Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: Orangutans in Paris make for poor gondoliers

[botemp]

The sunshine might be fading from our passion fruit punch but we're looking forward to what autumn will bring.

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Hi all,

It’s been a while. Hope that you are all keeping well. Work and sick kids (nothing major - thank God) have conspired to reduce my internetting.

Xing I hope that you enjoy your holiday.

Floisme What a bargain, looking forward to seeing the pictures.

botemp I found the thinness of the fabric a problem with that Mango collection last year. It’s particularly an issue with light coloured trousers and I wish for the sake of a few euro they’d use a thicker fabric or line them. I always wonder who actual buys trousers with notable transparency problems.

I’ve added the VI series to my Amazon list. I love all these recommendations.

Quirky and all of you dealing with elderly parents, you have my sympathy and admiration. That’s a tough road to walk.

On the clothes front I’ve been fairly restrained. I did take the plunge on a pair of caramel suede Gianovito Rossi boots from Vestiare (no box, but never worn) and they’re perfect, small on the calves which suits me and a second hand skirt. I’ve been sorting out my wardrobe a bit and have a good few things for alteration including this caftan ahead of upcoming holidays. It’s an old H&M conscious collection one in silk. I can’t decide whether to keep it loose and use as a cover up, though frankly that’s not very practical beside a chlorine filled pool, sunscreen and 2 small children or to have it taken in a bit to make it something I’d wear to dinner. Second photo shows approximation of this! I’d still keep it loose-ish.

I also continue to search for the perfect jeans. Still elusive.

Hello everyone 

Xing, I may be a bit late now as sounds like you've got your books but just de-lurking to tell you that I'm reading The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng and loving it. In absolutely captivated! Apart from
some of the others already suggested, l also recommend The Orphan Master's Son, The Elegance of the Hedgehog and Kafka on the Shore (weird but wonderful!).

Ps love the poppy

Xing I am sorry, I drew a blank on the Kindle lending... the option is not showing up next to any of my books, which means either that I am following outdated instructions, or that I am buying the wrong kind of books...

Thank you for finding out, Peregrane. I have lots of books already loaded. And packed bags.......

Love the new purchases peony, though it's hard to beat out that smile you're sporting with them.

I really like the poppy too, Xing, I always forget that tradition exists (I think it's only the UK that does it?) but I always like seeing it.

at your Burberry trench, Flo. I always feel cheated out of these bargain emporiums you all have access to.

Elle, I've been on the lookout for white winter trousers for a while now and it seems regardless of price point that they're somewhat transparent. It's really annoying, it now has me contemplating a summer remnant from Dries in a thick linen/cotton mix, at least that one isn't transparent but I'm not convinced it'll actually be warm with a bit of wind running through it.

I'm undecided on the H&M dress, I think for it to be fitted like in the second pic it should be shorter but that would ruin the pattern, as it is now it looks a bit staid and far safer than I know your own style to be, so prefer it as is in pic 1 with some flat brown/cognac strappy sandals and an easy bag, floppy hat type thing but accept that as it is now it doesn't have much range for your lifestyle.

Sophie, I have The Elegance of the Hedgehog on the shelves somewhere just never got round to reading it, I really should. I like the look of The Garden of Evening Mists, I'm going through an 'authors of Asian decent/origin' phase so it looks quite promising. I hopped from Sweden to Finland to Korea, which isn't as odd a leap as it seems.

Safe travels, Xing!

Fever seems to have passed but the 'you're almost better, not quite' phase pasted a lot longer than I liked. I've moved out the last of transitional items that leaned to warmer weather this weekend and pulled out gloves and hats. It's a bit odd, pre fever it was unusually warm at around 20 and it even went up to 25, but we're now in single digits within a week and a half. Proof to Flo's point that trenches are useless, they hardly got worn out at all over the last months due to odd temps and I'm now left contemplating how best to wear jumpers again without resembling an amoeba.

bo I'm with you on the winter clothes and cold weather! Last Friday, I happily wore my Ilse Jacobsen raincoat over my clothes and by Saturday it was excruciatingly cold wearing the same thing on a short 10 min walk! Out came the parka, hat, scarves and gloves. Today, I've broken out the faux LL as they're warm and waterproof, I'm still not sure if I should have sized down with them, as they're a bit looser than last year.

