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

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Interesting interview with JS. Thank you for the link. A lasting sadness is that when I was buying my wedding outfit in 1992, I didn't buy the JS jeans that fitted perfectly. (Cost was a consideration: even in 1992, they were nearly £300, which was a lot.) The wedding outfit still comes out occasionally, and the jeans would have been worn to shreds a long time ago but even so. I just had a few navy T shirts from the previous collaboration with Uniqlo, and they were the perfect weight, and an excellent black-navy shade of fine cotton.

I admired a collarless blazer a few days ago, it may have been from the COS or Arket leather collections; realised today that it's exactly the shape of my wedding jacket. (I didn't wear the standard bridal meringue, being 36, but a simple Jackie Kennedy style pastel suit in duck egg blue, and I wore it to my niece's wedding three years ago. It was a bit fitted... well, tighter and narrower than I remembered!)

I'm trying hard to avoid thinking about the outcome of the US election. It's a choice between intellectual pygmies, in an era that requires much better brains. Between two old men, when youth and energy and forward thinking are needed more than ever. I am struggling to keep some equanimity.

Yes, it can make despondent. Not sure what the answer is but I know what's being offered probably isn't it.

On to lighter things, found another sort of J+ sneak peek (although maybe these are photos of the old collections, I'd be easily fooled). Article here.

Bo, I think those are the old collections, but I wouldn't care if Uniqlo just reissued them! They were pure gold. But I hope that jacket is in the works, with the not quite wrist length sleeve. I want to display my gloves.

Ha ha you think I'm saying a word about the US elections after what happened to me the other week? Oh alright then. It is my considered opinion that the Democrat party has no more idea why working people voted for Trump (or at least didn't bother turning out to vote Democrat) than they did 4 years ago. They don't seem to have a clue how to deal with him.

So looking forward to an apocalyptic advent calendar with slippers.

And are you telling me Jil Sander did two Uniqlo collections and I missed them both? I shall have to atone this time, although I've a feeling it won't help me get more colour back into my wardrobe will it?

What happened to you Flo? I was offline when I was with my mum and missed most of everything. But I'd agree that the Democrats are a few sandwiches short of a picnic, while Trump is a demogogue. The whole process is looking like a shabby, corrupted excuse for an election. The political classes in much of the Western world should hang their heads in shame.

And yes, you did sadly miss two years of Jil Sander collorations. They sold out in nanoseconds, so I missed most of it too because there's no room to dither.

Is was on another board Xing - I recklessly ventured an opinion, as I am prone to doing, without fully realising that the US election is like Brexit on steroids. Anyway as you can see it's all forgotten
now and hasn't rankled in the slightest

I'm not going to get anywhere near JS for Uniqlo, am I? It's going to be like Erdem / H&M where the site crashed 30 seconds after 8am and by the time it was back up, they only had socks left.

I think the game has already run its course in the US. I agree Flo, that they have no clue who their supposed base is. Like in many other elections the traditional left is clueless and is driven by an ideology that doesn't serve their base. We've seen it all over Europe alreadu. They're the losers of the global economy and Trump (and populism) played into that, all he had to bleat on about was China China, a wall to keep immigrants out and promising to supporting local failing industries.

This election will be determined by white suburban women (not college educated iirc) and I don't think they'll be voting for change. It's no coincidence that two crucial pejoratives have become so exhaustively used on the internet since the start of election season (roughly January), Karen and White Feminism. They were used before but they weren't so common, nor so confrontational. It divices natural allies on the left and creates fear with that specific demographic base of white suburban women and that leads to paralysis which may persuade to vote for what's familiar or not vote at all.

Back to Jil (why can't she be president!?) I spotted this cardigan on Vinted this morning. Cashmere, and brown apparently. I'm uhming about it. I hate cardigans but it's not really a cardigan 'cardigan', potentially could be worn wrong way round. It's a size medium but fits like a small, so potentially a little too roomy? I like oversized knits but maybe this shape isn't the best for that...

I got a Lands' End catalogue this morning, with good early-bird discounts on cashmere, and there are several appealing colours (including a very fetching olive moss Donegal tweed-mix and a great-for-me blue) but only if you want a crew neck or a cardi. Alternatively, less appealing colours, but better shapes, in menswear -- in which case the sleeves will be waaay too long.

