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

[botemp]

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:

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

bo, I do remember leather in an advent calendar, but I think autumn is a real return to textures, generally. The manniquin sounds great, I'd love one, even if it's just to put in the bedroom.

flo, that sounds a great find! I have a few charity shop finds that we're complete steals, but I shop at our local ones regularly and donate lots to them too.

@botemp
I'm veggie for climate reasons, but enough other people are still eating beef that my occasional leather jacket/ pair of shoes will still come about as a byproduct of that (this is what I tell myself). Plus there's much lower long-term environmental impact of wearing leather, which will eventually decompose, than pleather, which will just sit in landfill for a millennium.

On a separate note, I was passing the French deli in town, and saw a stick-thin girl outside with a vary gamine crop to her hair, a black beret, black polo neck, black tights and boots, and autumnal-coloured corduroy skirt. Very Parisian and very autumnal! (And a matching black face covering, natch)

Eeek... My cobbler is closing. DS took my boots in for repair yesterday. She's used all the glue she would have used to repair them and replace the soles, and is quitting. Is there no end to the COVID fall out?

I feel your pain, Xing. Our cobbler shut down a few years ago, there is a shoe repairers in the market, but it's not the same! Ours did things like mending/altering belts as well.

Flo, that's quite a find. You get exemption status from.secondhand September, surely, you already walk around with a sash saying Mrs Second Hand

Vienesse, I've never eaten meat in my life, which incidentally is the best way to shut up a vegan as the browbeating ones usually barely have a few months under their belt (I do eat sustainable fish, but the vegans don't need to know about that). It's astonishing how often I use that to justify things, I've been known to feel up a bit of real fur, haven't bought a Hummer yet but maybe someday... Anyhow, yes, vegan options often have a terrible environmental impact, especially in the fashion sector so I'll be glad to see that falling out of fashion. Although, I think H&M (the brand not the group) was called out in the Amazon fires recently because they bought a lot of cheap leather from there. It's a decision I took a while back but not that long ago to try and only buy leather of European origin (as it then has very strict regulations that protect workers health and the environment) or secondhand. Although with shoes they never tell you where the leather is from so that tends to be a blind faith thing.

We're lucky to have quite a few decent cobblers and one that is excellent (but also a bit of an asshole). Never came across a female cobbler before, such a shame she's closing shop.

I feel I wear lots of secondhand, too . I think Secondhand September is probably a reminder for those who normally buy new.

I used to be vegetarian, many years ago. Then, I started eating fish again, as I felt healthier, and eventually decided that I would eat ethical meat. It is funny when someone starts on the vegan ethics, as if I don't know the arguments. I agree that vegan leather is not always so environmentally good and I have some faux leather items (my biker which is sadly peeling) they certainly don't age as well as real leather, so are in fact more "fast fashion".

Our decent cobbler retired, but was a bit of an asshole too (obviously a job requirement).

Last week's Style magazine with "Summer Leather" (not in the heatwave, I think, more transitional weather appropriate). They're on the bandwagon too, though our heating kicked in this morning as it is cold and bright, properly autumnal. I like the spotty/animal print-ish blouse and green, leather trousers at the end.

Mn switched the photos round when I posted. End of the page on first pic.

Yeah I think we can claim exemption quirky Must say that Utility label jacket really cheered and fired me up. I had quite a few pieces in the 70s but wrecked all but one of them. It never occurred to me they might become collectable.

I'm always sorry to hear of a small business closing but that's really sad one XIng - a good cobbler is a rare and precious thing and a female one even more so.

Cross posted with quirky - I also saw some colourful leather in a magazine the other day - can't remember which one now and I've already passed it on!

You can get an exemption too quirky, have a runner up sash (which means you only have to do some digging and expose Flo as a lover of all things new to steal her crown ).

Summer leather does come across like an oxymoron. Don't blame them, writing about fashion right now must be a bit odd. If there's to be an advent calendar this year I need to start thinking about it about now and I'm clueless, so not hopeful it'll come to anything even though it's probably the first time I have the time to spare in spades for it.

Where are the flat sandals in the first pic from, please?

