Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: Be More Aunt Larry

[botemp]

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

---

Favoured Parisian addresses:

Second Hand Shops

Outlets

Favoured London addresses:

Charity Shops, Dress Agencies, and Outlets

Favoured NYC addresses:

Consignment shops, Vintage, and Restaurants

---

Previous threads:

Un Deux Trois Quatre Cinq
Six Sept Huit Neuf

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

We’re ten threads old! To celebrate we’ve got thread merch.

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Static images don’t even touch the impact, there is more of a sense of three-dimensionality to be found here than on the carefully sculptured silhouettes on the runways of the traditional fashion capitals. Unfortunately, I can’t link to an online available version but the documentary ‘Black Dandy: une Beauté Politique’ is a gorgeous lively insight into this all (hopefully it can be found on one of the streaming services) but a trailer can be found .

And just one more because she's ridiculously fabulous.

Oh, such a cute picture. I swoon!

Wow I love those images, especially the trousers in picture 4, they’re structurally amazing. Also the pattern mixing in image 7 is just chef’s kiss

Oh wow I love these, I love the vibrancy and playfulness combined with structure and formality of African (well, sub-Saharan) fashion. They did quite a good job of picking up on that in Black Panther, I felt - the best part of the film. I've seen at least parts of that documentary, it's really good and very interesting. It's worth being wary of "giving clothes to the poor people in Africa" since that practice kills the local production of clothing (why buy new and expensive when there are masses of cheap second-hand clothes around.)

My only problem with this style is that it is hard to incorporate into my wardrobe, as a white Westerner - I do feel like I'm wearing cultures as costumes and that is not a good look. There was a H&M collaboration there with SA brand Mantsho with some fun items, but the only thing I felt I could carry off would have been the mono-coloured trousers . I feel like I need some more cred for it. And I've never even been on the continent! I thought of dipping in with a wax print pencil skirt at some point maybe. There was a UK designer for a while who made some nice ones, but I never took the plunge.

I've never seen Black Panther but maybe I should for the clothes?

Thing is, though, wax print isn't African at all. It's all made in Helmond (literally the Hellmouth, I've always dreaded having to take the train with that as its final destination) here in the NL. They've been making it since the mid 19th century and it's just been stolen from Indonesia where it's known as Batik fabric. The whole thing would make a cultural appropriation SJW go cross eyed. But it's a highly desired cloth in Africa and it has a whole genuine Dutch stamp on it as it's a real prestige product and obviously it's what they do with the fabric that's more interesting. There was a documentary about Vlisco (the company) a while back but it's old and was in Dutch and I can't find it right now, but it was an interesting watch.

I know about the wax print from my days reading a lot of sewing blogs - it's very interesting in itself houw it's become a quintessential African fabric and there's some wise thoughts about colonialism to be had. I'll keep a look out for the documentary, it might turn up somewhere with subtitles.

Got stuck in a google wormhole and ended up on Afrikrea.com and fell in love with this pencil skirt and these trousers not to mention this jumpsuit.

There are articles about the clothes and general visual look of BP, you don't have to see the film ;) it won't appeal unless you like superhero smashysmash films.

Ooh I like the shape of the pencil skirt, that could be very flattering to my shape which pencil skirts aren't always.

I ran through Zara this evening on the lookout for Elle's shirt which was supposed to be in store but I couldn't find it. Found some Bottega Veneta chunky boots knock offs instead. I did quite like them but they are definitely out of my usual comfort zone and confusion about sizes stopped me from buying them then and there but it being Zara they'll sell out soon so I have to make up my mind quick, which I hate. Normal size way too big, size down still roomy, two sizes down fits but just and probably the size to get but fear of blisters. Trying to figure out what to wear them with too, besides skinny jeans. I also wished they came up a bit higher on the calf. Anyhow I've just been left about it all...

Thanks for the advent pics bo. Stunning images and colours but I also love the man in the suit and all the outrageous proportions in the second post. And the guy in the 4th post (I think?) wearing all those prints but in browns and neutral colours - definitely some inspiration there.

I like those Zara boots although having to go 2 sizes down sounds a bit off.

I normally go up a shoe size in Zara so technically it's a size down but I think it's a half size that I really need. I'm just weighing out just buying them and seeing if something better comes along within the returns period, or just accept that these aren't quite perfect and hope something else comes along and I don't regret not getting them. This is what I hate about fast fashion, I'd like to just take a bit of time and think before having to act.

It doesn’t sound like you love them enough Bo. Zara’s sizes are weird anyway so it’s not worth worrying about! Let them go I say. If you’re not sure about the style you can keep an eye out for them on eBay or similar.

Today’s wholesome advice was brought to you by rye crispbread and soy milk latte.

Leksands or Wasa? I always have the former (the sourdough variety) with breakfast too. Yes, I think letting them go is best, if I end up buying them they'll just sit there and stare at me demanding a decision and probably end up going back anyhow...

Although maybe my feet have shrunk, the Massimo Dutti boots surprisingly not as slouchy as I feared but also far too big and no possibility to exchange them, size down was already sold out when I purchased these so I'm not mourning anything.

