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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Agree with English house buying. If michael McIntyre weren’t English I bet he could do something great on the whole whacky process. We thought we might lose a house we bought this year, broker fuck up and bank issues exacerbated by financial limitations. Settlement date was 12 March,seller could have just taken our 10% deposit and started again as we couldn’t settle that day, but he kindly let us pay $500 penalty per day we were late to settle until 31 March , at which point the sale would be cancelled and he’d keep the 10%. We managed to settle an expensive 7 days later.
In the uk you could carry that process on for months while everyone wallows in uncertainty, life plans frozen.

Sorry the point at bottom was that I very much feel for you catherine!!

www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/gloria-steinem-style for Xing and others about Gloria Steinem's style. I hope the link works, I did it on my phone.

I think buying a house in the UK ranks as stressful as death and divorce. The trouble being that anyone can pull out until completion, so you never quite know if it's all going to go through.

Actually, not the UK, as Scotland is different (I bought a house from a couple who were moving to Scotland, it was great because they were committed to the offer they had made).

Thanks for that link, quirky, some great pictures there... I rather love the big tweedy cardigan on the beach.

House buying and selling is extremely stressful, although it's a long time since we last did so, but we have DMIL's house on the market at present. I am fairly sure the market is telling us the agent is being over-ambitious on price. My heart goes out to you catherine, and everyone caught in a chain.

Well having read that Vogue link - thanks quirky - and done a bit of google imaging I have to admit I don't know how I missed Gloria Steinem's style at the time. She is / was very cool.

What a nightmare catherine so sorry. It's 20-odd years since my last house move so I've forgotten the specifics, but I do remember saying I was never doing it again and that they'd have to carry me out of here in a body bag. I'm sure it's partly why we end up with old people living in unsuitable housing while young families struggle. Nobody wins except the banks.

Very interesting article, but that is about how I remember it, great outspoken style but not as polished as in the show. I think that may also have to do with Rose Byrne having a waif body type and GS looks like a pear shape so clothes hang very differently (and the show's clothes have probably been made to measure vs off the rack).

Yes, I know it's different per country in the UK, the offers over system Scotland confuses me too, sounds great for sellers but stressful for buyers. The exchange/contract process is thankfully a lot simpler here, everyone involved is heavily regulated so I think that makes a difference and the exchange is overseen by an impartial notary instead of multiple legal parties. Successfully bidding and securing a property is a different matter, as there's always more demand than what's on offer.

Thanks everyone. We may have progress this week, date discussions are happening. I wasn't really planning on 7 months (!!!) of camping, so hopeful all will work out.

GoT really, really missed the older actors as the board was cleared of their characters - Diana Rigg was great. I was sad to see Shere Hite had died as well.

Might have time to read the rest of the thread now - I know I've missed a lot!

I'm enjoying seeing the autumn colours come into shops - all those rich plums and reds and dark greens and browns. Rather coveting this jumper:

www.johnlewis.com/brora-liberty-mohair-jumper/spice/p5123704?size=12#product

Lovely jumper, CatherineMaitland, I would go for the diesel colourway (but I have far too much in that colour already).

I'm glad your house sale sounds like it's proceeding. I know it can be so stressful.

Sad to hear about Shere Hite as well. I remember reading the Hite Report at university.

I think my colour would be the moss green.

Rather sad to add Sir Terence Conran to the obituary list today. Talk about one of the 20th century's design grandees... Habitat, Heals, the Conran shop, plus more restaurants than you can shake a stick at.

Somewhere on the bookshelves, I am fairly sure I still have my copy of the Hite Report.

DS moves into his university accommodation tomorrow. It's going to be a very tight fit. He's not taking the kitchen sink, but everything else.

I actually do like all the colours but I don't think I could ever justify buying all three!

I love Habitat - it does some great stuff right now that seems to go completely under the radar.

Habitat was The Business but I didn't realise it was still going

I love that burnt orange - it's a hard shade to get right (on me) but fab when it is. But the moss green would work for me too.

Good luck to your son Xing - how are you feeling about him going?

Not Terence Conran too all these people who genuinely propelled culture forward leaving us clueless now. I know celebrities are supposed to go in three (or some weird rule like that) but it still stings.

Jumper looks lovely for the autumn (probably not warm enough for winter), I think I like Moss best but I like all the colours.

Flo, today is a very odd day as I've done the whole mummy bit, possibly for nearly the last time. The house is already emptier, because there's a van full of his belongings, and his bedroom is so much tidier. We have a slot to deliver him and his kit tomorrow that we can't miss. I think it may be horrid to return home after taking him to Falmouth.

But, Falmouth is a lovely town. I grew up on the far side of Falmouth Bay, and it's the most gorgeous landscape you could wish for, with a fab museum, and so it gives me a reason to take regular trips down memory lane. A friend's sister lived there while I was at university and we sometimes took the coach there for a weekend to visit; those visits were never less than great fun. I hope he will be happy there, and take the next steps into the adventure of life.