I think you're reading the US election quite accurately bo. It will all hinge on which candidate the white suburban and rural women like, and neither candidate really resonates. Law and order is a strong play, following in the wake of riots in Kenosha and Portland and Minneapolis, or an appeal to social justice, healthcare and harmony. And in much of Middle America, all those concerns with job security and education frighten the bejasus out of small tradesfolk. Ever since I lived there, in the early 80s, I've tended to think that small town Americans were doomed to face an earnings crunch, in contrast to their parents, who enjoyed all the growth. To a degree, technological progress has mitigated the pain, but at the cost of offshoring their jobs.

Love the idea of Jil Sander with Uniqlo!

I seem to have segued into a semi autumnal colour palette of white, grey and dark brown the last few days. I then watched a YouTube video of (Audrey Coyne) talking about a dark, almost maroon brown with white as a trend for autumn. Today I am in my almost maroon brown, cord skirt with a grey long-sleeved tee and white, striped shirt, doing that one already.

That sounds like a very chic organic minimal look quirky. In synch with the zeitgeist etc. I really feel the Seventies making a comeback, and am happy for it. Although I wore it as a 20 year old, I feel cheerful about repeating it, differently. The Telegraph had some charming pictures of Meghan Markle and Gloria Steinem chatting and having tea, sat on Adirondack chairs (the best garden chair ever IMO) in a garden in California. Both looked great, confident and stylish. Despite the 40 year age difference, you could not have said MM looked better than GS.

I watched Mrs America recently (good but was very conflicted over liking Cate Blanchett's portrayal of her character) and GS's style definitely stole the show somewhat and I did wonder if they overdid it. I do always think of GS as very style forward but I don't remember it being that glam, there was always a hint of crunchy academia about it, but maybe it was that glam at the time?

I'm quite 70s today, I've been growing a cowlick and now need to wear my hair in a more centre parting and since it's longer it feels very 70s somehow. White Ganni jeans which have a very 70s shape, high rise with a slight flare, beigey/oatmeal jumper and with my Margaux Lonnberg trench (which has a typical 70s collar and slouch) and camel booties from Jil Sander which also have a nod to the 70s in the detailing. Oh and my orange bag, not 70s at all but the colour palette is.

Must say I'm a bit mystified by any trend talk at the moment. The email newsletters from retailers seem to focus on scrunched up trousers shoved into what look like overpriced Palladium/desert boots. Don't think anyone is all that fussed about anything exciting happening down there. Pretty sure I need to draw up some bingo cards soon to mark down the variation of patterns, shoulder shapes, and collars on a zoom meeting, that's as exciting as trends seem to be atm.

Adirondack chairs are lovely, I agree. Both MM and GS look very stylish there, Xing. Have you seen Mrs America? Lots of great 70s style clothes, there is also a film of one of GS books coming out with Julianne Moore and others playing her, can't remember the title.

I've gone for lots of grey today, this is apparently also a trend (I do wear lots of grey, anyway). I find I can wear brown if it's dark and cool brown and I pair it with grey/white/black, the same with olive green.

The last time around I painted my bedroom brown. I may not go quite so far this time but I'm delighted to see it back.

I gave up on Mrs America After a couple of episodes and I only stayed that long because of the clothes. Which was probably harsh and I may well give it another go but it irritated me how they danced around the politics and never even properly explained what the Equal Rights Ammendment was. But I thought Cate Blanchett was great and I must confess I surprised myself by really liking her character - sharp as a tack and patronised by all sides. Don't know how accurate it was though. I don't remember Gloria Steinem being as glamorous as that either but I'm definitely contemplating aviator specs now.

If I looked good in aviators I'd have some already.

Yeah, it's somewhat worrying when you find yourself rooting for the antagonist who was a real life horror with terrible lasting influence. Sarah Paulson's character was also really interesting and it left me altogether disinterested in the great glamorised heroines you were supposed to idolise 🤷 it did feel disjointed in places as well, the whole Jews, black and gay contingent being told to wait it out and step aside for now was so randomly acknowledged and then shoved aside again. The lack of explanation of the ERA was confusing, most Americans won't know about it automatically and it sort of ended on not much of an ending. But the clothes were indeed nice but it's rather worrying when that's the lasting impression of a show with those ambitions. I mean CB and SP were excellent, but I've yet to see them act poorly in anything.

Also felt that could have expanded more about Republicans vs Democrat and the politics at play in that, especially as in current politics the assumption is the left is feminist and the right is not when that's hardly the case and certainly wasn't the case historically, especially in the US.

