dull, bronze colour with a few red embellishments. So I wore it stacked with a leather wrap bracelet.

I love fly boots Proper, because they are wide enough for my wide feet, but they are the most unwaterproof things! I was in Oslo last week (unstealthy boast) and was really interested to see how people managed footwear, as obviously it was snowy and icy - lots of proper hiking type boots, but lots of what I would call the timberland/ caterpillar type brands. I would have liked to see what the equivalent of city workers wore, but wasn’t ever in the right place at the right time!

I noticed on the plane to Prague (unstealth boast) that lots of the pretty Côte d'Azur type girls and women had Timberland boots.
These ones
But as they all have dainty little feet, they look good. On my size 7s, dangling heavily below skinny legs and ankles, they look a bit daft. Though I had a pair of chocolate brown Caterpillar boots like that when I was 19, and I loved them to bits.

Dull gold cuff with red sounds nice.

OOh, get us Auld! I think (also have size 7/8 feet and am only 5’4!) that the heavy boot on slim(ish!) leg works better in black for big feet as there is less contrast with tights or jeans.

Your outfit with the ruched skirt sounds lovely!

theshipsong I have that coat! I bought it because I thought it was very "squint and it could be Max Mara". The fabric is nice and I think it looks more expensive than it is if styled right. I'm not the best to advise on body types and I don't know what yours is, but my 2 cents is that I liked the effect of tightening the waist in, and having the top of the coat sit out. I feel like it balances me out. It is quite a long coat and I'm tall, but that's not to say it wouldn't work on someone shorter. The fasteners are the one thing I'd change, they're a bit fiddly.

Grumpy squirrel - outfit sounds nice. I wore loads of little jackets when pregnant and just left them open. Saved buying a lot of things specially and better than most maternity wear.

Also curious to hear about the jeans. I have worn skinnies with boots for the past few years, but I don't think they're the best style on me? I prefer straight-leg or boyfriend jeans when I'm wearing shoes. I kind of like boot-cut and I have one pair, but I haven't worn them much. I'm a bit afraid of looking dated rather than ahead-of-the-curve! Where I live we lag behind current trends by a year or two!

I used to wear boot-cut all the time because I felt they balanced out my wide hips, but having tried on some older pairs (but not 90s old!) that no longer fit, I've decided the shape makes my legs look shorter and wider, and that slim or skinny jeans show off my shape better. My legs are still quite curvy, not long and slim by any means, but I'm not unhappy with them. I like that shape.

When I was a size 14-16, I felt silly in skinny jeans, and that they were too young for me at 38. I wore straight-cut ones from Sainsburys until my weight-loss programme had kicked in further - then when I tried on my charity-shop test skinnies I realised I liked the slightly fitted look. They are not super-tight though.

I had those caterpillar boots in my early twenties when backpacking. They were decent boots but I never thought I’d see them on a style and beauty board. Then again I remember wearing them on a long hike on a hot day through mini streams with my swimming togs!!!!

ToElle Thank you for the feedback on the coat. I thought the top part being looser balances the waist too. That is why I liked it. It worries me though to have to ‘style’ it and defeats the purpose of a long coat. Then again that is my whole problem. I throw on clothes without any attempt at styling so in the end I never look put together.

Tanaqui, you're right about black looking better on big feet beneath skinny legs. Thing is, I don't really like black footwear on me, no real reason why.

My current 'sort of bootcuts' are not wide at all. Not like the old GAP ones, which I only drag out occasionally, especially in early summer here, to wear with wedge espadrilles and a billowy white peasant style shirt, in a probably deluded attempt at bobo chic.

If I can be bothered/feel daring enough, I'll post a picture. When I try on skinnies, they emphasize my childbearing hips and then wrinkle around my knock knees, which isn't entirely the look I'm after.

I meant to say the Séraphine dress and short jacket combo sounded nice.

I'm meant to be working...

I love those timberland boots, feel like they balance my chunky legs in skinnies.

Today's outfit feels a bit more put together. Blue/grey (petrol?) silk pleated midi skirt (jigsaw) with a wide black fabric waist belt (worn high) and black Joseph thin crew neck cashmere tucked in. My Saint Laurent dark grey structured "officer" short wool jacket over a top, and chunky black ankle boots.
Plus (when outside), a grey Johnson's of Elgin scarf and big funnel neck sort of wrap style black brushed wool Jaeger coat (v uncool label but was in the sale and looks good on). It's cold!

The long lace up boots are fab too

I probably need some lipstick as very black and grey outfit today! Think I have a matte orangey red in my bag (Bobbi Brown pure matte)

That outfit sounds gorgeous Grumpy- may I ask are you quite tall and/ or slim? I struggle to carry off a pleated midi and would like to be able to!

