Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: "You gotta have style. It helps you get down the stairs." - Diana Vreeland

[botemp]

Lovers of Parisian style and fashion with a conscious mindset and lots of chatter in between.

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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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Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

Please report back if you buy it Xing - particularly on whether it needs anything underneath. The last time around a camisole did the trick but I think I'd want something else now.

If I buy it, and it needed anything underneath, it would get returned Flo!

Red, I wouldn't know tbh, I've never used eBay much (aside from very targeted searches) as it's not the dominant platform here. I have access to the Belgian, French and Spanish markets (and the Dutch one, obvs) on Vinted and buy mostly from France and Belgium (Spanish shipping is very high so rarely works out and Dutch sellers tend to be very unrealistic about the value of their items, also frequently list things as the wrong size) and IME experience (including outside the Vinted platform) the Belgians and French care for clothes better and are very honest about condition of items. I had one issue with the broken zipper and Vinted were very good with their protection service (which you pay a fee for at every purchase). I tend to hone in on not so hugely popular brands, eg. Sezane is sought after on there and the prices are nearly the same as new but a brand like sessun hardly gets traction.

I set Vinted up with some specific searches and at the very beginning their algorithm was crap and I never looked at the feed bit but it's really improved over the last year or so, it learns what you might be interested in quite quick.

Have you tried looking up your local consignment shops online? So many have moved on there or Insta, my local ones do a try on service, you do a personal shopping session over video and they drop you a bag worth's and you keep what you like.

On this subject, Bani any experience with sellpy? They've just set up shop here, I think it's part of H&M but set up as a consumer marketplace but with better distribution, quality control and taking the hassle out of a lot of it. I like that I can return things on there (albeit for a fee).

I don’t think I’ve ever had a stretch wrap or almost wrap top generally that hasnt needed something underneath. I have a couple of work stretch wrap dresses that certainly do. It’s probably specific to the meagre of bosom, but means I don’t think of them as basics.

I've always liked them but I've worn them as an A cup and as an F cup, and either way the wrap ties have always been the weakest link - when they slip, the whole thing slips. But Clare Hornby seems to spend a lot of time getting the details right so, if anyone can fix this, I think she can. Hopefully.

Me too time - I'm big breasted, and usually wrap dresses or tops give away quite a lot too much, unless I use a safety pin or put something underneath. Mock wraps are better.

I like the look of some of Me+Ems more structured joggers.

My Kettlewell wrap top does sometimes slip but it's better with a bralette as it minimises a bit or a cami/vest top under. Although, I'm not that big of bust. I use wrap/drapy tops to add curves, really.

Yeah, they never worked for me, I always thought they were a boxy people and breastfeeding thing, they just gaped and moved about too much on me.

We will find out tomorrow or the day after! If undecided, there will be a picture for opinions....

Fell off the Internet for a few days while I was sorting out the wardrobes 😎

Sellpy is shite. I’ve bought several items from them, mind, because they’ve pretty much taken over Tradera, but it really is 50/50 if it will be any good. The photos are bad, they make a lot of mistakes (male/female clothing, sizing misunderstandings, wrong fabric composition), are rushed and/or lazy so don’t post measurements, have poor knowledge about brands and quality other than the mainstream, sell faulty items because they haven’t looked properly at them, don’t answer queries, and for all that have some ridiculous starting prices.

I’ve never sold with them but a colleague who is interested in clothes and had a substantial collection did and they underpriced her pricey vintage clothes and she made next to nothing. If an item is faulty they refund immediately though so for the buyer that’s good at least.

Wrap dresses are poorly cut and fitted for the most part, as if the wrap makes it magic and they don’t need to work on fit. Boden do a good wrap that covers boobs (sometimes). But it’s Boden.

I returned the Arket dresses because I realised I hadn’t thought about them or longed to wear them even once so clearly I didn’t care. I think it was the sleeves - too long and fashun in the end. Did instead pop into shoe shop and buy a pair of boots in the “good enough” category (black) that I have to make up my mind about. Now I have no dresses or skirts so wear with said boots so everything is just ridiculous.

Look forward to seeing the Joseph leather joggers. Åhléns have a pair of green pleather joggers from Carin Wester on sale but I looked on the website and even the model looks like a toddler in rain trousers so I’m not enthused about the idea of trying them on to Expand My Style.

Forgot picture so adding now.

I have more to say but will be back after well bred pause.