I like both habitat and heals, would always go to them both so think of them together. My starter London furniture extras were some floor cushions and a console from habitat which are still going strong. I think it’s heals have the cafe though and I’ve bought some crockery and fabric there too, for my mums walk in robe blind and a child’s chair so I’m regularly reminded of it. Cafe had big sofas and a bathroom and I would go there after hospital check ups at Uclh with my first bub as I could get pram up and feed him, it always felt so welcoming.
Those colours are nice, although not great on me except maybe petrol (not that that stops me) But the light mohair knit is high risk of sitting lumpily on actual people I think, not something I would buy online. I checked uniqlo and they are sold out of the longline shirt and blazer combo.

That’s a big moment xing hope it all goes well and you have lots of lovely moments visiting! The norm is a bit different here and I’m quite expecting most children to be here till they finish uni at least (& am planning a reno for in about a decade accordingly so we all survive it)
There is such a disconnect between a lot of the summer stuff coming out now- shorts suits are back here in Peach and pink sorbet shades- and my wfh life!

Good luck today Xing!

I found it a really strange day Xing. I actually held it together quite well - or so I believed - because I was all buoyed up with 'This-is-everything-you-wanted-for-them' thoughts and blah blah blah.

But then a couple of days later I dropped a carton of milk on the kitchen floor and it split and went everywhere and I broke my heart.

Yes that's right, I literally cried over spilt milk. And this, my friends, is how emotionally intelligent I am.

Anyway good luck and have an early - unless you're driving the van.

It's done. DS has been delivered, with all his goods and chattels, and we were dismissed at the end of our 30 minute drop off window. Three hours later, he's unpacked and down at the beach, meeting new people. I haven't cried yet, but the house feels emptier knowing that he won't be home late and that we shall know there's no one asleep on the sofa.

I have cracked and opened the wine already!

Well you both held up better than my mother 🤣

Is it freakishly warm in the UK too, 26/27 today and 30 tomorrow 🥵 didn't expect to be pulling out the high summer stuff again but here we are. Also managed to finish off my silk trousers at the weekend in anticipation but I'll probably wear them later in the week when it's slightly cooler.

Uniqlo U is this week, I nearly forgot.

It's not quite so hot here but definitely warmer than usual. It's nice heat though - not like the oppressive heatwave we had in August. Still, last year's cheapo M&S linen dresses came in useful for it.

Yes, it'll be a week or so and it'll be a nice low to mid twenties from Wednesday on which I will be just fine with. It's a nice little surprise especially since we were supposed to be away on holiday as planned this week so can enjoy it while everyone is working. And I get to wear in my new Chloe sandals somewhat as I've decided to keep them although still unsure about the fit but it's not like my feet are hanging over anymore than they do in other sandals, the thicker sole just makes it more noticeable.

Ah, I moved a child to a different town for school too this past month - so weird to have her so far away! But she seems to be doing really well which is a relief.

I'm looking forward (in a lazy way) to the Uniqlo launches. Am going to keep pondering shoes, because it's a nut I've always wanted to crack.

Easiest style choice where I live is to go full "kulturtant" and wear Gudrun Sjödén and Marimekko with shoes from Cinnamon. www.cinnamonskor.se/category.html/dam Sadly I don't want to.

We still have nippy mornings and warmer days, but not above 20, so I'm just pulling on jeans which is boring. I bore myself.

RIP Diana Riggs and Conran, I agree.

Oh that must be hard bani if she's still at school. for you and Xing. I'm coming to the conclusion that you never really adjust to them leaving. Well you do of course, and it's fine, but the thing is, they come back and hang out with you and it's lovely and then they piss off and you have to do it all over again. John Crace wrote about it a couple of weeks ago in The Guardian but I don't advise reading it unless you want a good cry.

So the good weather galvanised me into finishing my latest sewing project so I could wear it this week. It's an oversized, boxy shirt. I used this pattern which you spotted bo. No toile ha ha but I did find some lightweight cotton that was only £2.99 a metre and used that. Bugger me it was hard in places and I don't know how I'd have managed without Youtube. But anyway it's finished and good enough to wear. I'll take a couple of pics when the light is better - it may be warm today but you can tell it's autumn.

I'll be curious to see your shirt Flo, I was eyeing that pattern for a pyjama top but I'm too stingy to pay out for it. YouTube is useful but it's now insisting I make myself a men's regency linen 'shirt', it was an undergarment to them but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about those comfy floppy shirts they always have a costuming dramas with a very deep split at the neck so it sits quite casually. They look quite simple to make as everything is square but I don't want to fall down a historic cosplaying rabbit hole, I'm mildly disturbed by the dissociative behaviour of it all.