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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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

Dix

Merch in celebration of our tenth (previous) thread:

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

Xing, I've read it but not sure if it's the article you meant? Either it's already obvious to me or I'm missing the point? I'm well aware that 60+ isn't one homogeneous mass, and I don't want any confined to rabbit hutches regardless of circumstances.

The Dutch approach to architecture and urban planning sets itself apart to much international acclaim by being heavily underpinned by sociology. As a result the elderly are still catered to and recognised as productive members of society that need to remain part of that social fabric and not isolated away from it. There's a heavy emphasis that our society is not an organic thing and it is what we make of it, so very political as well (we even have an Elderly Party). We engineered the existence of this country with dykes and we continue to 'engineer' society (crudely translated as a makeable society). It's a helpful approach because we as architects don't stand alone in these decisions and unilaterally make these decisions, we're not that powerful.

If you leave it to just the market as an architect you do what they pay you to do and make it to their demands and budget, and if those are solely economically motivated it's not hard to imagine what that looks like.

Different topic, had anyone spotted some interesting fashion face masks yet?

I was ignoring them as we won't need them, only on public transport and that's supposed to be for essential journeys only so won't be making use of that, probably. These, however, from Mirae popped up in my inbox, made from remnant fabrics and proceeds go to charity and I was surprised by their cheery character and how I suddenly wanted one, if I ever need one.

I know some of the big fashion brands are making them for hospital staff. It's quite sweet, in Belgium, the brand Natan (very ladylike, does a lot of couture work for the Belgian and Dutch Queens) makes them and adds a little label and the hospital staff are so pleased with them, never did they think they'd ever own something by Natan.

I am becoming quite curious as a result what the masks will do for fashion. The Off White one seems very popular, probably because it's quite affordable and recognisable. It could be the new perfume for brands, ie. low cost items to buy into a brand.

Marine Serre already had them in previous collections that were very post apocalyptic wasteland but the dreariness doesn't feel right for these times somehow.

An Indonesian facebook friend of mine has a clothes business and she’s making masks (I’ve written about her before) m.facebook.com/190502507644951/photos/a.694247903937073/3494389393922896/?type=3

Other than that I haven’t noticed much really apart from funny ones (cartoons etc).

Btw, where are you watching the sewing bee Bo?

I kind of don't want to come across anyone wearing the Indonesian face masks at night 😬 they have a bit of a Día de Los Muertos aesthetic about them (which I adore but it freaks me out at the same time).

It sometimes shows up on YouTube and I then just subscribe to that channel. Last one hasn't popped up though so possibly they've been shut down I'll check the torrents and see if they have it

I think we actually have BBC in our TV package, I just never watch TV enough to know for sure 🤷 (regular scheduled stuff, that is, I'm not some anti TV snob. I watch plenty of nonsense. Finished Shtisel though, it was brilliant but I wanted more, 3rd season is going to take forever as they're supposed to film this year so I've gone back to the questionable K dramas that neatly wrap everything up in one season).

Ah see I haven’t mastered torrents. I’ve had the same problem with YouTube (so I gave up). Maybe I should ask a torrent master sshhhhh for help...

Forgot to ask previously, have you become a patron of the overpriced charity shop yet or is this now a painful question and I do I need to shhhut up about it?

I found it on the torrents btw

I told youse upthread that I bought the dress 😬 I’ll be laundering it today. If nothing else it’s 350 to charity which I can afford, clearly ... I am already a patron of the shop, albeit very erratically since it is overpriced. They had a centrally placed “outlet” a few years ago where everything was priced uniformly and I always found really good a try of there, don’t know why they didn’t deem it worthy to sell in the proper shops. Seldom find anything in this one now. And frankly I think that if you’re prepared to charge a bit more you could have a return policy over say three days so I could try things on at home and mull it over.

Am watching the sewing bee on YouTube now found a good source. 😁 Why does it never come on Netflix?

I rather like the weird face masks, especially the matchy matchy ones, plus I've just been on a thread about jowls and these could be just the thing perhaps?

Fingers crossed for the dress bani. I agree if they're selling at a more commercial price (which I can quite understand) they should do refunds too.

