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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Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

Just sharing one of my only shops since February. It was an impulse buy, long dress. I try to show in second photo that what attracted me to it was that I could wear it over jeans, I did that the other day over a black simple long sleeve top. I really like the softness of the fabric and the lively vibe it gives. I am at the moment into “happy” clothes.

They should've asked us....www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/sep/26/help-i-need-a-wardrobe-reboot-guardian-readers-fashion-questions-answered

Hi Red!

I seem to recall tank tops being fashionable in the 90s, I had a black, blue, grey and white striped one from Pilot that I wore with white crinkly wide-legged trousers. Which were no doubt see-through. :)

They were never fashionable, weirdly everywhere in the 90s though and generally associated to be 'uncool'. Lots of those uncool pieces your nan bought you for Christmas things are 'cool' now so what do I know, but I'm still baffled why you'd voluntarily wear that. But I'm a snob so nothing new there.

I'm filing that Guardian piece in a folder of 'How not to communicate at teenagers', although it may just be the journo style of writing with very short sentences which always looks really off when used conversationally. Some advice is better than others but I am noticing a lack of understanding the person who asked (most noticeable with the curvy teen, that's a special hell that I'm familiar with and that advice would have just left me more depsondent, despite being well meaning). I'm confused by the whole piece, is it part of some ethical living supplement or something? They could have fleshed out those separately as series which would have been much more interesting than clogging them all up together where 'ethical' becomes a really flexible term from answer to answer, a single article on that would have made more sense 🤷

Sewing update, which I'm just posting on here for accountability so that I'll actually commit to get on with it because I seem to have cutting anxiety with this project. I've been through many toiles and finally happy with the bodice shape of my Chanel documentary blazer. The pocket flaps and collar are random scrap pieces and temporarily tacked on to get a better idea of it, sleeve is just a standard one atm which I'll tackle next. Very much still in the beginning phase but it's been a journey with it already. Pic from the Chanel docu for reference refresh.

Forgot to share previously my silk trousers finally finished while trying on an ill fitting jumper (weirdly boxy but I liked the sleeves). Very happy with the trousers even if they look a bit not so special static as well as being super pitch black and all. They fit and move very impressively in RL and I have been stopped a few times asking where I bought it with some disappointing faces with the answer (and no chance of selling it, with the hours required plus materials it would be far too expensive). Tying back to the article, probably the only actual ethical piece of clothing I own as it's deadstock silk fabric, the elastic is organic cotton and rubber so unlike most other elastics will actually degrade, and I used organic cotton thread that comes on a wooden spool which can be rethreaded. All manufactured in Europe as well. I mean, still unpaid labour, but since it's me I suppose that's fine (and we also have to ignore that everything had to be shipped to me) but it has made me realise how the main body of something may be natural things that can be easily recycled/decomposed things like thread, elastic, interlinings, etc. very much are not and they don't tell you that on the label.

Don't tell me that, I thought that outfit was the absolute mostest at the time!

The blazer looks fab.

Sorry, Catherine meant the general you not you specifically. Some people can definitely carry it off and I think it was briefly cool if you were a rapper and it was very oversized.

Forgot to say previously as I was off on another diary entry, dress looks fun Red. Glad to hear it's inspiring a bit of happiness.

From Stella magazine, lots of tank tops! I could wear the Toast one, which is a sleeveless polo/turtle neck, really, more like the sort I remember in the 90s. They pretty much say the US knitted vest is more of a waistcoat.

Better photo of the tank tops. The Brora one is full on 70s knit.

I was in a vintage shop yesterday that had a prominent display of the raggiest, scabbiest tank tops you could ever hope to see so I think they're definitely back. I like that Brora fair isle one.

Our vulnerable family member is out of harm's way for a few weeks so I'm grabbing the opportunity to travel a bit further afield and visit some real shops. Went to a Uniqlo - so much better when you can see it all. Found a men's lambs wool cardigan and stocked up on heat tech tops in anticipation of a winter working from home. Not sure whether to be pleased or not to see a display of - in their own words - 'mannish tweed jackets'. (They weren't tweed either or at least not the tweed I know). Some wool and cashmere camel overcoats that were nice but very thin and will probably crease like hell. Phone about to die so will have to look for links later.

I am not feeling the tank tops at the moment. I think I might have a bottle green one somewhere...
I have been thinking silk scarfs, as a way to comfort the working from home and easy to put over a simple top, but not sure it will come across in zoom ...
On Thursday I am going into london, first time since March, meeting a friend that otherwise I might need to wait until next year to see her, so grabbing the opportunity. If I have time I will stop in some of the shops in st Pancras area.

I think the only sort of tank top I would think about are the more sleeveless polo or turtle necks. My autocorrect turned it into rank tops .

red, I'm a great fan of silk (in fact any) scarves. Especially on rainy or grey but not too cold days.

I just did a charity shop run and bought a pair of j brand dark flares for £5. They're a bit long (I will take them up) and a bit low rise (OK with a longer top) but the cut is lovely. I can return them, as there is no trying on, but for £5 I will keep and if they're not any good redonate.

I'm still convinced the slipover (although I do appreciate the new rank top) is this season's pearl bejazzled jeans of the season. A brief blip of WTF which will be worn by its unintended audience in the end after an extended stay in the sales racks.

Stella needs to get out of our culture war (TTW per Bani) though, we cannot be arguing about Americans and waistcoats next. I'm pretty sure the average American will pull a WTF face over the idea that they wear waistcoats outside of some historical reenactment.

