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Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: Blue Stockings are Back in Fashion

989 replies

botemp · 14/12/2018 19:06

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.


Recommended Second Hand Shops in Paris

Outlets in Central Paris


Previous threads:

Un

Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: Blue Stockings are Back in Fashion
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417
XingMing · 20/02/2019 20:06

Thanks for the link, Elle. Kate Byrne gets it.

Did we all see that, while Karl Lagerfeld's #2 has been put in charge for now, the Times hears that Phoebe Philo is a likely candidate for the big job? I might be more inclined to watch Chanel (if not to buy Chanel) in future.

Floisme · 21/02/2019 06:35

I think M&S should go for Phoebe Philo. Why not - Uniqlo have got Lemaire. My guess is she's bored with high end fashion. She needs a change and they need a miracle. She could save them. She could save Britain.

botemp · 21/02/2019 08:02

Yes, move over Theresa May, Phoebe for prime minister. Christopher Bailey can look after M&S, I actually think he'd do really well there.

It's odd, the PP rumours were circulating before his death. As far as I heard, #2 is not interim, just the new designer. I mean that's publicly, I'm sure that they're carefully considering the best move forward long term behind the scenes but it would be a difficult situation, she's been running the place for years, KL just provided a few pretty sketches. I remember the first Chanel documentary and being utterly shocked how the ateliers managed to create with so little input from those sketches of what they were supposed to make. She was the one that translated that vagueness into something workable.

I really like that Kate Byrne article, I think I remember saying something along the lines in the first thread about Parisiennes being more likely to be inspired by great women around them than the ones in the public eye. I'm finding the progressive backlash and social media in general interesting at the moment.

I was thinking about Alexander McQueen the other night as that was the last fashion death that really felt like it came out of nowhere and also marked an end of an era of sorts, in his case, the runway as a provocative conversation piece. I think he'd really struggle in this era of social media scrutiny and collective majority morality. The Burberry thing with the noose hoodie is something that would have been barely a thing worth noting on a McQueen runway but at the rate which Burberry immediately apologised, well it severely limits expression of creativity of designers in favour of the consuming public. Lagerfeld is probably the last to have so much control over his runway.

I can certainly understand that people took offense to that hoodie but wanting to censor away any unpleasant image as it could be triggering can't be healthy either.

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Floisme · 21/02/2019 08:22

If I said what I thought about that I'd probably be banned. But then I'm old school and I think one of the purposes of art is to be upsetting.
I'm now waiting for Madonna to apologise for those crucifixes.

botemp · 21/02/2019 08:32

Well I'd be very impressed that anyone got banned over a comment on S&B. Although I hear people are regularly shown the door over bunfights in the dog section Confused

But yes, I definitely agree, art (applied or otherwise) is meant to evoke, and sometimes that isn't pleasant and imo it isn't part of the mainstream, and never should be, it needs to stand outside of it to observe and comment with distance.

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Floisme · 21/02/2019 08:47

You should try the feminist section - you get deleted for hurtful pronouns on there.

botemp · 21/02/2019 09:02

Tbf if you purposefully misgender a dog in the dog section I'm pretty sure you get deleted there as well. But, yes, same root of the problem, unquestioningly taking on the cloak of wokeness without questioning the underlying ideology first.

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XingMing · 21/02/2019 09:24

XingDog has never been misgendered just spayed! I thought I should clear that up for you.

There's such a backlash building up within social media, I think. Surely the world has had enough trivia and cute cat memes, and I can't be the only person who is sick to death of vitriol and venom, or groupthink.

Fine art should provoke and unsettle; fashion is a limbo of part-art and part-marketing. Music can comfort or challenge. Creative endeavour is all about renewal.

But all our Christmasses would come at once if M&S hires PP as head of womenswear.

CatherineMaitland · 21/02/2019 09:30

Even a collaboration or two would be nice.

botemp · 21/02/2019 09:35

Ok, so here's the annoying part, if we want our Christmas dreams to come true we're probably going to have to use social media to make it happen...

Ahem, I think I accidentally misgendered XingDog on here when they were first mentioned Flowers My dog got misgendered ALL the time, when she was so clearly female. She didn't care much for most humans so it wasn't much of an issue.

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XingMing · 21/02/2019 10:28

XingDog won't care about misgendering; she's a working breed and infinitely prefers small furry or feathered critters (M/F/T) to humans. Indoors, she's terrified of everything; outside she's a serial killer squirrels mostly.

Maybe we should bombard the M&S with PP love?

Floisme · 21/02/2019 10:51

Thought for the day: Would we take a no-deal Brexit if it meant getting Phoebe Philo at M&S?

And is there any end to my shallowness?

botemp · 21/02/2019 10:59

If we're operating for purely selfish reasons, then, yes bring on no deal Brexit because I'll be Megabucks flush spending my euros at M&S under PP. Though there may only be one, very tastefully designed, iteration of the Mao uniform available...

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CatherineMaitland · 21/02/2019 11:32

"Would we take a no-deal Brexit if it meant getting Phoebe Philo at M&S?"

What a choice.

I'll say no, on the grounds that the economics mean we won't be able to afford to buy any PP M&S clothes anyway...