I'll look for the FT article Xing. Future housing is starting to prey on my mind I must confess.

I thought that was an intention to buy the dress Bani not a "I bought the dress let's do a Snoopy dance". Have you tried it on back to front yet? Just tell me it was a terrible idea already 😝

I think Netflix only has a deal with C4 for all their fluff programs and then a development deal for original series with BBC. It's confusing anyhow.

Wasn't there a whole face bra thingy in Allie McBeal? That definitely has face jowls in its visor. Tbh I never notice jowls on people, is this just one of those things you notice when you have them yourself?

Probably, and then once you have them, you start to notice them on other people too. They bug me far more than wrinkles, but not enough to try a face bra, let alone facial exercises - avoiding polo necks and dangly earrings is as far as I'm prepared to go.

I confused you with my irish grammar ;)

I didn’t try it on back to front because it has a massive split, and I dislike front splits so I’d never wear it like that. I will survive.

It's really interesting on future housing Flo. We have been mulling it over ever since Evelyn Rothschild and his missus won the Grand Designs build of the year with their retirement property two or three years ago, with the thoughtfulness and sheer beauty of the house, and have been considering ever since what we could do to mimic their design, albeit without an equal budget.

And this morning, DH said: I'm not sure about moving from this house anytime soon. But because it's versatile space, and quite a decent size, I can see how a talented architect might be able to remodel it horizontally to two family occupation, as long as we could resolve the plumbing and foul water issues. (We only have micro-bore plumbing on the lower level, and no soakaway/septic tank so the ground work would be complex, plus access for a mini digger is not easy -- and there is no way on earth that we could dig it out by hand, but there's enough ground to do it.) No immediate decisions needed and of course it depends totally on DS's plans.

I’d like to report that I think I got the stains out of the dress 👍🏻

I also want to post a picture of the colours I’m wearing today. Wool trousers from Arket (because the weather today was arctic again badaboomtish) and silk top. Jumper because freezing.

Well done Bani for keeping the thread spirit alive and channeling the colour mood board I posted awhile back. I'm rather disappointed in myself in finding out how much I dress for the outside world and less for myself as I am seriously not putting in much effort, you're putting me to shame 🙈

Now that the stains are out, can we finally do the Snoopy dance?

Jowl talk, I must admit I had kind of forgotten what good plastic surgery looked like with fillers and Botox reigning supreme these days. But there's been lots of hospital bosses/leader of the hospital board types on TV here (always women for some reason) and they've always known exactly which plastic surgeon to see for which procedure and it shows I'm supposed to be one of those people that wouldn't ever consider it, but they looked really good. Not in an oh my god they look so young, just ridiculously good for their age.

I know, I'm immensely proud of myself. Although I fear if I did the Snoopy dance I'd damage something Feel free though.

Post some pics of good vs bad jowl surgery. I'm feeling awfully ugly so could do with something aspirational.

I get the impression that jowl work has taken over from Botox for those in the know and in the money. I'm certainly seeing more pics of celebs showing off their crinkly eyes and pointy chins. I'd never deny it can look good if done well, even if it's only till the next symptom comes along (and that never stops). However no-one with a scalpel is getting anywhere near my jugular (unless I need a tracheotomy).

Love those colours bani. I often forget how effective a flash of colour can be in between trousers and jumper.

The good plastic surgeons do not seem to be advertising on the internet and I failed to remember any names of hospital boss ladies I can Google. Soz. But I think this is easily solved, declare yourself a cat and suddenly you're ridiculously adorable

Kittens 🙄😉

Flo
I often forget how effective a flash of colour can be in between trousers and jumper.

You are right, so now I’m a bit miffed that I didn’t have that. I wore the jumper because I was freezing and it’s too big for any of the top to show underneath 😩

Nice colours, bani.

The closest I have come to sewing is mending. A hem on some trousers and a couple of fine merino jumpers at the seams. I used to use my mum's sewing machine as a teenager and adapt clothes from the charity shop. No pattern, nothing. No idea how I did it, but quite a few of us did. Usually, making a mini skirt out of fabric I liked.

