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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Merch created in honour of our tenth thread anniversary:

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

"good and dull" doesn't sound worth keeping really unless it's needed for work. I still have one dull black skirt and one dull black dress in case I ever go back to managing events.

Bo, you've done us millions of advent calendars, please don't worry!

Not that I'm a sewing expert, but I wonder if an underlay of something stiffer, like silk organza, would help keep the shape of the fold/pleat. I saw this on a blog once about linen trousers, it helps them keep their shape and not wrinkle. Can't find the blog now though. COuld just be a case of you not having chosen the best fabric though, hard-learned lessons ... ;)

I've looked at those Cos clothes on the website and really fancy the idea of a big long wool dress too so I get it. The arms are a problem though,that lazy drafting of just making loads of room but no shape... If you're not feeling it you're not I suppose. Love the white, too scared to try it (or any pale colours).

Well done on getting the coat back in the nick of time, Flo.

Ok, message clear that I shouldn't keep the dull skirt (though I disagree they don't do anything for me, may be down to the photo angle but they are very flattering but I have issues with 'flattering' so that's not really saving them either). I thought it was an ideal office skirt too Catherine and that was pretty much the end of them.

Bani, for clarification, I tried two white dresses, the first I previously tried on in the shop with the pockets which I didn't like with poor armhole drafting (which I forgot about hence ordering again). I like the second one (and am keeping it) even though that has batwing armpits too but at least in that it's part of the design. It's a shapeless sack but I like it for some reason 🤷

I actually have lined the trousers with silk organza, and I can press a really crisp fold into it but since both fabrics are flowy it tends to flap open all too eagerly. I haven't tried pressing the whole length of it though, that may make a difference but I have a few cms of extra room in the waist so I think making the folds deeper should fix my issue and I do know from making my toile that the pleat behaves better once it's properly sewed down into the waistband too but I don't want to sew that in and keep having to unpick it when that doesn't turn out to be the case. I'm also thinking since they're sitting lower and not fitting very tightly the pleat folds are more eager to man spread I'll figure it out, eventually.

Possibly there was something about stitching the organza to the top fabric? Can’t remember and then I could be wrong. Sounds lovely though! Didn’t mean to be rude about the dress, I find it hard to tell anything from the photos on mumsnet in fairness so I often don’t really know what’s going on 🙃

Btw I quite like dull clothes as you know. Wallpaper, not art.

No pics of Flo’s coat yet?

No worries I didn't think you were rude about my dress just confused by my ramblings. Pictures aren't great quality either, being taken in the evening with light and all, so probably not helping 🙈

Yeah, you basically flat line, so baste the organza to the self fabric outside the seam lines, or directly on it and then treat the fabric as one. I just tinkered with the trousers, and got it to fit much better by taking 6cms out of the waist but it means I have to pull the pocket lining out again and reattach that, which probably explained the weird crotch movement as it attaches around the zip and needs to be taut there, not baggy. I'll figure it out eventually, just need to not get distracted and think it needs belt loops all of a sudden...

Has Flo been arrested for a non essential coat pick up 😱😱😱

I'm here, I'm here, sorry! The coat, like other matters of today, is too close to call. Cleaning has helped but it hasn't quite shifted one stain and nor has it lifted this air of faded gentility which, like I've said, I'm not sure I can carry off without straying into Lady in the Van territory.

It needs some more TLC, including a new lining so I'll have to make a hard nosed decision as to whether I'd just be throwing good money after bad.

I'll take pics tomorrow when the light's better and also give it a good press, which should help.

Thank you all for the warm welcome! Sorry, I didn't mean to delurk and disappear; it's been a busy week.

I missed out on the last +J collection (in 2011, I believe?) and I'm obsessed with this one Really like the coats and the pussy bow blouse, and curious about the silk long-sleeve tops. XingMing, was your navy v-neck from the last collection a woolly one?

Nice COS haul botemp! I saw the weekend promo and wanted to order a roll-neck jumper, but didn't go for it as there weren't modelling pics yet and couldn't get to a shop to check it out.

I caved and looked at the j+ collection
I'm trying v hard to repurpose what I have and still haven't got out my "winter wear" so hoping I will rediscover some things I have forgotten I own.