Before I forget again, wrt jewellery, I've been discovering some nice things on Wolf & Badger which are actually mostly UK designers. I also remembered that Sezane do some quintessential Parisian pieces, They also have some giant countdown clock mystery on their front page, I'm guessing either a new collection or a sale starts tomorrow. I don't really remember seeing much of it, so no idea what the quality is like but at the lower end of the budget Promod has some nice things on their website.

WRT Skinnies vs. Bootcut, I'd say the Parisians weigh in at neither, they have always favoured (usually low rise) slim fit/cigarette fits that can easily be mistaken for a skinny. The bootcuts are more the slimline flares with a high waist rather than a full flare or bootcut. Regular straight jeans are the baseline and the boyfriend fit is a more recent addition but seems set to stay. A French designer denim brand worth looking at is Reiko, they're not crazy expensive (Levi's price point IIRC) and they can be snapped up cheap in the sales and on Yoox. They do a lot of good coloured denim, like a good solid grey that isn't the faded sort.

ship, I've seen that coat in RL (I think it was actually in the sale in store). I'd say the colour is pretty accurate on the site. It was quite a discovery for me too over the past year or so that long length coats can work for me (even belted) provided there's a bit of attention up top, it also feels a bit more modern of a length somehow. Don't think I want to go full 90s where you're practically at risk of accidental suicide by sticking your heel in the hem by accident but I do think that silhouette is re-emerging. It's a type of coat that looks especially good worn open as well.

pretty, solving 30 yo mysteries is what I'm here for

Well, when I was on the train to Antwerp (make no mistake about it, massive stealth boast) there was a group of young S. Korean women and a few were wearing those low-ish Timberlands too. A few had pastel colours but had toughened up the rest of the outfit by wearing giant fishnets under destroyed denim boyfriend jeans and a giant puffa jacket. It's all a bit 90s inspired, it is a tad odd to see all those brands come back into fashion again. I am seriously waiting for Palladiums to come back again.

Tana, I have yet to find a pleated midi I like on me, I do think you need a bit of height for them and probably a long-ish waist, weight more on the bottom than top.

French (bought by parents who live there) dull gold cuff with red embellishments, I hope the picture works. I might check out Wolf & Badger, thanks bo.

@Tanaqui no I'm only 168cm or 5'5 and curvy but the high tight waist is flattering on me as I have a long torso, small waist and short chunky legs -and the skirt skims over hips (this one is more floaty than structured as it is silk) . I also wear heeled chunky boots so appear taller

Hi, I was the person who asked about the Repettos. Many thanks - that crosses them off my list, which is useful in itself. The Lanvins are lovely but above my price range - the Repettos were at the top end of my budget. French ballerinas would have been fab, but I've give Paul Green a try, I had an unlikely success with a pair of ankle boots from there last year.

Yesterday I wore a midnight blue lambswool scarf from the Hush sale, that I would have dismissed as too plain/boring before this thread, but has turned out to be great.

I'm now enjoying wearing my dark green Timberland boots (with velvet ankle padding). Dark enough to make my feet look small - and great in the snow we're getting today in Glasgow. Choosing wear them rather than my scraggy trainers, to look a bit more "put together"

Ooh, prettybird gorgeous boots, I love dark green.

I tend towards chunky boots with skinnies in winter, but I think the chunkier boots probably balance out being an inverted triangle. Another one with size 7 feet, I am 5'7", so hopefully sort of in proportion.

Speaking of dark green velvet drrsse, if anybody sees any could you please post them here. I bought one before Xmas but returned as it was too short. I’m always looking for one but can never seem to find one.

I'm 5ft 7" and a size 12, and my legs are pretty okay, but skinnies aren't that flattering on me. Far, far better are a narrow boyfriend, or a relaxed skinny. They define and skim over your shape but don't emphasise it negatively.

Damn. Just bought a MAC satin lipstick in 'Brave'. Looked at it loads on Pinterest, and thought it was going to be a perfect, flattering pink. But it does nothing for me, too dull and flat.

DD2 is now the thrilled owner

I really want a flattering pink, that is a little brighter than classic 'nudes'. I love 'Boy' by Chanel, but it just doesn't wear well at all.

I'm fair skinned, but tan easily, with pink undertones, ashy cropped hair and blue/grey eyes. Help???

I'm about to disappear to have a hot bath and painkillers, but I randomly walked into zara today and saw THE dark green velvet dress. It's slip style so sleeveless and was in the sale at under 20 quid. I got it but can't find it online.

I've seen a dark green velvet dress in H&M but not on their website. It was pretty short though as I remember.

Thank you!
I found we had a kiko in town and bought a red lipstick and some grey mascara. Number 114!