I sometimes add a pop stud to wrap tops. I like them as, especially sleeveless ones, make my shoulders seem less wide. But they are usually cut for bigger boobs. And its a pain know if a stud is going to work or just throw off the line and look bunchy.
Also some wraps just don't work if you don't have a waist to pull them in on. (Not that I have a beautiful cashmere cardigan mocking me from the wardrobe)

I'm thinking of crocheting a slipover/pullover/jerkin/vest. The women patterns are woeful, a stoned hippy wouldn't wear them but some of the vintage mens patterns may work. The knitted ones look better but I know where my talents lie so I will give it a go and see if it works out. Obviously not dior couture sewing classes, but surely gucci had a bit of homemade looking knitwear in 2020

Thanks Bani, I wasn't thinking of selling with them (as it still seems more hassle than just donating, it's not like I'd send them anything of serious value). I had the opposite impression, the listings seem brutally cruel on the condition and had me wondering why anyone would still want to buy on the back of those, but if it's worse than described that doesn't bode well. They have a pair of H&M studio black boots, NWT, they're cheap and tick boxes until I find something I absolutely love, I'll go back to pondering the sense in it all now knowing about Sellpy in full.

I only like the colour of the rain trousers, that really do look like rain trousers, although they're a bit baby poo...

duvet well showed how to make that crochet looking cardigan, although that's knitted, very homemade looking.

That Katia Sanchez knitwear brand I linked to a while back also sells patterns, again knit, but I was taking a shine to this vest.

That vest is lovely bo like a little cloud.
I remember looking at the JW Anderson video a while back...it reminded me too much of cardigans my granny used to look down at. We always had beautiful hand knitted cardigans..not "rag looking things" like that
I would need to be able to visit her to cast on and off and oversee me with the knitting.
Crochet I can do. I'm thinking of this one. Either in this sort of wine colour or khaki. I need to go into the wool stash tomorrow and see if I have 3 balls of any matching colour or else I will have to buy some and that would be a travesty

Yeah it reminds me of one of those crochet blankets you often see on American TV shows draped over a sad looking brown sofa or in a college dorm bedroom 🤣 but stick it on a gender bender that somehow sends out a bat signal to the MN loons (I only know of this batshittery, I'm very sad to have missed the very much grown up Larries) and suddenly everyone wants to look like a sofa/bed cover up 🤷

That vest looks good and hopefully achievable 🤞for good stash hunting.

Ooo I like that, Duvet! Nice colour and textured stitch.

Bo, maybe sellpy NL are more brutal since you’re so direct and all. I find them vague “used but good condition” but no real descriptions. With the bad photo it’s hard to judge then.

I’ve amused myself by browsing www.seezona.com/ because I keep getting ads. There are some brands there that are nice to look at, I was a little taken by the look of Ores www.seezona.com/shopping/designer/ores silhouette-wise. I’ve also been looking at Britt Sisseck for a long time because once I saw a blouse I liked 🙄 and there’s a pair of trousers there that remind me of Flo www.seezona.com/product/kope-indigo-britt-sisseck

Yes, definitely brutally direct. One description was, 'The item is in acceptable condition and has minor defects and signs of wear (Washed out).' I thought it looked fine in the pictures, even the detail shots didn't suggest it's been heavily used or washed out anyhow, thought nope after that description. Maybe they got too many returns.

Links don't work for me (it's a me thing, I think)

Rereading it, going by the language, it could actually be German Sellpy doing that description. It's very German in description. They love using the word acceptable where anyone else would say reasonable or decent.

I recognise that though, I think they’re being cagey/careful so people have less reason to complain. Underpromise and overdeliver you know.

Me + Em seem to use a lot of polyester though. Some of it I like, but I’m really trying to steer clear of polyester even if it is the nice quality / recycled stuff.

Quite tempted by Raey denim, not the folded waist band ones, but the push straight leg jeans www.matchesfashion.com/products/Raey-Push-straight-leg-jeans-1311445

I definitely need to get on Vinted, love the joggers and I hope they’re as good as promised.

I kind of love the brutal descriptions. Frankly “The item is in acceptable condition and has minor defects and signs of wear (Washed out)” is a pretty good description of me at the moment.

Bani I did see these Zara boots and think of you. I don’t know why the description says “high heel”. No wonder I can never find anything at Zara. www.zara.com/uk/en/high-heel-leather-boots-p11012610.html

My mum does lovely handknits for my boys, she even has labels made up to put on them and always uses lovely wool. My husband just put this one in the wash on a normal wash sobs. I might try the water and eucalan and stretch technique. I keep asking her to make one for me, but no joy yet.

How is there not a brutally honest dating app with descriptions like that yet? I'd totally swipe on acceptable condition with minor signs of wear (Washed out). I shall name it Bluntr with the subtitle Sense of Humour Required

Ah those jeans take me back to when I was ten centimetres shorter and would wear Airwalks with them. When are we rediscovering Airwalks already, they were comfy. I like the look of them and is it just me, Raey denim seems very affordably priced.

That jumper looks lovely, I wish my mother was still around to teach me to knit now that I have the attention span for it. You could also try conditioner to stretch it out.

*very affordably priced for the designer denim category.

I'd like an honest house selling site - in my head it's called Wrongmove, and the descriptions would decode all the fake estate agent speak.

(jaded)

Sounds a bit like the Insta account Bani linked on here once. (I'm still traumatised by the nude Dutch real estate agent in the tub).