I really love the burgundy ribbed merino dress. I had a very similar one I practically lives in that just went with everything. But I lost quite a bit of weight through illness, I feel reading through the lines quite similar to you Bo, so it's hard trying to be very restrained wardrobe wise when so much of my built up collection is now 2-3 sizes too big and looks ridiculous. But covid and restrictions are making me feel like I should be behaving sensibly with money. But I cant give up on the idea of dressing well or I'd lie in a heap and never get up

Flo one of my most exciting charity buys was a small men's pale blue and lavender heather tweed Harris men's blazer with a velvet collar and elbow patches. It needed a fair bit of tlc and tailoring but oh I loved it!

After the weight loss I gave it to my Mother who declared it too hot and gave it away!!!

Hope your Harris proves workable!

Sadly urahara, it was only a long sleeved, v-neck T-shirt. But the jersey was supple and hung well, as well as being extremely comfortable. I have a bit of a thing for grey and navy T-shirts, and own too many. I've kept some that turned out indifferent but are just passable and useful under a cashmere jumper all winter. Uniqlo have discontinued the shape I relied on for years, so the quest is becoming urgent.

I like the white dress and house mules, bo. I'm glad you feel you're understanding the diet better. I'm now waiting for dd2's dietician to feed back about her food diary.

XingMing, I have quite a few grey and navy long sleeved T shirts, I know that finding the right shape is tricky.

As I predicted the Antwerp sample sales got cancelled, but some are now doing it online, so far only Christian Wijnants (where I always find lovely things) has a sign-up, just email to [email protected] and you'll get access on the 11th. Probably just clothes but I'm secretly hoping they may just do some fabrics.

Duvet, yeah, I hear you with the illness weight loss it's an odd one. I put all my favourite things away and at some point I'll tackle them by altering (well reconstructing would probably be more accurate at this point) to my new size but I want to get my tailoring skills to a good level first (I'm still terrified of sleeves )

My J+ list keeps shrinking and growing, I like the silk jersey too, I like the idea of them as thermals as silk is really great for that without being too hot, so not good for a skiing holiday but perfectly good for our winters and not combusting in a well heated department store. I think whether I buy everything in sight or just a few select things will come down to materials. OH gave me his list, at which I pulled a face and informed he can order on his own, I'm not wasting precious minutes adding his stuff into my cart and risk losing everything 😱

I hope all goes well with your DD and the diet Quirky, must be extra hard to be put on one as a child.

Thanks, bo, I think it's balancing out various digestion and eating issues, so the various recommendations can contradict each other. I just want her not to be in any discomfort, as her digestion is not great.

Joining flo with the coat alterations. I bought a dark grey, wool, military style coat on ebay for £35 which either needs the shoulder pads removing, or more likely smaller shoulder pads. It looks like I will be doing it myself, as lockdown is in place, though I can't imagine that will be too hard. It's a lovely coat and ironically, usually I have problems with being too tight across the shoulders.

Flo that’s a bummer really. To be frank I think if your gut says too faded then maybe your gut is telling you the truth. Sleep on it for sure. I am so so so jealous of you being able to find tweed. I’m almost physically aching for these tweed trousers I can see in my mind’s eye why oh why do they not exist?

Silk jersey is BRILLIANT for city thermals. Just that extra layer to keep you a little warmer but you don’t feel stuffed and overheated. Rubbish in the real cold though even though the silk shop keeps trying to sell it as “warm in the cold, cool in the heat” fabric. My hole it is. Wool is warm. Feck of with yiz.

My latest Facebook ad brand: www.halofromnorth.com
Expensive, but is it all fur coat and no knickers? Always suspicious of reindeer as the USP. Seems fairly well known to be fair (since I am not a fashionable person I hadn’t heard of it obv).

J+ : I like the overall vibe but the only thing I’m keen to try is the flannel trousers IF the material is right. But I strongly suspect the fit won’t be for me.

