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.

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Favoured Parisian addresses:

Second Hand Shops

Outlets

Favoured London addresses:

Charity Shops, Dress Agencies, and Outlets

Favoured NYC addresses:

Consignment shops, Vintage, and Restaurants

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Previous threads:

Un Deux Trois Quatre Cinq
Six Sept Huit Neuf

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

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

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I like the colours of your jumper Bani

I’ve enjoyed looking at moodboards on Reddit but I can’t define myself like that - in fact I never can, I think that is better done in the eye of the beholder! Can’t do personality quizzes either. I prefer to look at people whose style/clothes I admire and see what I can copy. I suppose I could pick an aspirational adjective ... like “poised”. But tbf I settle for “not wrinkley”.

Thank you Red, I like the colours too! They’re more grey then green I think, which might be less appealing though. I’m immediately breaking my resolution - I don’t LOVE this jumper, but I’m still considering keeping it.

At the moment I'd describe the way I dress a lot of the time as 'androgyny for the short and curvy'. But I don't think I really have a signature. I admire people who do but I'm too fickle and get bored too easily to stick to one myself.

My number one style crush is probably Katharine Hepburn but I love the Grace Kelly look too. although most of the time it's too high maintenance for me.

My two favourite designers are Margaret Howell and Vivienne Westwood.

Soz - But I don't think I really have a signature style.

I think I have a mish mash of different things I like. I don't know if that means I have a signature style or I'm just confused . Off the top of my head, things I like are drapey/asymmetric styles, chunky boots, tweed, velvet, linen, silk, knits, lots of neutrals and basics with some colour or something more dramatic, accessories... I'm maybe just mixed up.

I would say you had your own distinctive look quirky - even though I've never met you - but when I think of you I see fabrics, particularly tweeds and silk, rather than any one specific style.

thank you, flo. I would say you do too with cool, curved trousers, tweed, jackets. Perhaps it's hard to see in ourselves, I probably just put it as stuff I like.

On signatures, I think mine is classic aged arrested development tomboy, certainly in the cold months.

I decided this morning that I would buy a pair of the Shoe Embassy heels I liked last week, went to click... and they are sold out. Bah! Another sale purchase was a slouchy winter sports/Scandi B/W knit (can you tell I'm making up for my year of restraint?) but made the mistake of showing it to DS, and offering to lend for a week as he's off skiing tomorrow. Big mistake: he's snaffled it and I am going to have to recover it by stealth.

Haha it’s very flattering of him though!

I spent the morning listening to a Swedish radio programme about Greta Garbo’s anti-conformist (lesbian) style and how it drove the film studios mad. Interesting!

Yesterday, I think I was (Tom Baker era) Doctor Who crossed with the Artful Dodger. Old,
velvet coat with oversized scarf, baker boy hat and long lace up boots . I was warm, though.

I think we could find the most ridiculous labels for style. I like the arrested development tomboy. I certainly have elements of that and my murky past as a teenage punk/goth/hippy/indie kid sometimes shows itself in elements such as studs on a bag, silver jewellery, vintage second hand stuff etc.

Been really interesting reading your responses on your clothing styles. Thank you 😊

@viennesewhirls I didn't realise reddit had mood boards. They seem better than Pininterest's? Thanks for that tip too.

xing maybe wasn’t meant to be , the shoes I mean and the Scandinavian garment obviously was meant for your son!
My DS has now shoe size nearing mine and judging by his choice in trainers I can see myself tempted in ‘borrowing my his!!
He will not be very impressed as a pre-teen

Well today I did my biggest shopping since my new clothes (and very little second hand) curfew 6 months ago.
The new stuff is purely functional as I genuinely needed warm layers for my skiing trip in a few weeks time, so I got a warm underlayer top and a fleece thing which is ridiculously soft and warm and not bulky. I got them in the anual ski sample sale they do in my town so chuffed to bits as they are proper good quality but will come handy for years (I hope).