I've just been to the charity shops and got a navy, silk Joseph shirt and a Hobbs, fishtail, midi tweed skirt. Apparently, the shirt had only gone out this morning, it's a very lovely, heavy silk and looked great with the LL.

Yeah it looks like the Burberry wearing window has closed until the spring. I’ve been looking at vintage trench coats for a couple of years and had noticed how lots of them were in really good condition. No wonder

Great finds quirky I’ve been really impressed by Joseph.

flo keep your fingers crossed for milder weather, so you can wear your Burberry. I have a couple of trench coats not Burberry and I find I can wear them in mild weather with light rain, as they're showerproof but no hood. The Joseph shirt is really lovely, years ago I used to work near the King's Road, they used to have a Joseph outlet, but I couldn't afford that then, either.

This particular charity shop has some lovely things, I will have to restrict how often I go in! I nearly tried on a pair of Jaegar, grey wool trousers, but I already have two pairs similar .

Gosh I wish our charity shops were that good!

I'm hopefully off to Vannes and environs tomorrow - will see if I can make any style observations.

If you're looking for Asian authors Bo then there is always The Vegetarian (Korean IIRC) and Kafka on the Shore (mentioned that earlier I think).
I struggled with The Hedgehog at the start - took a while to get into - but then loved it.
(Sorry I think I'm derailing the thread with all this book talk)

Not detailing at all, Sophie, we've rebranded into a Salon, blue stockings and all, so all is allowed Yes, I think that's how TEotH ended up on the shelves, I have quite a few 'I'll get back to you at some point when I'm in the right mood/other feeble excuse' books taking up precious shelf space

I'm reading The White Book currently (among others) which is by the same author of The Vegetarian. I'm always a bit nervous about reading overhyped authors where people who aren't that discerning readers suddenly start insisting I HAVE to read it, which is the easiest way to get me not to do something, subsequently I've never read any Murakami. Had been contemplating lately that that discrimination was probably a bit much for Murakami and I should probably read something of his.

*Derailing not detailing

Another one here struggling with the weather. It seems to have gone from mild to freezing nearly overnight. I really need to sort out my jeans + boot game.

I love the sound of all these charity shop finds!

Also now that Halloween is in the rear-view mirror, would it be very grabby of me to ask if botemp would be on for doing another advent calendar? Even if the concepts were repeats, I'd love to see the images and maybe even play along by trying to incorporate the concepts each day!

It is not only freezing cold but torrential rain here. Trying to maintain some sense of chic by wearing a baker boy hat under my parka (keeps the rain off my face) and my Meduse (sorry no accent, my french teacher would deduct a mark!) short rainboots.

Ah you should read Murakami Bo. Kafka on the Shore was wonderful. Really bizarre. I had so many unanswered questions at the end (which I don't like normally as I'm not the philosophical type at all) but I still loved the book.

Yes DH was in UK and said it was really cold. Think we're having a second summer here. It's so hot! Not normal for November.

Hello, nothing of style interest to add here. However would also like to send high praise towards Maurakami; I have pretty much read all of his and I think my fav is 'The Wind-up Bird Chronicles. If you read enough of his you will see connections between them all (surrealism, unavailable women, men in crisis, cats). If you have any interest at all in running, I also loved 'What I talk about when I talk about running': I am only an occasional jogger but this non-fiction piece made me want to just get outside and run Forest Gump style.