Argh talk me down from buying Per Una trousers on Swedish eBay just because they are sort of tweed (actually 70% wool so pretty good on that score and colours I like). There is something dated about the shape yet I’m hovering over the buy now, deluding myself that I can “tweak them”. www.tradera.com/item/1631/427398202/per-una-byxor-stl-16-44-brun-fickor-ull

Bani, no, 103cm length in a trouser is my finished length, on someone taller and in a larger size they'd be 3/4 or 7/8 trousers. It'll look really naff, unless you want to revive those questionable days and wear some square toe mid calf boots with them (not the nice ones) and a lumpy faded black roll neck that was that moment of weird seventies revival in the late 90s early 00s but was just mostly crap and not really 70s as it was the opposite of a svelte silhouette, it made you chunky just by looking at it... Scared off, yet?

Not tweed, but had you seen these could be tweed if you squint green trousers at suit Supply already?

I like the mauve coat from halo (never heard of the brand, it seems pricey for a Facebook recommended brand) but the model is tall and wearing a size 34 so I assume I'd drown in it.

[spirals down]

You’re right of course. The length is ridiculous (for me). I must calm down. I’m normally very good at resisting.

Ooo yes [happy sigh] I’ve been looking at those suit supply ones but - and I never thought I’d say it - the waist might be a little too high? But they are a lovely lovely colour alright.

I agree on the coat, I noticed that too and thought it was really nice. It doesn’t at all seem like a typical Facebook brand but they might just be advertising everywhere they can. I do get loads of ads from H&M and Afound too. Marimekko were all over a while ago, they do a gorgeous checkered coat that’d nearly tempt even me.

Bonjour - Flo has the coat!

Good haul there Bo. A tad disappointed at the prospect of no advent, but to be honest is a huge task, you have done so many Bo. One of (if not) The best things online I have seen.

I miss a bit the photos here, did we use to share more photos of things we wore? Probably because it was easier in an office toilet mirror or whatever. So, I do enjoy these last batch of photos of Bo and Flo’s shirt.
How people feel about in December doing a couple of posts of something we are wearing that we like? or a colour combo. I am thinking aloud here...

Good to see Duvet and Urahara, I hope you stick around

Red, that's not a bad idea! Could be a good december substitute.

Ok coat pics. A good pressing made quite a difference. But the pink (presumably red wine or juice) stains are still there (back view, towards hem) although much more faint, plus now the more I look, the more I spot other stained / discoloured patches - faded and may not be immediately visible but I can't unsee them now. I'd already done spot cleaning and had been hoping the dry cleaners would sort it out.

So I think you may be right bani. Mr Flo also agrees with you, which is annoying, although he says I may as well try something drastic cos there's nothing to lose now - not sure what exactly but you know, soak it in a vat of Stain Devil or something!

And then there's the lining which deserves its own post.

Just done a second post with more pics and lost the lot I'll try again. Here's a close-up of the pink stain and also the lining, which is discoloured and patched up in several places and would need ripping out and replacing.

It's interesting though, and also kind of moving, I think, how much trouble the last owner went to, trying to keep it going, probably because it was her only good coat. It reminds me of my mum's mending basket and makes me feel a bit bad about ripping it out when it's a piece of social history.

This is the side of second hand shopping that we don't talk about much in the 'look at my charity shop bargain' threads. You don't have time to consider so sometimes you make bad decisions, and then you don't want to cut your losses because you're emotionally invested.

Oh that is a shame about the coat Flo , yes mistakes when buying second hand bargains ... although I like to think I have got a lot more savvy lately... still ... that deserves its own chapter.

Maybe that could be part of the advent calendar - as well as the things we like, we could have an alternative Christmas Turkey thread: the purchases we had high hopes for that just didn't fly? People could either play it for laughs or get advice on what might make it work.
Mind you, I might need a thread all to myself.

Yes! Great idea, we have a two fold calendar sharing great finds and favourites & what was I thinking type things . It could be quite fun

Don’t know about that “mistakes” idea - that could be A Lot from me 🤔😂

Flo, you have nothing to lose. Run it in the washing machine (unless the dry cleaner already did). Dry cleaning does not remove water soluble stains effectively after all. Use a gentle wool wash etc obviously to try and preserve the shape of the collar and so on.

Or else I’ll have to find my 70s goody two shoes book about altering worn clothes to give you some inspiration (hint: a load of ponchos and waistcoats).