Silk scarves on zoom read as 'oops, too much on display when the camera peeps in just so, where is my zoom scarf'. How have you managed to live without a zoom scarf for so long ,Red? And as a variation, if you're feeling a bit sorry for yourself and want others to do too just wear a woolly scarf (hat optional) as everyone will assume you're poorly instead of just racing in the house and running behind schedule

hadn’t thought it like that Bo.

I have not heard of the zoom scarf Must be the downside of having onboarded remotely so I don’t know people socially and my team is all guys.
I think I can do that mango tank top preferably with a v neck. Always preferably with a v neck. I used to have one not unlike that, a fine wool cable knit cough sweater vest in a soft peach. It got worn to my fairly corporate work believe it or not.
Rank top is a pretty Freudian slip bo

I'm happy to go with rank top. time, it's my autocorrect that did it .

Oops quirky. Aren’t there other fashion items on which you’d rather bestow such a nickname? Compared to the Mostly unflattering but fairly innocuous tank top?

I got stuck there because everything I thought of wasn’t that bad . Skorts- have their place. Pantaloons - same. Gaiters, well each to their own. What’s something truly awful? Tailored shorts for work? Baby doll dresses?

I am rising above the tank top jibes.
They all laughed at Vivienne Westwood too when she went on the Russell Harty show.

Not that I'm in her league

I wore them the first time, and am not going there again... I like sleeves with my sweaters.

I think the tank top's/slipover's only problem is its tendency to skew costumey - you're either dressing ironically or playing at being a land girl. I mean if you find the garment useful, say if you're hoeing a field or chopping wood or playing cricket, then it's not a hopeless garment is it. People wear those thin down-filled zip-up waist coats all the time, no different really. I can't imagine wearing them without looking like someone who wishes she could put victory rolls in her hair. My physique lends itself to looking sensible and matronly. ;)

On the royal style thread yesterday someone posted a link to www.paularowan.com/ and now I sort of wish I had 200 euro to spend on mad leather gloves. Those and a tank top would be a look.

I've been home with a trifling cough and am getting The Test today so I can get out in public again soon. So annoying. No clothes to report. I've got a pre sale thing from Arket but there is nothing I want. :/ Why can no-one make clothes i want waaaahhhhh.

H&M Studio collection was typical of its kind. I want nothing in it.

The H&M Studio collection was a bit Villanelle, I was surprised how quickly it went though. It was a bit crap, they cancelled the white jumper on me , the skirt sent is not the size I ordered. The other jumper/cardigan makes me look like some sort of dominatrix 😬

I did order a rain coat made out of recycled pet bottles, not sure whether to keep it or not, it ticks a lot of boxes, got it with a discount but maybe I would prefer a size up so I can wear something warm underneath. They didn't have a size up otherwise I'd have ordered it as well and I got a small discount as it was pretty ££ but I could just pay out the bit extra from another shop, or hold out until another discount comes round but in all likelihood the heavy rain period will have passed by that time. ARGH.

Secondhand September was a wash, unless I go mad on Vinted this afternoon I have made zero secondhand purchases. If I keep the raincoat I only made one purchase so it's not that bad of a score either.

I don't actually mind the Joseph rank top in that Stella curation but it would just look like a bib on me and make any shape disappear and not in a constructive way. I think there are some other garments like this, culottes started out like this as well, the boyfriend blazers that are more like morbidly obese boyfriend blazers all over insta tend to do this, it's less about the garment and how it fits but more how it highlights something elusive and aspirational, in these cases how thin and fine/fragile the wearer is, it's an odd niche of femininity. There are similar examples for that extreme curvaceous aesthetic.

I'm checking out the gloves, I very much want some gauntlets now pricey yes, there's an Italian brand I like who are similar whimsical (but not that out there) need to look up the name again, they're also pricey but not madly so I have a giant collection of them . I recently got sucked into shoemakers of YouTube rabbit hole that make working with leather look a lot less intimidating, I wonder if I could make my own gloves...

Also, we have a voluntary wear masks in shops in restaurants advice now (AKA we're very liberal and refuse to force anyone to do anything, and especially make staff enforcers of such policy), I've made two extra ones pp, but how many do you actually find you need? I don't expect we'll be out as much due to crap weather and just general don't be a dick mentality, but wondering if I need to make/buy more?

I think leather work is probably hugely satisfying and a great hobby. There was a Swedish "bake off" show last year with "makers" not bakers - they had to do work with iron, ceramics, wood, leather, paper and maybe something else I forgot. Glass? Anyway, it was entertaining, the leather episode was fun I remember and somehow everyone ends up with something usable.

My facebook recommended a Dutch brand of recycled rain ponchos the other week, they had some fun prints. rainkiss.online/collections/all-products/products/japanese-blossom-poncho But perhaps a little too "I work in a library".

EXACTLY: "more how it highlights something elusive and aspirational" so one has to find the thing in oneself that is aspirational. I've got nothing haha. I'm very average! Have thick hair though.

I bought this one in the blue. I quite like the one you linked and appreciate the matching mask. But, I refuse to believe they're Dutch as ponchos that wide are shit with any sign of wind, we have horizontal rain here, that would leave you wetter and colder than a normal coat. The one I ordered is convertible from normal raincoat to poncho for on a bike (rather than a general one) so it has a bit of a scope, although I won't know if the poncho part is any good without trying it in the rain so it may be a bit of a waste of paying a premium for that convertible aspect.

Whimsical Italian gloves, bo? My ears just pricked up...

Also that show sounds amazing. I've always wanted to blow glass too but courses always seem to be run by dodgy men...