Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: L'enfer c'est les Autres

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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

Onze

Merch created in honour of our tenth thread anniversary:

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Thread title credit from Jean-Paul Sartre's Huis Clos, hell being the other/other people (depending on translation) felt very fitting for these continuing trying times

Currently on day 12 of self isolation and Belgium is officially announcing the start of a second wave, specifically pointing out Antwerp as a hotspot. I think we're pretty much in the clear 🤞 but I'm not travelling anywhere else anytime soon..

Camisole dress nearly done, I think I'm due a sewing break after this, hell has been a slippy camisole dress for a touch too long for me. T-shirt looks really good Bani (sorry forgot what other interesting things were said, I'll go back and read through again ).

Great title Bo! Very apt. Fingers crossed for you. (On the COVID front - my husband and I both tested for antibodies and had none which means we probably haven’t had it. I’ve been commuting on public transport at least three days a week this whole period and at work we’ve been trying to distance but there has been a fair bit of leaning over people’s shoulders etc. I know of two cases at my workplace but on different floors. Mr Bani works at a school - enough said. We know of two-three cases there too among the entirety of staff, students and students’ families. I’ve been in (food and other) shops pretty much every day and you’ve heard me bitching about distancing ;). I was sure at least my husband would have been exposed but no - clearly hand washing is a great thing!)

Oh from last thread - those were not the trousers I’d made but the silk twill ones from Arket I live in bought last year

Just posting to mark my place.

Love the trousers, bani, you are definitely rocking the earthy tones.

Thank you for the new thread bo. Are you nearing the end of self-isolation? Do you have to do 14 days?

CV19 has not been much of a problem locally, as the area seems to have taken lockdown seriously. We have only one hospital serving a long narrow county of under 600k people, and in normal times there are only 12 intensive care beds, to serve a lot of elderly people. However, it's all about to change as the tourist hordes arrive. The main roads into the county are reported to be very busy today (at a standstill) as the summer holidays begin.

So exciting new thread! Marking my place here.
Very apt to choose Jean-Paul Sartre .

Xing, we're not obligated to do anything, we're not even following any sort of official advice, but about 3 or 4 days after we got back it became pretty obvious things were not well in Belgium and that the chance of exposure was high for us so we just decided to voluntarily contain ourselves for 14 days, just in case. Which annoyingly doesn't feel like much effort at all, it's really not the limited existence it once felt like...

Everyone there was shit at adhering to guidelines, but we did as best we could and generally avoided busy spots (and it was weirdly busy in a lot of places which is a bit odd for a random Tuesday). We did wonder if everyone was so careless in response to the really strict lockdown they had previously or that their relatively high numbers were down to poor adherence 🤷 probably a bit of both.

I do think there's going to be some regret over allowing holidays, people are over the lockdown experience and unlikely to be as diligent abroad as it feels like 'freedom' in comparison.

Camisole dress is nearly done (feel like I've been saying this on repeat for forever), just the handsewing parts to finish it off (which is a fair amount of time but not work) and then hemming it after leaving it to hang for 24hrs. It's not awful (at all) but I don't know if my struggles with it are clouding my view of it, but it just looks okay, it's not setting my world on fire anyhow. I don't know what I was really expecting from it, think I'm just associating it with frustrations atm, hopefully that'll pass and I'll actually be able to appreciate it.

That's what my doormat says

Ah Bo but would a bought dress have set your world on fire ever? The work you put in can maybe only ever lead to a “that’ll do pig” moment ie satisfaction. Whereas something wondrous and just right just plonking into your lap is more of a manna from heaven amazing thing. I look forward to seeing it! I’d love to see a line drawing (since you can draw) of what your idea was too, I think you posted one before but I can’t find it.

@lockdownalli

That's what my doormat says

@lockdownalli where do they sell this magnificent doormat 😍

Bani, well, actually, yes, in a store a dress has to set my world on fire. It's probably my entire criteria for anything not boringly basic and essential 🤷 I'm still happily admiring my new Joseph trousers (potentially I'm just admiring how magnificent my arse looks in it, but whatever).

You're probably right, I think the issue with the sewing is that I'm constantly fitting and adjusting it you sort of miss the initial wow moment as it slowly comes to live while finessing as opposed to being there already. I get why home sewists love the wacky patterns and colours now, at least that keeps things exciting, black is just really blah.

Line drawing attached (I had to dig deep), well if you can call it a drawing, more of a rough sketch.

bahhumbug.shop/products/jean-paul-sartre-doormat

Sadly it's in L'Anglais

Thanks for the new thread bo which took me straight back to my very happy sixth form days, although even then I was always 'Team Simone' and thought JP was a bit of a pompous arse. I hadn't realised you'd been isolating.

