Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: See life in pink, but do not wear it!

974 replies

botemp · 06/03/2019 15:58

Lovers of Parisian style and fashion with a conscious mindset and lots of chatter in between.


Favoured Parisian addresses for reference:

Second Hand Shops

Outlets


Previous threads:

un

Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

Sept

Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: See life in pink, but do not wear it!
OP posts:
Thread gallery
295
botemp · 14/04/2019 13:09

I've never been to an escape room but have always assumed they're like those horrific corporate team building exercises where you have to work together to solve something.

So long as it doesn't involve walking and keeping in mind it's August I'd go with your Uterque heels and maybe something like a linen shirt dress? Easy but still like you've made an effort.

Like the trousers, Red, what material is it? Paper bag trousers don't really work for me, it hides the fact I have a waist and bulks me out exactly where my curves go out. It's a shame as I really like them, thankfully I do get on with Palazzo trousers (would also probably make a good outfit for your hen do Catherine, if the weather is more typical British summer, with a nice silk shirt or similar).

OP posts:
Redandblue11 · 14/04/2019 16:10

The trousers fabric is rayon , is a very thick viscose and is very soft to touch.
To be honest this specific one seems well made etc, and is reflected in price as £60 is considered very expensive locally. I would say is similar quality/price of what you would get in uk, but is very expensive for the local economic conditions.
But you are right Flo about supporting local brand.
And the couple of paperbag trousers I tried in the uk did not fit me well ... so these might be a good buy.

CatherineMaitland · 14/04/2019 17:32

I've never been to either an escape room or to a hotel for posh afternoon tea so I am clueless. I like the idea of palazzo trousers.

Don't think there will be too much pissed-ness but you never know. Hope they let us out of the room at some point.

banivani · 15/04/2019 09:45

I'd LOVE to go to an escape room (my enthusiasm admittedly slightly marred after the accident in Poland recently). I used to play internet escape room games all the time, there were several free games and a real community around them sniff. I suspect they're a bit like the one in the Karen Peralta episode of Brooklyn 99. I think you'll be fine in clothes ;) I don't think you'll have to crawl through pipes or anything. So whatever you feel will work for the rest of the night. Hen dos are usually a bit casual here so I have nothing more helpful.

Red I am a fan of thick rayon fabric - it creases like a bugger though but otoh irons well.

This weekend I started writing a list on my phone of summer clothes I have, and there's a lot of stuff on it with a so-so fit or just slightly shoddy material - stuff in other words I then don't reach for or want to wear. There's more than I thought, yet I always feel like there is nothing.

quirkychick · 15/04/2019 12:56

red those trousers fit nicely.

I've bought myself a pair of geox hi tops in a pewter colour, egged on by dd (13). I have been looking to replace 2 pairs that have died and they were reduced to £25 in tkmaxx Grin.

bani I feel I'm in the process of replacing lots of things atm. I think I had a big style/wardrobe overhaul when dd2 was about 2, so 7yrs ago, now I'm finding quite a few things are a bit tatty (selected femme jumpsuit, I'm looking at you), feel wrong or have flat out died (my teva sandals).

Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: See life in pink, but do not wear it!
banivani · 15/04/2019 15:42

Well, at the beginning of these threads I made a decision to be more discerning when shopping, yet here I am today, wearing a black H&M jumpsuit that I spontaneously bought sometime last year or the year before and have only worn a handful of times because the neckline is too floppy and I don't enjoy the cropped legs. I bought it because I fancied one with sleeves but never saw any so when this polyester yoke popped up I jumped in feet first so I wouldn't "miss out". Ha. I do blame the uniformity of what's available in the shops rather than my own poor impulse control of course.

quirkychick · 15/04/2019 16:30

bani I've just bought a big haul of kids clothes for dd2 in h&m today Smile. In my defence, their kids clothes wash and last well and my kids are tall, so they fit well.