Secondhand September is starting of questionable. Did a panic order with net a porter last night as it was the last day to use a gift card. Bought some cosmetics and then tossed in a new pair of tkees leather flip flops and an equipment top.

Not sure if I needed to add those in and this morning I've woken up with a hankering for a knit sweater dress. I doubt I'll find that secondhand and they're usually too oversized on me as the knit works too much and stretches in all the wrong directions, but I finally have good boots this year. This is the year to find the perfect knit sweater dress, damnit.

I'm also already giving myself an exemption for the new Uniqlo U collection (I'll probably end up sending it all back anyhow...)

Yes, very sad to lose a small female-owned business. Mind you she was as grumpy as every other decent cobbler needs to be to qualify.

Celtic & Co's catalogue came this morning and there are several sweater dresses bo. Their stuff does tend to be nicely made, wears well and is ethical; all natural materials and made in the UK and Europe. It will depend on whether the sizing works for you and if the shape and colours appeal.

I should have been a cobbler then - I'm very grumpy today.

I have a couple of Celtic & Co jumpers and I'm very fond of them. They're not massively cutting edge in style or shape but great quality, warm and generally made in the UK.

bo, black slides are M&S, strappy flats are whistles.

New Jil Sander collaboration with Uniqlo is coming. I loved the couple of items I bought from the last one, a long time ago, so very excited.

Ooh! I somehow managed to miss this completely last time so I'll be setting my alarm.

Just back from googling m&s slides (look comfy but not as nice in their own pics) and the Jil Sander colab. I'm really excited about the latter as it's with JS herself, not the brand, which she left with some noise (twice IIRC) and has been rather grumpy about the industry ever since. She loved a good knit sweater dress so I'm hopeful 🤞 I'm betting the men's stuff is going to be covetable too. Sometime in autumn/winter is a bit vague though, I want it now already, even just the preview...

I shall Google Celtic & Co in October when I can consider new things again. I think they're also the ones of sheepskin indoor booties/slipper fame and I'm also in the market for those.

My Chloe sandals came in, I'm very happy with them, except, despite sizing up my heel sticks out a little (like how everyone else wears sandals). I think it's just down to the leather being quite stiff so I should be able to move forward a bit once broken in hopefully. But I'll have a more critical session with them before the return period ends.

Yes I want a preview and I want it right now.
What if it's in secondhand September though?

Nah Uniqlo U is around the 19th I think so probably a preview two weeks after that and out before black Friday or preview end of January, collection in February. It better not be the latter scenario 🤬

Celtic slippers and booties are very warm and snuggly indeed, if that's what you're after bo. The Chloe sandals are good; that bit of braiding is a lovely detail. I hope they give and soften quickly.

Yes, I liked the balance between delicate and (for my comfort zone anyhow) chunkier feel. I really appreciate the thicker sole but rarely does that work for me.

Flo, not quite a preview but more of a sneak peak (but I love that men's shirt already) and the interview is very enjoyable too. It's started the cogs turning for me, anyhow, and I may just have something to go on with this year's advent calendar.

Interview here.

Thanks bo and good to hear you're thinking about an advent calendar although I'm slightly horrified it's almost that time again.

I'm still kicking myself, not only for missing the previous JS collab, but also for walking away from a jumper of hers (not Uniqlo - her own label) a couple of years ago. £40. In my defence it was a very heavy wool / cashmere and the middle of July and I couldn't even face trying it on. I came to my senses the next day and hot footed it back but too late.

Celtic & Co make great slippers! I have had them for years. I also have some of their boots and knitwear. Great quality and ethical too.

Flo, how do you sleep at night?

Hmm, yes, I don't like thinking that far ahead either. I'm hesitant about the AC anyhow as I'm struggling to think of what's next (but I actually think that makes for interesting exploration, it'll be vague and conceptual so you will all get to deal with me in my student days) but it's also the US elections in November and either result doesn't look promising with how bad it is there ATM. I'm fully expecting trouble on the horizon so I'm not even sure what state we'll mentally be in December (and I tend to sit down and do the actual writing in November). I'm probably a little too doom and gloom about it all and that's probably not helping either.