Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: Blue Stockings are Back in Fashion

[botemp]

Lovers of Parisian style and fashion with a conscious mindset to our wardrobes. Occasionally we pretend this is a proper Salon of the non-beauty kind.

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Recommended Second Hand Shops in Paris

Outlets in Central Paris

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Previous threads:

Un

Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

A bit of blatant place marking, I love these threads

Stupid question time: Can someone elaborate on the vinegar rinse please? I'm in a hard water area too. Do you add the vinegar to water? Do you rinse it after swirling it in the vinegar?

I'm kick-starting my efforts to put the advent calendar into action. I really enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to trying new ways of wearing old clothes. I don't think they'll all be successful, but it's always good to push myself to consider different ways of wearing what I already have.

First up - Day 1
Botemp's narrative: A scarf enhances this further, but now as an integral part in solid tonal colours that complement. There is a slight nod to the once ubiquitous, yet versatile, pashmina as the scarf is draped onto the body but the fabrics are thicker and in line with existing textures. The direction follows the silhouette, leaving a choice as to whether to accentuate the vertical or horizontal.

Inspiration images, plus my attempt to take on the trend. I tried initially wrapping the scarf over the coat, but it all got a bit bulky and inhibited my ability to move my arms which is problematic when driving, so I went for a more pared back option. I did correct the wonky jean roll ups too. I'm going to try this scarf wrapped over a tan chunky knit in the coming days though.

Thank you all for the good thoughts with baby sleep! Regrettably he has not been reading this thread, but DH has held the fort enough that I could get some sleep. (Trouble looms for when he needs to resume his communing abroad.) I hope the new year brings enough rest for all who need it! Special thoughts for quirky and peony.

Xing, sounds like you pulled off an outfit well matched to a lovely occasion. I bet there were many surrepetitiously admiring glances in your direction.

Elle, chapeau! again. I love that you post the outfits inspired by bo's advent calendar. And I love the result! Is your scarf recent? (=still possible to buy somewhere? :))

These threads have very much inspired me to change up my style but I don't want to accept having to wear a size or two larger from now on than I have been for the whole of my adult life up until this second pregnancy. So I am working on slowly getting back into shape. Quite a challenge for a gluttonous sloth who has been getting a free pass until now thanks to a fast metabolism!

I did buy one item in december - I got this sweater for my brother for Christmas and I loved the colour so much that I bought one for myself as well.

Xing Marylebone High street , never been there!! all these years in or near London but looks great. Richmond is a bit cumbersome for me to get to as I live Hertfordshire.
I love Cambridge has lots of nice shops and the place itself lovely to walk around. So maybe on Friday I will decide my destination.
Will bring a friend along and we should have a great time leisurely looking at shops and stopping for coffee, a cocktail maybe too .

Elle love your outfit, you have a great eye for style!

Pere yes that jumper is fab! Where is it from?

Lovely colour jumper Peregrane All my sympathies from someone whose babies never slept either. It's exhausting. Scarf is an Irish brand. I bought it on a bit of a whim, it was heavily reduced in a store here. Sadly that store doesn't have it online and it may have been the last one anyway. Here it is on the makers website, but it's full price and while nice, not worth that much IMO. www.kdk.ie/product/river-liffey-blanket-cashmere-wool-scarf/ Coat is stories - bought last year, but still available www.stories.com/en_gbp/clothing/jackets-and-coats/wool-coats/product.belted-wool-blend-trenchcoat-beige.0167979007.html

Enjoy the trip to Cambridge Red

Longtime lurker here - quickly showing my face on a New Year's morning to thank you all for your sustained commitment to seeing style as something that goes beyond the relentless fads and hype of modern fashion.

These threads have radically changed my style, at a time when it really needed to change. You're all wonderful, keep at it.

Thanks, Carpet, if I've helped at all. I think we all just like clothes (passionately) but not without thinking. I wanted to be a fashion journalist at 18, but fell among financiers.....

Checking in quickly to wish all a wonderful new year!
Already had too many gin and tonics and dancing at home with friends while kids run riot .
Carpet hope to hear more from you!
For a lovely and stylish new year

Happy 2019 to you all.

Pereg- really unusual jumper colour, it's lovely. How do you find the shoulders with menswear? Does the seam sit on your shoulders or a bit lower?

Elle- good to see you putting advent calendar into practise. I do have some big scarves, but all bar one are heavily patterned. One is dark navy but has a hot pink stripe which would ruin the effect. I think a large plain scarf should be fairly easy to pick up in a charity shop.

I foinc this site when looking at ethics of Uniqlo, I linked it here as it lists similar (style wise) but more ethical companies at under the review of the brand. Not explored fully, so not sure how many brands it covers but might be helpful/of interest to someone:

goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-is-uniqlo/

Happy New Year! Thanks for the Good on You link Methen. I remember them crowdfunding but then forgot all about them. Has anyone got the app?

I’ve decided one of my resolutions is to wear no make up for the whole of January Not a stealth boast. I’m vain. But I’ve had a feeling for a while that my current make up isn’t making me look better - just more painted. I haven’t been able to get to the bottom of it and don’t trust make up consultants not to just try and sell me yet more stuff so I’m going to go without for a month and then reintroduce things one at a time which will hopefully help me spot what’s working and what isn’t. I may even decide I need lipstick

Bonne année!

Red the jumper is from Massimo Dutti, but they seem to have sold out - I am no longer finding it on their website in this colour (they called it burgundy, which is a bit of a misnomer).