Other recent reads I have thoroughly enjoyed were:
'Burial Rites' Hannah Kent- loosely based on real events of last public execution in Iceland
'Manhattan Beach' Jennifer Egan - despite being exhausted of late, one of the few books I woukd stay awake to read more. A pretty stunning book.
'The Whites' Richard Price- written by one of the writers of 'The Wire, felt like it was a masterclass in dialogue.
'Dodgers' Bill Beverly- a book where the protagonist stays with you long after the novel ends, I also found this with 'Morvern Caller' by Alan Warner.
Finally 'Even Cowgirls get the Blues' by Tom Robbins- think you woukd enjoy this if you like Maurakami- a different pace and style but strikes a similar surreal punch.

Phew, anyway, suffice to say I read a lot but the ones m3ntioned above are the real stand outs for me in the past few years.

You lot do realise the more you sign the praises of Murakami the quicker I am to abandon the plan altogether I've been told Norwegian Wood is a good entry point as well as the running book if you're a runner. I used to be a runner but never a runner runner so might get to that if NW takes my fancy.

I'm officially done with the cold already, and the torrential rain (it rained consistently for days this past week). Teeth have been clattering despite measures taken, it's that horrible damp cold that settles into your bones. Are you near the coast as well, quirky? Sounds like we're getting similar weather.

I saw Uniqlo is doing a colab with Alexander Wang launching Thursday, but it's a pretty non descript heattech collection, but I'm cold enough to consider it at the moment.

Oops, I managed to gloss over Elle's request for another advent calendar quite easily there

In true MN fashion I should probably cry about CFers and doncha know that Dutch Halloween is the 11th of November! In all seriousness though, I'm not sure if there's much left to say and if I'll have the time as I'll need to get it done in advance. I'll consider it but am making no promises.

I have to dissent about Murakami. I can't remember which one I read - might have been 'Norwegian Wood' - but I didn't get on with it at all.

But I really liked Jennifer Egan's 'Visit from the Goon Squad' and meant to read some others so thanks for the reminder.

I've just started 'American Adulterer' by Jed Mercurio which I bought on the back of 'Line of Duty' and (although to a lesser extent) 'The Bodyguard'. It's about JFK and, on the surface, looks very different but I think it could follow the Mercurio theme of decent people doing bad things - and vice versa.

My Burberry is back from the cleaners and I'll post pics later but first I'm going to take advantage of the slightly milder weather and go out in it! I'm wearing it over high waisted wide legs and pretending I'm Lauren Hutton.

Oh and can I add my voice to the advent calendar fan club Bo but no pressure

bo I'm in Norfolk, forty five minutes or so from the coast. Probably quite similar landscape and weather to you in the Netherlands .

You're practically a stone's throw away quirky. We probably do get a lot of the same weather, just not so far inland, so winds are probably a lot more temperamental here.

Thanks, Flo, I won't feel so bad if I don't like Murakami. Alternative advent calendar: bo moans daily about Murakami's oeuvre on the back of sample chapters

Speaking of wide trousers and coats, I really don't need more coats but I'm finding many don't pair well with wide trousers, only the longer lengths one do, of which I don't have many, two trenches which are by this point useless and my Max Mara oversized camel coat, but being oversized means it's not all that warm. I also have a cape but that item of clothing is probably even more useless than a trench. Ithink I already established this issue last year but forgot all about it.

Norwegian Wood may be entry level but that is a bit like saying 'Impulse' body spray is entry level to Chanel- might be more accessible but also a bit crap, if I had read it first I wouldn't have ventured any further.

Forgot to add/ask: I not sure if you remember but we were really struggling with night time care of our disable youngest son, I have recently negotiated a temporary change of contract to reduce my working hours as we were just on our knees as a family.

I'll be only working one day so have decided I'll pack away my more formal worked at (as we'll also be skint), so it will feel like a 'new' wardrobe when I do get back (around 18 months).

In the meantime, I need clothes that I still feel good in, but can come home from school run and nap in without changing. I don't like or feel good in leggings, silk harem pants would by ideal but North-East UK weather is chillsome (already had snow). Any suggestions? So far I could just think layers for my top half and a non-underwired bra (need to buy a second one) but bottom half has left me stumped.