timeisnotaline · 15/04/2019 23:27

Kids clothes surely don’t count! They do need those... I’m buying size 5 for my 3yo. I do buy a lot of Boden as it wears so well and his little brother will wear it too but H&M have some really fun things. I bought him some tshirts last week from there and when he saw them his jaw fell open and he just went wow, so I felt like I had really earned Mum points Grin
quirky I thought teva sandals would last for years and years, having been trying to pick between the two I’ve linked and bo’s teva ones! And Brora canvas shoes.
I think the Argentina outfit looks good, I like the pants shoes combination.

timeisnotaline · 15/04/2019 23:28

Trousers. When I say pants I mean trousers!
I love the minimalist look of the shoes with just a band at the front but I just can’t picture my narrow feet holding the shoes on well.

quirkychick · 16/04/2019 08:25

time my old teva sandals are a couple of years old, but have been worn loads they're the original fabric ones in pale grey. The sole is fine, but the fabric is really tatty, I bought them for something like £15 from tkmaxx. I've just ordered the voya ones in silver (but with a black sole) from amazon. The suede braided ones with the ankle strap look nice too, but I'm sure my feet wouldn't cope: too high an instep for them, they might be fine for narrow feet, though www.amazon.co.uk/Teva-Womens-Original-Braided-Ankle-Strap/dp/B00PRVRRGW/ref=sr_1_33?s=gateway&keywords=suede+teva+sandals&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1555399453&sr=8-33.

botemp · 16/04/2019 09:15

I'm a bit Sad about the Notre Dame. There are plenty, and arguably better, examples of French Gothic cathedrals in France but it's still such a loss. The way the light flittered in through the stained glass at the right time of day was always uniquely special. Sigh.

So escape rooms are a gaming thing originally? I'm more confused about them now, but I'll probably still be abstaining if they're ever part of any future meet up 😬

Good score on the pewter trainers, quirky.

I'm always in two minds about summer clothing, I don't really want to spend big on them as their use is so limited here and I'm not one for hot destinations, but then I always begrudge the lower quality stuff I settle on. Also hate the lasts a season mentality, especially shoes. Then to add to the confusion, this time of year is also the only time I like what Zara and Mango are offering. Did try on some nice summer things at Cos at the weekend, need to blur myself out of pics and will post later. Materials were very nice for the high street, actually they were really nice regardless. Plenty of high end diffusion lines aren't that great with summer materials either.

Teva sandals do seem to be having a bit of a moment. They've been a bit of a fashion crowd under the radar thing (like Uniqlo used to be) but now they seem to be everywhere, including a lot of high end versions that are clearly inspired by. It's just another after those fashion wellies I've forgotten the name of, crocs, uggs, etc. moments.

OP posts:
botemp · 16/04/2019 09:31

Also, if anyone is still on the hunt for some leather leggings, there's a lovely pair from Joseph in the Stylebop last items sale, dark green size Fr38, it's a further 40% off.

www.stylebop.com/en-nl/women/leather-leggings-289454.html

OP posts:
XingMing · 16/04/2019 09:43

Sad about Notre Dame too, but grateful it wasn't Chartres! Very glad to see some of France's wealthiest making handsome donations, and it will be good if it ends up revitalising France's architectural restoration craft skill base. So often when we've visited important ancient monuments, like Carcassone, essential repairs look bodged, with breeze blocks and cheap cement, carried out by untrained apprentices on day release schemes!

quirkychick · 16/04/2019 09:45

I've just been reading the BBC report on Notre Dame Sad. Such an iconic cathedral, though.

I've noticed lots of high end versions of tevas too.

quirkychick · 16/04/2019 09:47

Xing Chartres is very beautiful, agreed. I wonder how the restoration works could have caused it, that sounds a bit dubious.

botemp · 16/04/2019 09:55

The French building trade isn't the best, a lot of skills die with the last few craftsmen and IME the general teade don't take that much notice of building regs but I assume this was accidental.

I am curious how the very handsome donations will play in France's current political climate. One family is donating a €100 million, which is very generous but they can obviously easily spare it and that might smart. Not sure how the gilets jaunes will respond to that.

OP posts:
XingMing · 16/04/2019 09:58

To steal the joke on another thread, someone has a hunch!

