Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: Ce n'est pas bon de faire du lèche-vitrines avec de l'argent en poche

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Lovers of Parisian style and fashion with a conscious mindset and lots of chatter in between. Feel free to join in

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Second Hand Shops

Outlets

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Charity Shops, Dress Agencies, and Outlets

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Consignment shops, Vintage, and Restaurants

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Merch in celebration of our tenth (previous) thread:

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

This is the vintage silk scarf I have been wearing today. I think I paid £1 in the market

Thanks for thinking of me darlings - my sore throat was gone the next day thankfully so I spent the Friday wfh and am back to normal now. Yesterday we did our bit for local economy and ate out actually. The attitude in general here is very reasonable and not as panicky as it seems to be in the UK. I might be in a bit of a bubble, granted (and after all the shops are all out of toilet paper here too), but people seem to be carrying on fairly much as usual but with less out-and-about-edness. Children are at school which is a huge help of course, keeps them busy and lets the rest of us work. Sadly I suspect people are already getting bored with being good and distancing, things are still very slow down town for example but I thought I detected more people out (I was buying a birthday cake).

I was listening to a podcast today with one of Sweden's top media doctor people (Agnes Wold) who mentioned that one thing that can protect from disease is breathing through your nose, since your nose is designed to help filter out crap. So shut up a bit and breath through your nose in other words instead of wearing face masks, haha.

I was indeed shot down in for a tongue-in-cheek comment the other day, and decided to not snipe back and be The Bigger Person because clearly the English are not coping well. ;) But I didn't take a break as such, I just couldn't be arsed to type on my phone for a bit.

Fashion wise I still hate my clothes. Didn't I half promise my Stella McCartney trousers to someone? Well I'm reneging on that. I put an elastic into the back of them to hold in the excess and I'm wearing them now. Am bloody desperate and I do love the swish. Am going to but a half-elastic into more things.

Am seeing a few skirts over trousers in shops (virtual shops). Remember I was first. Not as stylish, but first.

Still worried (more concerned, rather) about the economy in the long run and feel a bit as though we should hold on to our money in case jobs go etc (paradoxically thus killing the economy). Am dying to buy things though.

Bo, I wanted a pic of the shoes on your feet! ;)
Red, your scarf is very pretty.

Very classy non-response, bani, whereas I would take 'em out which, as we know, is why I failed that peace envoy interview. Glad you're feeling better.

Here are the dyed Whistles barrel leg jeans if anyone's interested. Should really have done before and after pics for full effect. They came out a lighter shade than on the pack cos of all the yellow but I'm fine with that. I've always liked the shape so very pleased to get them,

I've decided this is my chance to wear all those clothes I like but are too impractical for normal life. So I spent the weekend in pavement grazing wide legs and today I'll probably wear those cropped wool trousers I was bemoaning.

Ah yes, letting snotty responders think you never saw their post is the best form of revenge 👍

MN had definitely lost its sense of humour, granted from the outside looking into the UK, I can sort of understand. Our supermarkets seem to be somewhat well stocked again and all the hoarders are feeling a tad embarrassed about themselves like the good Calvinists they are after our PM announced we have enough toilet paper in the country to poop for the next ten years 💩 (I am not the poo troll but Bani may be a foot fetishist asking for a pic of my feet )

I wonder if the cold weather is helping contain the spread somewhat in Scandinavia, Bani, not the actual weather but you lot are more used to holing up for almost half the year and entertaining yourselves with scary homemade brew so social isolation isn't as much of an ask? I suspect the first sign of nice weather and you lot will be in trouble. People seem to be really struggling with not socialising here, when I'm out doing grocery shopping on my own I'm horrified with the level of desperation of some men trying to make some form of contact.

Well I like the nose breathing being the way to go (I have an irrational dislike of mouth breathers ) but I do think my vague symptoms are pointing to mild (hopefully) c-word so not sure how sound the theory is as I'm a lifelong avid nose breather.

I'm still contemplating what to buy, forgot Wolf and Badger is also a marketplace of lots of independents. I do want to be considered about it as I don't want to order and then return as that's a lot more costly for small businesses.

