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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It becomes even more versatile when worn under a skirt, a touch more out of the box but particularly effective in lifting an outfit from the ground without the need to expose bare legs. If natural light is bright enough, as it often is in January -formerly prime white skinny jean season- bleached denim almost disappears into the background which gives it new opportunities to play with in your wardrobe.

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Hi again everyone, more huge thank yous to @Bo for these brilliant and inspiring posts. I really appreciate the time that you take .

I am still reading this thread a lot but, not being a style expert, don't feel like I have much to contribute (except for questions!!) ...

I was in Paris yesterday and really noticed how beautifully peoples' scarves were, in general, tied. I think I was more in tune with this thanks to this post. I didn't do any shopping really (well, refills for my fountain pen and chocolates for my Granny! oh, and a Uniqlo doudoune - sleeveless, ultra-light for my husband + house shoes - pink!! (he chose!)). Anyway, the Christmas decorations in Le Bon Marché were beautiful as per usual with Christmas trees hung from the roof as if they were candy canes AND (BUT?!) ... they had an animated window with Christmas trees doing the can-can outside!! I never saw that before. A lot of people were gathered to watch - I tried to capture it in photos!

Two more photos ... interior and sign in front of the can-can window.

bo lovely photos, as always. I wear a bleached denim skirt all year round, but not really jeans. I think it's because one pair are quite thin denim and another are flares that I save for summer, but I do like the contrast with the darker colours and the way it highlights footwear.

WaterLily lovely photos, too. I particularly like the hanging trees with candy cane bottoms . Many years ago, I was in Paris just after Christmas and the decorations in the streets were all beautiful white trees with bare branches and white lights. It looked so very elegant and quite different to the traditional green, red and white decorations that are usually here (which I love too).

Thanks again bo. I really liked the first photo - always had a soft spot for double denim - and I also love the pics in your third post. When skinnies first came back this time around I knew my thighs weren't up to the job any more so only wore them (skinnies) with a dress to start with. (Once everyone was wearing them I could just hide in plain view.) And I never really understood the derision for bleached denim - it's just a colour (or lack of) like any other as far as I can see.

Paris at Christmas time must be amazing Water

I 💓 Le Bon Marché, WaterLily, they always have the best Christmas decorations and window display. My former (French) hairdresser's partner used to work on them and apparently it was the most prestigious project of the year and considered the pinnacle of all the department store displays. Thanks for sharing the pictures, strangely the Christmas trees display from the ceiling reminds me of the Christian Dior show I saw in Paris last year (which should be arriving at the V&A soon or already is there?). Anyone near or in London definitely should go and see it.

Hello all
waterlilly beautiful windows, o specially admire the trees hanging in the department store. I was in Paris briefly too recently and I have to agree that the windows looked fantastic. Definitely a different style to the London ones.

Bo thank you again for the wonderful pictures and write up about the style, lots to be inspired about.
And for the great tip about the Christian Dior exhibition in the V&A, I will definitely go along.
Just checked and is on between 2Feb-19 July, if anyone else interested.
Details here

Also I am adding a bit to Bo’s pictures and here a couple that I like with a jumper tucked in, and slightly wide legs which I think helps accentuate the waist and proportions.
Have a nice day all!

Thanks, I hadn’t realised Christian Dior was coming And there’s also the Mary Quant exhibition at the V&A from April - that will have huge resonance for me. It will marvellous if they overlap as I don’t think I could manage 2 trips to London. All I need is a Margaret Howell sample sale on at the same time and I will just die of fashion.

Nice pics Red - is that one of Victoria Bechham’s sons walking two steps behind her? I can remember mine doing that

I was considering a gift to Xing and the news of the Dior exhibition in spring might be just the spur I needed to press buy.

Your usual sterling offering on the Advent Calendar pictures Bo. Particularly enjoyed the (wo)man spreading, camel/grey, blues, and bleached legwear images. When not at risk of getting muddy, they enliven the darkness, which is welcome especially after Christmas.

I've been reading along but Parisienne life chez Xing was punctuated by an episode of food poisoning which is the death knell of style. Will aim to do better in the days ahead.

It's so true @quirky - they do tend to go more in for just white lights over here. It looks very elegant. I don't see as much red and green as I see in Ireland at Christmas.

I can just imagine the work and planning that goes into the Christmas decorating of Le Mon Marché @Bo. They do a fantastic job. It is so tasteful and elegant - it feels very special especially when you're going up in the escalators in the centre of the store. I imagine there must be a lot of pressure year on year to stay at the top of their game.

My COS package has arrived! The cashmere scarf is beautiful - a definite keeper. I ordered the cardigan with the tie feature in two sizes - the S is ridiculously big on me. XS is, I think, the right size but I have no idea how I would style it. The material is beautiful - lovely weight and so soft. I'm going to try it on with some of my clothes to see if I can figure out how I could wear it. If not, I will sadly return it but look out for other COS pieces made with the same mixes of material. The skirt is a good fit - I am now going to try it on with the tops I had in mind - and see if any of my footwear will work. I don't hold out a lot of hope because of its length on me - sort of just below the knee.

Have a lovely Wednesday everyone!

Flo yes That is Victoria and her son a few steps behind 😂 mine is no yet a pre-teen but sometimes he tries to do that when he is near friends but still next to me when he is in unknown territory

That picture really made me laugh Red and it makes me warm towards VB too - it doesn't matter who you are, you can't escape those years when your teenage boy won't want to be seen with you. (If it's any consolation, they do - usually - come back.)