Anyway before you wow us with your lovely dress, here's my top. I can't face making a toile but I did use two pieces from an 'end of line' box in case I bodged it up. They don't entirely work together as the front is quite a crisp, tightly woven linen while back and sleeves are floppier.

There are loads of flaws but, as it's the first thing I've made for 30-odd years, I'm reasonably pleased. It was way too long and I had to chop off a good 4 inches but the shape is boxy so I don't think any harm was done. It's also a bit big on the shoulders and the sleeves (which I'd extended) are too wide so I'll have to fix them next time.

But first I'm moving on to the Francine top which is closer to the kind of shirt I really want to make. Got some green linen for it - not top of the range but a bit fancier than the remnant box.

Thank you @lockdownalli, shame it's in English it's so much more satisfyingly passive aggressive in French...

Flo that looks great, I like the two different fabrics used. I think we need to just treat our first experiments like the first pancake and not expect too much from them. Sleeves are torture so you did really well, I feel.

I love the back yoke Flo.... so lovely.

Great top, flo. I like the yoke (and your doorknobs! I've been looking at house stuff for too long).

Love the first pancake analogy, bo. I'm sure it could apply to lots of other things.

Ha ha those doorknobs were here when we first moved into the house, always meant to change them, never got round to it, and now they're kind of hip. There's a moral there somewhere....

Well it's done bar the hem which I have to wait 24hrs of hanging to finish off. Doesn't look like much on a hanger but it looks pretty decent on (will photograph it on once it's been hemmed and ironed). Camera is having trouble picking it up but the cups are in the shiny side of the fabric where the rest is the matte 'wrong' side. All shiny is not flattering on me as it overemphasises curves and the shiny side is a much nicer feel against the skin so win win. Still deciding what to do with the straps, can't make up my mind whether to criss cross them at the back (a bit 90s, but the very questionable 90s) or just straight (bit dull) or leave as is tied loosely at the neck. It may be my inner that'll do speaking but I prefer that the most currently as it looks the most casual.

Flo I think that mix of fabrics really works with a yoked top like that, well
done. I see the shoulder/sleeve issue but on the whole it’s not bad is it! Look forward to the Francine!

Bo thank you for the line drawings helps me see the whole thing on my small phone screen (I think all clothes sellers online should have line drawings). I think the finished dress looks lovely. I see your point about the fire. Don’t see why crossed straps should be avoided you’ve already gone nineties and done a slip dress . The shiny/matt fabric looks great. I agree that all shiny is terrible for curves and also that would be nineties!

Thank you everyone, you're far too kind - it's no coincidence that there are no close-up pics In all honesty, the contrasting yoke wasn't planned, it was a fabric emergency but you're right, it kind of elevates it.

bo that is a really lovely dress - so classy. I don't have a strong view about the straps - I think whichever way would work and it's only going to look too 90s if you mix with a T shirt and denim jacket.

I came across a blog post about sewing silk camisole tops and she references her teacher’s way of sewing “correctly” so you don’t have to let bias cut clothes hang out before hemming but she doesn’t say what it is

I went bra shopping yesterday. I got three bras but I’m unsure about the third. It’s strapless because in my head I need a strapless option so I can wear strappy tops if I want to. But the bra is so rigid I’m not sure. They didn’t have that Chantelle bralette referenced above ;) which looked so nice and soft.

I like a cross cross back on something that's a little looser and shows a larger expanse of skin at the back but when it's basically above bra strap length and fitted it feels too cramped and it just feels a bit 90s goth to me. No offense to the Goths, just never been my thing aesthetically and Criss cross straps seem like such a carbon dating feature as a result.

I envy the ease of you randomly buying bras Bani it's like a five year plan for me...

Haha, sewing bloggers so helpful, not... I hate all this 'correctly' nonsense since it's all guarded as a great secret with a while load of contradicting advice (the Americans are particularly contrary). I think if you stretch the seams while sewing on the bias you don't need to wait for it to settle but that would just be inviting in even more frustration in my case. It's still hanging unhemmed though...

My phone keyboard has had an update and I don't know why it keeps changing out perfectly sensible words for non sensible ones and randomly capitalising everything

Mine does that all the time which is why not very active - have to spend ages retyping stuff

I go to the best bra shop in town and they help me. As long as I’m willing to spend some money they are great. 👍🏻

My phone insists on changing 'Cos' to 'cis' which sends me into a towering rage.

I so need new bras. I needed them last year too.

The bra fitting talk got me thinking - what do we miss most about our pre-pandemic lives? I'm not talking about the touch of a child or any hippy shit, I mean what's the shallowest, most shameful, most first-world hole in your life?

I couldn't pick out one but I got it down to five:
Checking out people's outfits.
Trying on clothes I have no intention of buying.
The coffee shop next to my office.
Wearing my Margaret Howell blazer.
Reading Grazia in Sainsbury's.

And then the top 5 things I don't miss:
Make up
Errm.......