I've fallen down a tailoring wormhole I found a book on Vintage Couture Tailoring and it's an engrossing read and suddenly I think I can make a beautiful tailored coat. Hear me out, I'm actually quite a competent hand sewer, I even got complimented on it by a milliner when I did a hat making course as I had the patience and precision for it. It's machines I struggle with as you're kind of submitting to the machinery that delivers so-so results imo. So lots of hand stitching and a few straight lines on a machine and I suddenly think I can do it. Have also been engrossed by this series of videos, suddenly it all makes sense how things get the shape they get and not become so 'flacid', modern interfacing just isn't the same.

I'm still waiting on my supplies but once they've arrived (hopefully this week) and I've made my previous planned toiles. I'm going to attempt some experiments with tailoring. I found one local supplier of the horse hair canvas interface but I'm probably going to need less stiff versions from Italy for anything final. I've also discovered the most amazing fabric shop in Paris (whilst searching for this canvas in Europe) just around the corner from Sezane, how have I missed it? It has loads of quality fabrics for tailoring as well as vintage fabrics dating back to the 40s. Normally they trade online too but currently that part is closed down Lafayette Saltiel Drapiers.

Quirky when I was in my teens I learned how to make a tube skirt by buying tube ribbing and just pulling it on - no hemming or sewing necessary. I think we had lower standards, that's how we managed.

Bo, I do well believe that hand-sewing might be your thing. I am absolutely terrible at it (no patience, no precision), but have also read the tutorials and watched the videos and they are seductive. I have to remind you that some of the machine stitches will be curved not just straight . Adjust accordingly. Don't forget to watch the videos on how to press, too.

Am amused at how many of the French fabric shops suppliers are British

So what's the weather like on your end? Snowing here. The big thick Irish wool jumper came out. Picture in next post.

Green Arket trousers and wool jumper

By straight stitching I meant more the stitch type (probably not the correct term), I can deal with a bit of curve, even managed a circle with my heated bonnet. It's the other stitching types on my machine that I eye warily. I'd much rather make a button hole by hand than settle for the subpar thing that comes out of my machine that I usually need to redo seven hundred times as the thread gets stuck underneath in the underneath thingy and breaks many a needle I can handle a blind hem on the machine but I get much nicer results by hand. It's probably not helped that my mother taught me how to use a machine and she wasn't all that knowledgeable (she insisted blue in the face a seam allowance is always 2.5cm ) so I'm guessing most of the time of how to use it with the tension and the length of the stitch, etc. I do also suspect my machine just doesn't handle thick fabrics well (or I probably need extra accessories) or very small stitches (like the ones you need for a button hole, but it could also be the settings issue that's down to me).

Yeah it's funny, it's all quite traditional, wools are British, linens are Irish, Belgian, and Italian but they have to be woven in Italy. The horse hair stuff too. Cashmere, Scotland or Italy (origin obviously China/Mongolia). It's hardly moved forward at all. It's kind of nice except that I need to special order everything from all over at ridiculously high shipping prices. It's going to be a proper money pit (I've allocated my fun coat fund, it's sort of fun and there's a coat involved )

Sunny but on the cooler side this week (12-ish during the day 5-7 at night) previous weeks were very warm, from Friday it'll be warmer again and next week possibly above 25°.

I discovered that LARP shops might be a source of quite decent fabrics actually, and priced reasonably.

I had to wonder whether LARP was another Irish grammar thing but turns out it's something completely different (live action role playing). Was not aware they had specialty shops, rents are way too high here for something that niche in a brick and mortar store. I'm thinking of putting in an order with merchant & mills because the local shops have gone mad and there's isn't cotton to be found under €10 they seem to have a lot of overstock in at the moment, metermeter too. I'm wondering if that's down to Covid19.

Not clothes related but somewhat Parisian. In my wanderlust that's being curtailed by lockdowns I've started nostalgia cooking vacation food and am ridiculously pleased to have successfully replicated the bread from my favourite Parisian lobster roll place in my first attempt. It tastes like a happy memory, which is the best taste. I'm ridiculously proud and pleased (I'm rarely complimentary of my own cooking, so it's a big deal), and those who have been there (I know I recommended it to someone on here at least once and I dragged Elle there) will rightly be and know how magnificent that bread is (uninteresting salad to go along with it because: bread making)