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

I like the leather flip flops are they from Greece again? Linky please when they arrive. Sorry to hear about your toe

Your knitting colleague sounds very impressive. My mother loved to knit but I never got on with it. I did rediscover a whole bag full of amigurumi (sp? It's a Japanese form of crochet, very Kawaii) that we made together during her chemo period. Was lovely to find

We have a family situation about which I can do little but lie awake at night and worry so sorry if my posting gets a bit sporadic. Or then again I may post every hour.

Good luck with the sewing bo. I gave up on finding a pattern for for a shirt that was in stock, the right shape and didn't require shipping across the world and sent instead for this from Merchant and Mills. I won't do it in denim but there's a pic in the gallery of it in a softer fabric which is what I'll be aiming at. But as a run-in, and cos I've not made anything for 30-odd years, I've also sent for this which I'll do a a top (not dress). I'll need to lengthen the sleeves but I've watched a couple of videos on YouTube so I'm sure it'll be fine I won't get results like bo though cos I cannot be arsed with toiles.

I've seen a couple of articles recently about how Sweden have handled lockdown bani. At the risk of sounding like a tin foil hatter, i think it's striking how it's only getting coverage here now that the Swedish death toll is rising.

I've had an email about a Toast sale and for the first time in months, I'm seriously tempted. But if I buy anything it should be some flat, clumpy sandals with good toe coverage.

I'm deeply impressed with the exploding creativity. Bo's trousers and camisole look great/promising and the blue Tencel is stunning.

Quirky's flipflops are something to look forward to, as is Flo's Francine dress... I've admired that image several times, but until fabric shops re-open (and it's something of a trek away) I have no fabric to inspire me.

Very sorry about the broken toe and family situation: it makes you appreciate a calm settled lockdown in fine weather.

I need a shoe shop to open because my (not very stylish) walking sandals are wearing out, and finally managed to buy some shorts (a lot have been bought and returned). They won't win prizes but they are cheerful and comfortable for warm weather. DS was very nice about them too!

I'm sorry to hear that, flo, family stuff can be so stressful. I hope it resolves itself for you.

Xing the toe is not too bad, just annoying really. At least the weather is warm enough to be wearing open sandals as they're comfortable.

bo, yes the flipflops are from Greece the same as the gladiators I bought two years ago. I quite fancied dark brown but it's out of stock so have ordered black. The metallic sounded nice but I thought they suited something simpler.

MN says I haven't posted on any threads recently, so I'm just back to placemark. Nothing interesting.

Something weird is happening to the thread, I tried to post (long bloody post ) and went to page one now old posts are in between new ones going to attempt to post bit by bit...

I'm sorry to hear that Flo, hoping for the best possible outcome. Happy to be ignored or a source of distraction on here.

Your m&m denim shirt pattern is reminding me of this Margaret Howell dress that popped up in my inbox today.

Quirky, dark brown sounds lovely too. Is he making them specially for your feet again?

On the sewing front, it did not end in tears. First mockup was rather hilarious as the nipple placement was overshot by quite some bit (in the pic the pins indicate where it should be/the dart should end). Next time I won't be using paper to mould the cup as that seems to just add bulk.

So after a bit of rejigging, remaking and adjusting and going through a lot of fabric (old never used curtains thankfully, I really need to find a reliable cheap source of practice fabric with a bit of stiffness to it) I did manage to make something not to cry about. I'll need to adjust it slightly as the dress form is bigger than me but it's an easy thing to adjust. It's just basted together for now, forgot to take a picture of that, but the general idea is there. It fits better than I expected, might be a bit of a nightmare to sew together with slippy fabric so I'm still expecting tears, but none today, thankfully.

I've discovered I have ordered far too much fabric. Name was kind enough to link a similar camisole pattern for me and the end of roll piece though was a little bit more than indicated on that but I'll probably only need a little more than a third

I'm now contemplating making it into a dress instead? Also need to contemplate whether I need interfacing in the cups or not, if that's even a thing I need to go pick up thread anyhow tomorrow so think I'll just buy a small piece, just in case.

And now a post of mine that did post is missing

This was my first mockup in fabric, I had more to say but let's just leave it as a comical misjudgement of where a nipple should be.

I've been playing a lot of Best Fiends lately so haven't been on Mumsnet but had to check in. :) I missed your fabric updates above their Bo, we crossposted. I like the sound of the tencel. It might be the sort of things that is difficult to press without marking it (I'm thinking of nipple bust darts). Interesting to see how you get on. I find that the inevitability and relentness-ness of the machine stitching has the potential to mess up all the lovely idea of draping one had but I am also a lazy shortcut taking person who, for example, doesn't baste or pin before getting stuck in.

Flo sorry to hear about your family problems. Take care. I'm looking forward to your sewing adventures too, The Francine is a very utilitarian looking piece, I'm thinking 1920:s free-at-last "superfluous" women free to go on hiking holidays in the Lake District and pursue any artistic bents.

Quirky, nice earrings. I really have to make a decision on whether I should pierce my ears or not.

Is that a typo or have you really been running around like an exceptional demon, Bani 👹

My Tencel still isn't here if this turns into another episode of weeks of waiting for it to arrive I will finally get to cry...