Methen I only started wearing menswear this autumn as DH’s jumpers hang better on my postpartum body for now :) A size S sits just right on me, but I do have square shoulders (not like a swimmer but they are not slight or sloping). They are also longer than women’s jumpers on average, with again suits me just fine (I’m 5’10). In fact I’m sure that browsing menswear is another idea that I picked up on this thread!

Thank you for the links (and the sympathy :) ) Elle! The fact that the pattern is based on an actual geographical feature makes the scarf even cooler - it is subtle enough that it doesn’t look like a novelty feature.

Sounds like a very methodical approach, Flo!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Burgundy seems to cover an awfully large range of colours!

Love the scarf look, Elle. And the whole advent calendar approach.

Flo - would you consider trying an independent make-up artist? I doubt it would be cheap, but also, they won't have an axe to grind when they recommend things. I've found even trying somewhere like SpaceNK where people aren't stuck with one brand, they will still try to sell you what they want to sell you, not what actually looks best.

That's a good idea Catherine and I might investigate a month or so down the line. But I think even an independent consultant would be starting from the point of view that some make up always looks better than none. I'm no beauty and never have been but at 62, I'm no longer interested in even looking conventionally pretty and I'm kind of curious as to whether I might actually prefer a no make up (or extreme minimal) look once I'm used to it. But I can't tell at the moment - I feel I need to step back.

There's a precedent in that, a few years ago, I had to give up mascara and eye liner because of sensitivity issues. At first I didn't like how it looked at all but then I got used to it and now on the odd occasion when I've tried mascara again, I've looked in the mirror and seen Barbara Cartland looking right back! So like I say, I'm partly doing it out of curiosity.

I should add that January looks pretty quiet socially - if there was a big event coming up I might not be so chilled about it!

Dear Flo, what's your colouring like? Let me send you the tail end of my favourite no make up make up to try out.... please. Honestly, tis the dog's caracas.... but not widely sold.

I think we have touched on the topic of denim recently... but has anyone tried Blackhorse Lane Ateliers?
I am tempted by this.
blackhorselane.com/product/n5-high-rise-slim-straight-indigo-stretch/

I was also looking at the Girlfriend denim by Hiut but I am not sure the cut will be right for me regarding waist high, I would like a mid to high rise.

I really do not own very good denim at all (not many either) and that is an area that I think I probably need a good quality pair new.

Thank you for the info Pere I suspect that you need lovely square shoulders to get away with men jumpers, mine are slight and on the slopping side.

Just looking at ideas of what to wear my joseph trousers with (hem still needs taking up), have the great info from Bo’s advent on the blue, but here a few more ideas I found in pinterest.
I already have a mustard cashmere jumper and a mustard silk top so I can wear those.
An ivorty shirt which I suspect will work well for when I go to work.
A sky blue cotton jumper with coocon sleeves which could potentially look good dressed down with trainners ... need to try that to see if it will work ...

Xing that’s really kind. I’m pale of skin, blue eyed, fairish/silverish/greyish hair, blue veined. Never had my colours done but think I suit deep colours e.g plums, deep or olive greens, cherry red, charcoal i.e not too dark or too light or too bright. If you think your no make up make up might work with that, let me know and I’l pm you. Thanks so much mwah mwah

And now we’ve just fixed up to go out for a meal tomorrow but I’m holding my nerve

Flo, sounds promising for you as my colouring is similar and I hate looking painted. I'm nearly at the end of a tube, and have another ready to go so just say the word and it will be in the post.

Hi ladies, I have enjoyed reading this thread so far! I was a first time visitor to Paris a few weeks ago, and fell for the effortlessly cool French style. I hope you don't mind me following along...

XingMing I'd love to hear more about the no make-up make up if it's the les couilles de clébard (no idea if that translation works).

redandblue I struggle with denim too. My only observation on Huit is that the lack of any stretch fibre makes it more important to get the right fit. I ordered and returned twice and I really should have returned my codas because while they're lovely denim they don't fit me correctly - too tight on the thighs and loose on the waist. Love the blue trouser images, particularly the last one.

Day 2: botemp wrote:

Today's effort at Day 2 was a bit weak. I wanted to try the tone on tone look and had a khaki skirt laid out, but when I put it on I realised that it was too short for work so there was a last minute change to jeans (I'm still in holiday casual mode!) so it's a bit boring. I am enjoying the challenge though and I haven't worn this shirt in ages so it was nice to have something that made me reach for it.

Gah - I accidentally posted.

Let's try that again:

Day 2: botemp wrote:

Style Hacks from the Céline Runway (Part I): The Other Semi-tuck

The obvious entry into this style hack is through a simple shirt and keeping everything else simple, unembellished, and symmetical before venturing into high volume and colours. Either play up the contrast or keep the colours close together.

My attempt

Today's effort at Day 2 was a bit weak. I wanted to try the tone on tone look and had a khaki skirt laid out, but when I put it on I realised that it was too short for work so there was a last minute change to jeans (I'm still in holiday casual mode!) so it's a bit boring. I am enjoying the challenge though and I haven't worn this shirt in ages so it was nice to have something that made me reach for it.

Xing thank you again - I have pm'd you.

Well it's Day 2 of no make up and already I'm wondering if I've opened my big mouth too early. I've never thought of myself as being reliant on make up but I have to admit, the reality of going out tonight and then going back to work with nothing on my face is beginning to feel a bit daunting. But that in itself tells me it's worth exploring.

Elle I'm really enjoying reading about how you're bringing Bo's calendar to life.

Hope you join in as well as follow.

Ah I posted before I saw your photos Elle! I really like the colour of that shirt - where's it from?

@ToElleWithIt I think you nailed it!