Then I went to my local dress agency and got a pair of black wool Joseph trousers (£12) , this was meant to be a buy I was prepared to get new (for work) but I saw this and decided that I wouldn’t pay full or even sale price and this was in perfect condition.
A crappy photo attached and the old bulk is my poor attempt to tuck in to see the shape but I had a very bulky top.
Then I got this See by Chloe denim top which has an interesting silhouette, I tried it and it has an understated safe feel (is that a thing?!) I think a double denim look will look good. Photo attached but very creased.

Also saw this pair of M&S collection trousers in size 10 but they were a tad big on me (I would say they are a large 10), the fit and material were great though, a low waist and reminded me of bloomed and her quest for low waist trousers.
I think with trainers and t-shirt / jumper will look great.

Sorry red, hate to be the bad news bear but your DS will poach your favourite trainers and everything else that fits if he's anything like mine. It's worse than flat sharing.

red really like the cut of those Joseph wool trousers. I lost a crazed ebay bidding war for similar last year. Very good find. I think I remember admiring the See by Chloe tops before. I think you'll find it very useful. The M&S Collection trousers are a good cut and I wonder if they're similar to their Freya trousers. I have them in black and camel now, slightly oversized for slouch.
Depending on medication I'm fluctuating between an 8 and 14 at the moment so my idea to do a no spend on clothes this year (I managed to buy no makeup or beauty products in 2019 apart from sunblock) probably won't last.

Oh something to look forward to xing

I am not sure if those are similar to the Freya trousers bloomed.
Good on you for doing a year of no buy on beauty. My no buy on clothes lasted 6 months and not an easy ride for me, although probably easier than I anticipated initially.

As I've become more picky with fabrics I'm naturally going towards second-hand clothes anyway, so hopefully shouldn't do too badly this year. The no spend makeup year was interesting as I realised I'd often been chasing a slightly better texture/ formulation, which made no discernible difference in real life. And e.g. I can make pretty much any shade of lipstick if I mix what I have. I'm not sure if I'll buy much this year. I may need a good contour and I'm trying to remember a tinted sunscreen recommended on here.
The freya trousers don't work for everyone as I think the pockets can stick out if you buy them in a figure hugging size but they're useful for me at the moment.
I'm about to do a wardrobe declutter as I can't find anything.

I like the trousers and the top, red. Great finds. My toast trousers have arrived and are very nice, slouchy but not too much and fit my wide legged but slightly tapered remit. I will try to post a pic later in the week, after dcs back at school and I've caught up with myself post Christmas.

My last pair of skinnies have died, navy skinny chinos that literally ripped across the knee. So, I might be on the lookout for another slim pair of jeans or trousers.

Popping in to say happy new year to you all. Baby Festiva is now 10.5 months and I’m back to work in a week, so I hope to be a lot more present on this thread in 2020.
Am looking forward to having the opportunity to wear nice clothes again!

My 12-yo developed a keen interest in cool shoes just as his feet happened to be the same size as his very shoe-savvy older sister. He did a lot of faux nonchalant asking if she still liked those sneakers or...?

Red, good finds! So lucky to find good basics second hand! I’m having no luck at all recently, very annoying.

So going back to work Maxima! Cannot believe time flies!! Baby was only a few weeks old that time in our meet up for the V&A 😀
Is always a nice to look forward to wearing nice clothes

I am very very lucky as my local dress agency has a few regular clients who are my same size / owner seems to get samples which I also tend to be sample size.
My other new buy with my xmas money is going to be pyjamas, I am tired of the rags I currently have. I might have time after work, I read a few people rating cyberjamies, anyone with experience on it?
Might pop in JL / Selfridges.
Any suggestions welcome.

I wish I had your dress agency Red. My local one is excellent too but I'm terrified she's going to sell up and retire soon. Can't help with Cyberjammies I'm afraid but they do look nice.

Good to see you Maxima You've reminded me of the time my son was very small and I went into work in my pyjama top and didn't notice till lunchtime.

Flo