Leksands. :D I don't bother with the sourdough because the taste wasnt that different and the normal stuff is cheaper. Normalgräddat par préférence, not brungräddat. I like the triangle shapes you see. Only Leksands have them. They taste better (am a child). Also it's baked in Sweden, Wasa moved abroad (a bit).

DAY 5 - DAY 5 - DAY 5

Get Shorty

Diversity at last, short women are no longer invisible. Well, you’d think that with the sudden spotting of shorter silhouetted women on the runway. Alas no, it is exactly that, a silhouette. So it’s the fashion equivalent of a really beautiful actress becoming ‘ugly’ for a role to win her Oscar. At the risk of being too cynical, none of that actually matters as this is signalling a strong change in the way fashion communicates as something not exclusive to the long and (very) lean.

And there’s definitely a point of interest in that which has long been overlooked, a silhouette that draws into the very flat soles of your feet, a shortened yet emphasised waist. Hips without pronunciation, it’s all mass from the flare of the waist down.

The design houses that vie for the (very) padded purse are the usual suspects of the Thinking Women with a penchant for style (with substance), The Row, Jil Sander, Bottega Veneta, Kwaiden Editions, Eudon Choi, Joseph, JW Anderson, etc. etc. Notably, Prada is entering this arena utilising noticeably tall Gigi Hadid for the exercise and she’s including the men’s collections in this too. Just to show everyone else up whilst she’s at it, as every few years Miuccia Prada does seem to enjoy making an entrance and laying it out for all to see. In other words, this will be around for a while and other menswear designers are quickly following suit.

It’s a nice change that for heaven forbid you were ever seen as short and dumpy, the horror The short (and slightly prone to looking dumpy) are finally seen as a new exciting silhouette. Speaking as a short (and prone to looking dumpy) person I had no idea I needed that and, accordingly, will refrain from crying cultural appropriation. For now.

They're all the same price here Bani although there's some weirdo who thinks it's a good business plan to sell the Leksands in Swedish packaging at 10 euros a pop in his speciality shop when they're one something in the supermarket I've always thought Wasa was a bit too cardboardy and a bit of a choking hazard. I like the Leksands triangles too unless a sharp edge pokes me in the cheek but I love the half-circle ones more for a pure bit of gluttony but I need to schlep over to Ikea for those and life's too short to be spending it at Ikea.

We get full circles here you know - they take up a lot of space though so I forgo them. From those you can break off the most irregular shapes that also taste better . 10 euros hahahah madness. I pay around a euro here too. The sourdough might be ten cents more sometimes. It feels faddy. Then there's a version made from beans that of course my husband is keen on because he falls for that short of shite - well he may buy it himself because it's about 50 cents more.

I do not believe they believe in the short and dumpy silhoutte if they're modelling it on tall people! That negates the dumpiness completey! Love the green coat in the last post though

Full circles 🤩

You can keep the beans though

The sourdough has more protein or fibres or both or something. Something extra in the nutritional value persuaded me and I generally digest sourdough better but I never had issues with the regular one, not all that convinced there's a lot of yeast in it.

I had to look this up now.

Sourdough has 58 g carbs , normal has 64.
Sourdough 23 g fiber, normal 21.
Sourdough has 10 g protein, normal 9.

So the difference is not great, but I do see that carb-sensitive people might benefit from the former. I feeel vindicated in saving my money though ;)

Yeah the bean one (with sweet potato) wasn't great. It tasted of it. Was okay, I'd eat it, but why bother. It has 14 g of protein and it wasn't worth it. Mr Bani of course tried to make out it was fantastic.

Round breads www.leksands.com/our-crispbread-category/round/ - to hang on a stick up under the ceiling you know '

Where is the green coat from? I now am also suffering from Acne trench envy. About a year ago Åhléns were selling off a green trechy coat they'd had. Only polyester, but a sort of spring weight that I found appealing. I only discovered it once on supersale and went in several times to try it on, but the one they had left wasn't really my size so I left it thinking it wasn't very practical anyway, not showerproof or anything etc.

Now I keep seeing it on people and kicking myself a bit.

Tunnbröd is a little different usually, it's the pale/white kind. I love that, slathered in butter... Very good. I rarely buy it though, it's so fragile and I just eat too much butter. If we ever organize a meet-up I'll bring you some of round crispbread and tunnbröd. ;) Very impressed you did the Skansen course, that's hardcore touristing that is.

There's always private messaging for secret shops! Elle did say it was previous collection so I was aware, I just hadn't heard the coat discussed so didn't know it was Acne. No, I meant the green coat in the Advent Calendar - is it the one we talked about before by whatsitcalled brand?

Ah yes, coat organising happened in secret chat 🙊 (maybe for the sake of everyone else on here the crispbread and Swedish bread appreciation should have gone on PM too, soz everyone) first pic of last post, it's by Eudon Choi but it's also a past collection. The infamous green blanket coat was by Raey.

Yes the tunnbröd was very nice with lots of butter they put some spices in the bread, I think something aniseedy which I'm not usually a fan of but the balance was right. IKEA sells tunnbröd in the freezer section but it's thick and not very nice at all. I've looked into buying the interesting rolling pins but they're quite expensive new, I'm sure they cost next to nothing in a Swedish charity shop.