Cate Blanchett's version of Phyllis Schlafly was much more appealing than she should have been really... I enjoyed the first couple of episodes but it petered out.

The clothes were great, and only a bit more glam than strictly necessary to be authentic.

I generally enjoyed it, but felt there could have been much more background on US politics and all the processes they were going for, for those of us not in the US. As an aside, I have just binge watched The Handmaid's Tale, as it is now on amazon, and the actress for Serena Joy apparently channelled Phyllis Schlafly, for her character. I can certainly see similarities!

My grey outfit has grey, linen flares and I was sort of wearing aviators when the sun came out today. I do like a bit of a 70s feel too. I'll pass on the middle parting, though.

Exposition in a drama is difficult to do well. Unless it's brilliant, it tends to come over as a civics lesson. And how does a director convey the delicate detail of political philosophies without hammering? Plus, it's a bit easy now to understand Democrat this, and Republican that, but it really was very very subtle gradations when I lived there in the 80s. Because there was a pretty universal belief that all Americans were on the trail to better things in the early 80s. By the 1990s, class lines were taking shape. Americans like to claim that the USA is class-free or class-neutral, and that social mobility is universally available. And it possibly is, for the top 1% of every graduating class. If your parents can afford an Ivy League education, and you are bright and driven enough. If all you can manage is a local community college, then you are likely to remain in your small town, dreams unrealised.

don't get me started on the handmaid's tale, I fear I might implode 🤯 I tapped out end of season 2, I think, but it was pure torture up to that point. Season 1 I can hardly remember, so overshadowed by the season 2 trauma ride. But Serena Joy and PS is an interesting parallel. I also liked Serena Joy best

Yes, the unspoken class division, Xing, I marvel at the US and their blinkers about it when I think they don't even rank in the top 20 of social mobility. As a result they're stuck in the identity loop which pretty much stands counter to their founding principles. All those identities neatly keep everyone apart to compare notes, so it surely benefits some. It certainly benefits the gun sales, they're going through the roof atm with a ridiculous amount (40% iirc) first time buyers. Sigh.

Boardwalk Empire was good though on US politics of democrats Vs republicans of that era and how it linked up with social movements/religion even though it wasn't strictly a political show, but central to it nonetheless. They had far more hours to play with, though. I think Mrs America tried to cram too much and too many A list celebs into it and the story suffered for it.

I agree that the Handmaid's Tale was pretty brutal. I do think it shows an actor's skill (and writer's too) if you can make a horrible character more rounded and even sympathetic to an audience.

We studied the ideology of the American Dream in Sociology (late 80s/early 90s) and how it creates anomie or a feeling of disconnect. The idea that anyone can make it, when in fact not everyone can and the social implications of that. That and the idea of the melting pot, I think recent events show how well that's worked.

I think it's often the case that 'villains' need to be really well developed to be compelling, to understand motivation, etc. which often means they're of far more interest than the protagonist.

I think the US is only slowly coming to realise that somewhere along the way they lost it, great wealth (as in, it actually bought you something, not endless credit) and social mobility, but there wasn't really a defining event just an evolution of the global economy which turned the great masses from producers into consumers. It has brought a select group great power and wealth it just doesn't 'trickle down' as promised.

CatherineMaitland is that you? Not seen you in ages!

I'd forgotten you've lived in the US Xing. Everything I know is based on a couple of visits to New York and otherwise the telly - and I've never even watched The West Wing.

I bailed out of The Handmaids Tale too. There wasn't a point where I decided, 'that's enough' and I kept on recording it but there's never an evening when I feel like watching. And yet I read the book in the 80s and thought it was great, although all I can remember about it now are the executions. Maybe I was more optimistic by nature at that time.

Anyway in important news: today I am wearing double denim. I've flirted with black with blue denim for a while but this morning it's blue on blue. No I am not sorry. Admittedly I'm at home all day.

I’ve enjoyed a slow read through this(not previous threads, one can only catch up so far). Impressed with the sewing but also the single global conscious - I saved a cami dress pattern on insta the other day, really I barely see new fashions, I barely leave the house here, we are in lockdown. How do these concepts spread so effectively??

My recent emails from uniqlo uk and oz re ines de la fressange are a nice contrast. The aust headline cricketing vibe did not grab me but the content appealed much more- 3rd pic(I tried to capture two, might have failed). I wonder how much of that is it’s seasonally in line with me.
Not actually wearing much interesting from day to day here working at home all day every day!