And all it takes to start a fire is someone to have been careless around flammable materiel. A welding spark, or a stray butt end.

Some of the high end Tevas are good, in a jolie-laide style, but I bought sandals last year so shall probably sit this year out. The pewter trainers above were a good choice; once up a time I had bronze FitFlop trainers that went with everything. When the soles eventually fell apart, I mourned them for weeks, but could only find a replacement in serviceable but dull navy.

XingMing · 16/04/2019 10:04

There's an AIBU thread suggesting that the 300m euros already donated by two families should be used to relieve poverty instead of restoring buildings. I tend to disagree: cultural symbols like Notre Dame are part of French identity and while poverty is harsh on those enduring it, the sum of a society must be greater than its individual members.

CatherineMaitland · 16/04/2019 10:13

That's my problem with summer clothes/shoes - I wear them so little, they just don't wear out fast enough. I don't suppose I've worn the sandals I bought last year more than 15 times.

ToElleWithIt · 16/04/2019 10:34

I like escape rooms, they’re more puzzles and problem solving and less physical activity though so I’d just dress for the afternoon tea bit. When I did one we were competing against another team and I am fairly competitive, so maybe that’s why it appealed. I think that the shirt dress suggestion is good or if it’s a little cooler how about jeans, plus silk cami and shirt. That’s what I wore to the last one I went to on the back of good advice here. I don’t know if there’s any chance you’ll end up in a bar, but at least if you do then you can take off the shirt for a more evening look.

I would never have identified those strappy Tevas as such; I quite like them. Also like the braided ones quirky, again I wouldn’t have thought that they were Teva. I think that the pewter high tops are a great buy, you’ll get loads of wear out of those. Also thanks for the Etsy link; I’ll definitely consider when my AGs are due to be replaced.

Very sad to see Notre Dame in such condition. It’s quite scary how quickly the blaze appears to have taken hold.

red Do you have a straight on photo of the trousers?

feses up may have bought the leather leggings, just on approval to see how they look with the forest green knit I bought in Antwerp and the green stories silk shirt – maybe I’ll look like a pine tree. I still haven’t found my black ones despite emptying my wardrobes for the move. I may have to accept that they’re lost.

I’m not a big summer clothes buyer, I love looking, but I can’t wear really summery things to work so we’re really talking about 2 weeks of holiday and maybe 6 nice weekends per year where they could even potentially get worn.

ToElleWithIt · 16/04/2019 10:43

meant to add a "Thanks" to botemp for the heads up.

botemp · 16/04/2019 10:50

Elle 🙈 I did consider just PMing you about them but I'm always mindful of my mother's comments that I'm far too good at spending other people's money for them. If you are going for the full pine forest look, the bag we were discussing previously is available in a green patent at the price you were looking for at Labellov. I'll be in Antwerp for the sample sales early next month so could have a look for you, if needed.

Xing, I'm not in favour of telling anyone what they can and can't do with their own money and not everyone with money is actively dodging taxes so really don't consider it any of my business what they spend it on, whether that benefits anyone or none. But I can definitely see the optics becoming problematic, no family names mentioned afaik, with good reason.

OP posts:
ToElleWithIt · 16/04/2019 11:16

I'm really hoping for that one in a taupe, brown or black. I like green, but I want a neutral I think. I put in an offer on one on Vestiare in Brick. I'll hold out for the right one.

botemp · 16/04/2019 11:59

Yes, had assumed green wasn't what you wanted. By brick you mean the brownish one, right? The brick red is the worst colour to buy as it marks more than others.

Vestiaire made a big song and dance recently about lowering their commission but I can't tell the difference Confused

OP posts:
ToElleWithIt · 16/04/2019 13:17

Correct - it's very much brown, but I think brick is the official name. Very similar if not the same as the colour of my trotteur. I don't know the official name of that one because I bought it second hand. It, by the way, was an absolute steal as it was listed on the website as "salmon" and the photograph made it look pink, but the shop was local so I was able to see it in person.

Swipe left for the next trending thread