Trousers came out really well, Flo, looks like something you'd be paying full price for now. I've had similar thoughts of pulling out the impractical and unworn but I've got two sets of very high stairs that I go up and down frequently so impractical footwear is kind of a risk, as are too long trousers and dresses. I don't want to end up doing a Laura Ashley (or is that some urban myth and did she just die of less suspicious causes?).

Ironically I was JUST listening to a radio programme about Laura Ashley and they did say she tumbled down the stairs! Not that she dies of it directly though she just never recovered properly. Am wearing my green Laura Ashley blouse today.

Glad to hear I'm classy, I just thought I couldn't be arsed. ;)

Trousers look good, Flo, much better than I expected!

Hope it's not C, Bo. This is the time of year in Sweden when the sun cmoes out and the Swedes with it, so a tricky time of year. We're so sparsely populated though I think that makes it easier to keep a distance. It's seldom really packed outside of Stockholm.

Well I only meet the criteria of the mildest symptoms and I'd be in my toughest days ATM which aren't all that tough. I'm definitely way more tired and need more sleep than usual, so not sure, if this is it I'm not at all opposed to getting a 'been there, done that, got the antibodies t-shirt'.

Poor Laura Ashley, I'm assuming the part that she tumbled because her heel got stuck in her (of own design) dress hem is the fantasy bit though?

I read this very interesting piece in the Financial Times (it's free to read) this weekend. It discusses the relationship between experts, public and governments in current global politics and what its effects could be long term. WRT Sweden being able to manage well, I think a part of it is also the level of trust that exists between government and public, there's a lot more of that in the Scandi and other Northern European countries.

It's quite a contrast between Johnson's speech last night where like a teacher who has lost complete control of his class he's yelling at everyone they must behave stay at home and then infantalising the public with what feel like punishing rules that from a quick glance of the active boards is already causing great confusion and self styled exemptions because surely that doesn't apply to them and their dog.

We had similar limiting measures imposed on us here until the first of June (boohoo no birthday party for me this year, more concerning it's closed all building sites that were still going so there's really not a lot of projects left for me to work on) but it's not a lockdown. It was explained very cogently with a lot of details and expressed a great amount of trust in us, the public, that we are capable of doing it together rather than it being enforced by police and assuming everyone is up to no good. They'll be concerning themselves with the few idiots who think nothing applies to them as no matter what measures you take they'll exist, and handing out very hefty fines (€400 for individuals €4000 for businesses).

I wish Shakespeare were still around because there is something mesmerising in watching Johnson achieve the thing he wanted all his life - and shafted his friends to win - only to see it turn to shit in his hands. I just don't have the language to describe it. Nevertheless I don't think we have any choice but to hope he can pull it off. Surprised there are so few calls in the UK for a coalition government given the circumstances. Stay well.

I'm still confused about what Johnson has always wanted, to be Churchill and the Hulk? If it's just to be remembered as a great statesman surely he knows that's never been on the cards? He's an odd man but surely not that delusional? There was a Hadley Freeman column about lessons from disaster movies at the weekend, apparently Johnson said in 2006 the mayor in Jaws (who lets everything go to shit) was the true hero of the movie, take that as you will...

He is a very strange man with, by all accounts, no moral compass. And he is in charge. I cannot tell you how weird it is to watch him having to act the statesman, unable to reach for his usual jokes or funny long words. Karma doesn't begin to cover it. I am finding it fascinating, which is probably just me trying to distract myself but he's as good a subject as any.

Yes he is, I'm bored of Trump, Johnson at least allows for much study and speculation. Is he just a posh breeding experiment gone wrong, is he that incompetent or is he just pretending to be incompetent and secretly really dastardly. Is it all real or an act. So many questions left unanswered. This can really only be settled by one person, Princess Anne.

Ha ha that made me laugh! We can only pray he has hidden depths and rises to the occasion, like Bruce Willis did in Die Hard. (I must have read the same column as you!)

Was Bruce Willis in Die Hard the one who got back together with his ex wife at the end, because that does sound very much like Johnson...

Makes note to watch The Fifth Element for the fashion.