ToElleWithIt · 21/02/2019 12:02

"Would we take a no-deal Brexit if it meant getting Phoebe Philo at M&S?"

I wouldn't. No deal would be disastrous for Ireland. I'm dealing a lot with Brexit at work and we're mostly ready to go here, so professionally I nearly want it to go ahead to just get the damn thing over with, but personally I couldn't do that to my country. Sorry Phoebe!

botemp · 21/02/2019 12:45

You are all being far too sensible. Obviously after the UK, the countries to suffer the most are Ireland and the Netherlands and knowingly screwing over Norther Ireland is rather heartless. I doubt M&S would even be able to resume business for very long in a no deal scenario.

So following the good old Dutch Polder model and seeking compromise, I suggest we petition that in case of a no deal Brexit at the hands of other heartless folks, we get a signing bonus of PP at M&S? and I'll make frequent trips to smuggle over desperately needed bog roll, I won't even charge too much for them Halo

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XingMing · 21/02/2019 13:06

Speaking from the bottom of a disused mine shaft in Cornwall (Leave vote), cream, cauliflowers and pilchards sustained the county through time immemorial, but none of those is thriving right now so we'll eat, but getting our hands on PP will mean going back to wrecking!

Floisme · 22/02/2019 10:33

Big leave vote here too and, while I strongly disagree with them, I can also see where they're coming from. The most lucid commentary I've seen recently was from Polly Vernon in Grazia. And I don't like cream or pilchards so all in all, I don't think even Phoebe can save us.

Nothing for it but to focus on clothes. I ended my charity shop dry spell this week. It's been a while coming but I find some stretchy Joseph trousers, Toast cropped wide leg jeans in faded black and a collarless silk Banana Republic shirt in sage green (which I may dye a slightly deeper shade).

banivani · 22/02/2019 12:08

Lucky find Flo. The only thing I've seen worth buying this past, like, YEAR, is a Cos shrug type cardigan in light grey, which was both not my colour (advent calendar notwithstanding) and a difficult garment to pull off for me (I need sleeve warmth if adding warmth, generally). I almost bought it anyway because of the general dearth of offerings.

botemp · 22/02/2019 12:44

I'm not a very anxious person but I think I'd be climbing the walls at this point observing British politics. Though, it's probably because I'm used to a multi party system that don't tend to play as high stakes and to the last minute.

I need to do a round of the second hand shops again, I rarely come across anything but perhaps the good weather on the horizon will make people itchy to get rid of things.

Anyhow, happy to distract with pretty pictures as Milan is on the way now. Jil Sander show was consistently good again, though why they show so many looks (of which many are quite similar) baffles me. It's not a huge brand or with a lot of reach but it did mean there was a nice switch up in colour palettes, incidentally ending in the sage greens.

Bottega Veneta is today, with the PP disciple, will be curious to see what it's like.

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: Blue Stockings are Back in Fashion
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Redandblue11 · 22/02/2019 16:19

A quick check in while I rest after another day of sunnny skiing.
Wow so much to catch up - British language, art, Brexit at times I had to double check I was in the right thread (in a good way).
Yes I barely get out of ski clothes to go for dinner, most people do not make much effort but with nice clothes (we are in Italy) , so a lovely cut shirt and black trousers are perfect and what many ladies wear good cuts but relaxed not too tailored.
It has been too warm for any jumpers here, so my cashmere jumpers have been unworn.

CatherineMaitland · 22/02/2019 16:36

This blog post might be of interest:

thatsnotmyage.com/style-inspiration/diversity-in-fashion-at-deveaux-new-york/

Love the silver hair and there being less pressure to colour generally.

banivani · 23/02/2019 12:08

I like that blog post too Catherine! I’m just after dyeing my hair with a box dye because I got tired of the grey and I’m regretting it 🙄 it feels obviously box dye, too many red undertones. Maybe I should have gotten a tub of Maria Nila colour booster thingie and tried going grey all over instead.

Flo inspired me to pop into charity shop yesterday before Pilates and I actually found a pair of wide leg Turnover trousers in wool (I think, label gone) for 65 kr. 👍🏻 About six years ago I bought a navy top from Turnover with a very drapey waterfall front in a charity shop. Was surprised by how much I liked it and the quality. Decided to keep a look out for the brand. V difficult to find in physical shop, didn’t see stuff I loved enough to pay full price for in collections subsequent years bla bla and now the brand has folded 🙄

Theaspidistraiswilting · 23/02/2019 17:55

Hello Stylish Ladies!

This is a great thread - I’m finding the current clothing offering in the U.K. pretty uninspiring. I tend to buy things on eBay or in the ‘gold’ and ‘contemporary’ bits of TK Maxx. I feel totally stuck in a style rut, I have hit 40 and have 2 kids and my body has changed so much I don’t know what suits me anymore. Changing rooms are like torture chambers as I still choose things that would have suited me years ago and now cling in all the wrong places and look terrible. Are there any style blogs that you would recommend for inspiration? The photo collages here have been great but I am not very good at translating them into ‘real life’ outfits.

quirkychick · 23/02/2019 21:05

Welcome, Thea if you look back to earlier threads we spent a long time talking about body shapes and the line and shape of clothes, which suit them. That might be a good place to start. Ebay and tkmaxx sound pretty good to me.