On the up side, I discovered a shop here that sells everything merchant and mills and most of the fabrics metermeter carries. I knew of the shop but it looks like a crafty crochet and knitting shop so it's been quite the discovery. They had the fabric I ordered in brown and it looked really good (aside from the colour, it's more of an aubergine/burgundy). They did not sell thread either though which is what I initially came for (couldn't find the colour I wanted from my usual shops). The merchant and mills linens looked really lovely quality they should be getting new stock in this week so I'll have to stop by again soon. Got a m&m thimble and some Hancock's chalk.

I worked on a t-shirt dress this bank holiday weekend instead with the last of my practice fabric. Didn't quite turn out as intended as it went from an easy dress to too prim and structured so I took scissors to them and it's now a slightly asymmetric halter dress

I hope your toe is better quirky.
And Flo, big hugs and I hope your family situation improves.

I am very impressed with Bo’s journeys into tailoring.

I am trying to think if I can report anything interesting... of course! I had some old bits of Japanesse silk kimono and my neighbour made face masks for me with it. Reading on what was the best fabric to use I cane across silk as is tightly woven and breathable, so I have two. They look very good and are in red and ivory, I will take a snap later on.

Best Fiends is an excellent little phone game, right up my alley

Silk for face masks, that must be a good choice! I'll bear that in mind, wouldn't surprise me if the government has a panic "lock the stable door after the cow has escaped" moment and makes them mandatory. I kind of hope so, because then everyone will have very interesting tan lines.

Well that's not what I was expecting, I thought you were off playing best friend to a friend in need. I'm sticking with running around like an exceptional demon 👹

Our government is very weird with masks, only to be worn on public transport, they have to be cotton and you will be fined if it's a necessary medical one. But they say they're about as effective as breathing through a sock and they don't anything 🤷 which is all factually true but, yeah, weird.

Still no Tencel fabric, my roller cutter came though. It's very nice but works better with some fabric than others.

Masks, yes is all very weird here too as you shouldn’t buy the proper ones as they are for people who really need them. But if you go to a crowded place you are supposed to wear one, I am not intending to go anywhere crowded but sometimes going into a small shop means that there is a couple of people inside and they ask you to wear one.
So I decided to have a nice couple of them to wear if I need to wear, but I am under no illusion about their quality. So at the moment I have them purely as a just in case situation.
Here is one of them, is made with the fabric doubled up and also in the bbc they said to put inside a bit of paper towel that you can dispose, again not sure about it but is the advice around ...

Here is the article about how to do them and the best materials according to ‘a’ study
article

Thank you for your kind messages. I have just discovered a Cos voucher that I'd had since Christmas and had totally forgotten in all the hoo ha, and it's quite lifted my shallow soul. It's like finding thirty quid down the back of the sofa only better as, unlike cash, it cannot be used for anything useful or worthy. I'll probably put it towards some new funny trousers, as my favourite Uniqulo U canvas ones are suddenly showing their age quite badly. Or maybe some fugly sandals.

Mask wearing is creeping up in these parts but still under 50% I would think. I hadn't bothered as I'd read the non medical ones were fecking useless and I've never been asked to wear one, although I guess that might increase once more shops start opening.

No sewing news here as the patterns haven't arrived yet.

Must say I was quite taken with this one that Jean Paul Gauthier created. I miss my red lips, they felt inappropriate at first and I've recently had a cold sore so have had to hold off in fear of cross contamination, and it looks weird anyhow.

Ooh a Cos voucher, I nearly went into Cos yesterday but ended up in &Other Stories instead as it was ridiculously quiet in there. Much to my relief my lockdown weight gain isn't that bad, the next size up is still too big (I don't weigh myself). Still wasn't very inclined to buy anything though. Sales are nearly here, Matches just started and has my Joseph silk trousers that I've been waiting on to go in the sale but at a size up, I suppose I can take it in myself these days and they did give me an extra discount for my birthday so I may just put in the order in a bit.

I just read on another thread that the H&M group has lead morally by still accepting all orders and paying in full unlike a lot of other high street shops. I need to go find a list of that because if I'm not spending at independents I at least want to shop with the ones who didn't behave like vultures.

Oh that's interesting - it takes a lot to shock me when it comes to high street retailers but the way some of them are treating their suppliers is dreadful.

No surprise, the Arcadia group is a big offender. As is Primark. I don't shop at AG shops but I do occasionally pick something up in the Primark beauty department and am often on the lookout for cheaper alternatives for people that need to spend less on the skincare threads. I rarely buy but I won't be anymore.

Oooh lovely discovery for you, Floisme. Have fun and enjoy the bliss of shallowness. I am revelling in finding and wearing some shorts in a little print of lemons and leaves that do everything right in hot weather. The colour is surprisingly versatile, and flattering on my olive-toned skin, especially as my legs are brown from walking and gardening. From Lands' End SS19, so cheap cheap.

Adore the JPG mask too, bo.

Flo, I've just found this Independent article with a good run through, although mostly UK based. Attached list from there is more international. Thankful to see the Inditex group is in the clear too. As I think it's pretty much h&m group, Inditex and the occasional bit of Uniqlo that make up my high street purchases. No clarification on the latter though. I've also heard some high end brands have acted much the same so will have to research that too at some point.

Youtube Justine did some sort of rundown on this too.