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

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

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I think I need more blue clothes!
Where can I find a pair of trousers in that shade of blue? Or similar that is not overly expensive?
I wish I could pull off that eye shadow ... i might experiment ...
What an eye for detail Bo!

Blue eye shadow is back?

Why did no-one tell me?

Best news ever.

Great post! I love this shade of blue, I have a silk and cotton blue skirt in this shade but never occurred to me to mix it with a pale blue shirt too. Will try it on. And those red tights made me miss coloured hosiery. I used to match tights with either skirt or shoes in the same colour, I may revisit that look.

Blue eyeshadow as great and bold as it looks on the models would get me into unhinged territory

I wanted to wear my dark blue sparkly jumper today in homage to bo but I Cannot Find it Anywhere. It's just gone.

I told you I needed a new one.

Wow, my psychic abilities are impressive, if a tad overzealous. Sorry, Flo.

Red (or maybe I should really refer to you as blue instead?), COS often cycle the colour through every few seasons. As always Joseph delivers (I've often though of them as Céline's diffusion brand) but perhaps not on price Blue wool trousers

I would say this is a hard colour to get right in natural fabrics, at Cos it's usually cellulose or synthetic, otherwise the price tags tend to go up significantly.

those blue trousers, both on PP and the Joseph ones.

I fear I might venture into unhinged territory with blue eyeshadow, too, Jon. I do manage navy flicky eyeliner, though, black is too harsh on me now.

I have just remembered that I have a matte navy eyeshadow, but I wear it very blended in the hollow of my eyelid.

Cos had a thingy about powder blue and navy yesteray, perhaps someone there reads this thread.

Bo I can respond happily to Blue or Red

I am on the hunt for second hand blue trousers ... I might have located one on a preloved site that looks mint. Need to be certain of waist measurements. Keep your fingers crossed and will keep you updated.

Flo did you used to sport blue eye shadow in your younger years?
I used to in my late teens and sometimes green . I was convinced it looked amazing until I was told by a friend of mine to stop using that

Blue eye shadow? Who, me?

DAY 10

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(Wo)man spreading

There’s nothing new or revolutionary about women wearing men’s wear but there has slowly been a shift. Perhaps because it’s become so much more mainstream it’s lost the shocking allure and sex appeal it once had. Nor is it necessarily advertising your relationship status by wearing a ‘borrowed’ piece, no boyfriend needed to buy a pair of boyfriend jeans, etc.

With the loss of its exotism, a new set of eyes can be unleashed on these clothes, and we can see them as clothes and, crucially, can wear them accordingly. Subsequently, the way they’re worn has become more intuitive, clothes that take up space suddenly seek out room rather than being bound by a reassuring sign of femininity.

Now, none of this is exactly new, as much as I like to credit Phoebe Philo with just about anything. Katherine Hepburn was there first. We may initially just see men’s clothing on a woman but it’s not really about that, even then.

But, shyeah, Phoebe had a hand in it...

It isn't about imitating men when one sinks into the comfort of a 'man's' garment or how it encases the body in a different form. It’s about following the lead of the garments, regardless of whom it was originally cut for, that invites a new body language in accordance, leaning slightly into posturing.

It’s also leading designers to think differently about clothes in the abstract. What lives they can lead and how they can be transformed, regardless or very much because of the body they cover. John Galliano has recently started accompanying his Maison Margiela show with a podcast. In the link below he goes on about this process in his most recent work and how it has influenced his design process. It’s a bit wanky in tone but if you can see (or listen, I suppose) past that it’s an interesting insight.

In short, no need for any balls for a bit of woman spreading, simply let those strong shoulders on your blazer or the wide legs of your trouser lead wherever it takes you.

Maison Margiela SS18 co-ed Show Podcast

DAY 10 - DAY 10 - DAY 10 - DAY 10

Oh yes, I can definitely take a bit of Katherine Hepburn via Phoebe Philo .

I love that first photo, bo, those trousers are amazing. I'm not sure they would do much for me, but I love that huge belt in the same colour.

flo how stylish were you.

flo 10 points to you

Personally I need to be careful about some of this look. Just my body shape, can make me look like a 12year old boy ... however I love wide trousers and with a belt at the waist then It can just work on me.
I personally love the first of the last three pictures and the model also with that shawl, just love that look.

What great pics to wake up to! In fact let's have some more. Much as I love Phoebe Philo, if I ever had to pick a side, it would be Team Hepburn in a heartbeat. I think it's easy to forget how subversive trousers used to be. I worked in a couple of places in the 80s where women weren't allowed to wear them yet she was doing it in the 30s, in the days when the studios owned you.

I don't have a signature style as I'm too fickle and I get bored but androgyny is a look I always come back to, although it's more challenging this time around as I don't have an androgynous body any more. You're right about the affect on body language - I walk, sit and stand differently when I wear masculine clothes. There's also something about a beautifully cut pair of trousers that I think is as thrilling as the most glamorous frock. One of my fantasies is that when I retire, I'll get an apprenticeship with a Savile Row tailor and learn all the secrets of the trade.

I love the wide trousers. I find they need to be slouchy round the waist, to give the illusion of a smaller waist or properly flared with a narrower at the top, though that's less masculine. I, too, often come back to the androgynous look, flo.

Today, I'm more going for mad Victorian Woman in a long, tweed fishtail skirt with a velvet coat and baker boy cap (the red lipstick less so). I've been watching Netflix The Alienist, I do love a good period drama, particularly the costumes.

Update on blue trousers!
I found a pair on eBay from Joseph at the right waist measurements and it is described as royal blue, in the pictures it looks in great condition.
It looks like the one Bo recommended but I suspect is not the same as that says Wool and the one I got is rayon, cotton and elastane. But it looks so perfect I had to have it.
So I have acquired it for £27!
I should have it in my hands in a few days.
Fingers crossed is as good as it looks . I am so excited about it!

Btw- yesterday I stopped in Cos and saw this one below. Lovely colours but I cannot stand the fabric, it is very itchy for me (I am very picky on the fabric front)
www.cosstores.com/en_gbp/women/trousers/product.a-line-tailored-trousers-teal.0704305001.html

quirky your outfit sounds fab!!

The pictures are lovely. Not something I aspire to- I am always trying to look less androgynous, which is hard with my body shape..

Those trousers sound amazing red I hope they are as amazing as you hope they will bear!

Red I'm excited for your Joseph trousers, too. My tweed skirt is a Hobbs charity shop find, but is a bit of a hobble skirt and I may well be going androgynous tomorrow with trousers for freedom of movement. It was, however, very warm with heattech leggings under on such a cold day!

Sandra I have long, curly hair and wear obvious jewellery, so feel this offsets the masculine look for me. I also often go for fitted (but not tight) on top or shaped jacket etc. to balance out the masculine/feminine, but I might be deluded!

DAY 11

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A Take on the White Skinny Jean: Bleached Denim

I assume we’ve finally established that no matter how great a bit of white denim can look in the midst of winter, they really are a touch impractical. However, no need to remorse, replacements are here.

There’s nothing new about bleached denim but it is usually reserved for weather with sunshine on the horizon. Also, I believe we've successfully washed the worst 80s and 90s memories of it from our minds with, appropriately, bleach. Much like white denim, it can be quite instrumental to embed an outfit with a bright component when the sky has gone dull and dreary.

In terms of versatility, it’s also easy to see how bleached denim is rising in popularity as it can be expressed in different styles and even carry a touch of embellishment or vintage feel. One of bleached denim's greater qualities is that it allows you to showcase your choice of footwear.