So I've checked and it really does look like both the Dior and Mary Quant exhibitions are on together at the V&A from 6th April-14th July I'm massively excited about them both - the contrast should be amazing. Judging by the prices, the Dior is much bigger and obviously he's the one who built a whole dynasty but, for a few years, Quant blew him clean away, just like he'd done to the rest in 1947.

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La Combinasion

Forget la petite robe noire, the Parisians seem to have settled on a new classic in la combinasion. What was probably expected by most to be a brief revival of the past, the jumpsuit has grown roots and stuck around for far longer than anyone expected and has firmly become a Parisian (and elsewhere) staple.

Similarly to the LBD it has a versatility and allows for an ease of dressing that requires little other thought, but, crucially they’re a lot more comfortable to wear and allow for a bit more variety when it comes to footwear.

Now not everyone suddenly looks easily effortless in a dingy boilersuit unearthed from a kilo sale. Just like dresses, some need a bit of alteration to work with your body, but there’s scope for variation by playing up the oversized qualities or use the old trick of rolling up sleeves and trouser legs to create the perfect fit. Sometimes it helps to just simply wear it half on half off also makes using the facilities significantly easier.

The industry has jumped at the opportunity to produce as many variations of the jumpsuit as there are of black dresses, which probably explains the prevalence of tone on tone dressing.

Madame Le Figaro did quite a large spread recently on la combinasion that's well worth the browse.

Speaking of tone on tone dressing, the look of a jumpsuit doesn’t necessarily require an actual jumpsuit, dressing in the same tone can fool the eye into the look of one and allow for a more precise fit in the different garments.

It doesn’t really matter if it leaves others questioning whether it’s a jumpsuit or not, plenty of actual jumpsuits leave others wondering just the same. It’s an easy way to explore whether to invest in a jumpsuit or if you struggle with one as well as creating some go to outfits within your wardrobe. Equally, it can also create some unique silhouettes which you’d be pushed to find in the shops or an affordable one at least.

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bo , Caroline de Maigret looks stunning in both those photos, the first one in a very Halston 70s glam way and in the last set in a more modern chic tone on tone dressing. I love the PP strapless one and also Emmanuelle Alt's black ensemble. I have a navy summer jumpsuit (that probably needs replacing this year) but can probably pull off the faux jumpsuit this winter. I'm not so convinced on the boiler suit versions for me, I had a cherry red corduroy one when I was 12 but the drapey versions I can see as more wearable.

I have to admit, I thought jumpsuits were a bit of retro fun that would last about as long as peplums, and even looking now at those really great pics, I still don't entirely get the appeal. Leaving aside my senior bladder, I regard them in the same way I do those midi pleated skirts - great until I check the rear view. And don't get me started on finding one that fits. But tone on tone separates (although I prefer 'matchy matchy') - that's something I can get my head (and my arse) around.

Sorry to hear about the food poisoning Xing - I was wondering where you were, hope you're all recovering.

I'd missed that Xing, food poisoning is miserable . The Art Pass looks good, I think I may have missed that for this year's present, but will bear it in mind.

flo I know what you mean about jumpsuits, mine is from Selected Femme and definitely a matter of style over substance. It's lovely and drapey but the quality is poor. I can probably get a better fit with my Me & Em palazzo pants and a drapey crossover top, which are both in navy.

I kind of think the cherry red corduroy boiler suit sounds all kinds of fabulous, quirky

Flo, weirdly my bum looks better in a playsuit than they do in shorts, in jumpsuits it looks about the same as trousers. I'm quite intrigued by the Mary Quant exhibit too, and am deadly curious what the Dior exhibit will be like in the V&A as it was really designed for the spaces in Le Musee Arts Decoratif in Paris. Just a little wary of booking any UK destinations for now though.

For lovers of the Bobbies shoes, there's a private sale on Vente Exclusive at the moment. They're selling quickly though so mostly of interest to those with size 41 (FR) and up. I think you can just sign up without any issue but otherwise I can provide an invite/referral link. They post throughout most of Europe AFAIK, definitely to the UK.

Also, Uterque sale started in limited form as far as I can tell and they have some two-tone shoes which I know Xing was hankering after. They have a bit of a heel though, slightly higher than a kitten.

Seems like a lot of sales have started, or never stopped, or something - I'm being bombarded by "up to 50% off winter collection" emails. I don't actually remember it being this bad last year (first year I paid any attention.)

I remember complaining how my inbox got flooded midnight Dec 25th with sales last year, as if most people haven't spent enough throughout December I did just read in the Guardian it's been the worst November in recorded retail history so that may have something to do with it but that would be UK specific. It's a tad insane though, normally this time of year is the bombardment of 'remember to buy your Nan's neighbour's cousin twice removed's cat something too' [santa]

I guess it might. With all the offers I dunno how some brands are really doing - for example there is a lot of talk about how great Baukjen is but with up to 30% off seemingly twice a week, something must not be going right somewhere.

quirky I like some of those Me and Em looks with palazzos and a tonal matching top, although a lot of the tops are sleeveless and/or high necked which wouldn’t work for me. I may stalk some of them through the sales (yes I agree they’re starting early). Got several family events coming up next year for which I’ll have to scrub up.