Yes except his current partner is pregnant so spinning that would be a struggle. And which ex?

I am marking my first day in lockdown in my favourite Toast funny trousers and a plaid shirt I bought in New York a lifetime and a half ago.

Maybe with all the secret children he's trying to be the next François Mitterrand now? Totally worked for France, bagged himself a very nice library in the process.

Tbh I'd be completely unsurprised if he turns out to be that person that somehow manages to start a new affair whilst in full lockdown, it would hardly be a scandal at this point really.

Maybe John Crace has been listening in - admittedly he posted it last night but truth is the first casualty etc:
www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/23/boris-johnson-uk-lockdown-coronavirus-covid-19-john-crace

I particularly liked: Imagine a person who has built his entire career on being economical with the truth having to implore everyone to trust him.
Or All his life Boris has wanted to be Churchill. Now he has met his Dunkirk

The trouble is, we can skewer him all we like but, in the UK, he's still all we've got.

Nah, you have a whole team of highly educated experts who actually know what they're doing and a finger wagging WHO to pull you up if they fear it's getting out of hands well before it does.

At this point Johnson really is just a lead singer that lip syncs, albeit poorly. And in all fairness to Johnson, it's a rather large ask to suddenly be able to unite the country/union into consensus and cooperation when it's been extremely polarised for the past four years. That promise on the side of a bus might come in quite handy right about now though.

That is true. And there is such a temptation to go, 'nerr nerr nerr' at him but, apart from giving us all a good laugh, it helps no-one.

I dropped out of the thread for a while, but am back! And the isolation is clearly getting to me as I’m wondering about ordering a pair of Lucy & Yak dungarees to spend the next few months of working from home in... I think they could be described as insouciant if worn with the right degree of je ne sais quoi?

🙈 admittedly they can look good on the right person, but that's never been me, I seem to resemble a dangling dumpling in a baby carrier in them. Managed to pull it off as a child though. I do have a dungaree mini dress and that's perfectly fine, works great over a chunky jumper and a load of other things and actually a lot comfier and easier to use the toilet with.

BTW is Lucy & Yak the new Hush now? It's all over MN all of a sudden.

Lucy & Yak does seem to have replaced Boden and Hush as the brand du jour.

I was hoping for a trip to Paloma Wool in Barcelona while on holiday after DNephew's nuptials but all that has been postponed now. I rather fancied this jacket but without trying it in real life, I CBA to pay the postage and return costs so will almost certainly pass.

Liberty's carries quite a selection of Paloma Wool. It'll probably be Pounds for Euros but there's probably a discount of 10 or 15% going round.

Paloma wool, I was browsing in Liberty’s that the other day.
Here is a link I am just looking at about the museo Frida Kahlo that appears in vogue link
I am enjoying the images and colour combinations, quite a bit of blue, red and green.

I enjoyed that too Red - great colours. I must must must start wearing more colour again, and be more adventurous - now there is only MrFlo to see my mistakes I have even less excuse,

I like that jacket Xing. It's very you although, as you say, probably not worth the hassle of ordering unseen at the moment. I think you should wear the Perry Ellis suit on the day that would have been your nephew's wedding and then post a pic

Hope everyone and everyone's loved ones are keeping well.

Weird I was coming on here to post about the new Uniqlo Collab with Anna Sui (kind of forgot about her ) that launched today, which is very colourful. Shapes aren't flattering to me, I do really like this blouse but it won't work for me, definitely can see it work for you Red.

Frida Kahlo museum looks wonderful, shame they don't mention the architect Juan O'Gorman, he was very influential on Mexican architecture.

I've also been eyeing up this H&M studio dress on vinted (NWT) which would look quite at home in Frida Kahlo museum. Normally I'd talk myself out of it as it's so scantily cut it only really works as resort wear but being stuck indoors offers a whole new wealth of opportunities. Not sure if the shape will work for me and I'd most likely need to take it in but not sure how much and how it would impact the bottom. I've found two pics of it from the campaign and it's in movement in both so I'm none the wiser. But surely if you owned this you wouldn't leave it to linger in your cupboard for years unworn if there was nothing wrong with it...