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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Previous threads:

Un

Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

Sept

Huit Neuf Dix

Onze

Douze

Merch created in honour of our ten thread anniversary:

Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet shop

I suspect my grandmother got good discounts because she was a repeat customer and they knew what she wanted/expected. My mother saved by mostly getting things made while on holiday in places where labour is cheap so she always had a nice memory from the holiday. It's a pretty good strategy although she wanted to rehab one of her most sentimental rings by upgrading the diamonds when on holiday in Sri Lanka but then got caught in a terrorist attack with bombs and guerilla fighters opposite the hotel they were staying at (which also got damaged and lots of fatalities) and basically had to flee the country. Thankfully she decided against rehabbing her ring there 'on a feeling' but otherwise she would have had to leave it behind.

I still think it's a good strategy as the process gives it meaning personal to you.

peterungarjewellery.com/products/offspring-bracelet-sterling-silver-1?variant=21559884742738

This is my bracelet, but not from this website.

bo, much nicer than some of the souvenir tat you can get, buying something meaningful.

Latrice I would go for solid gold, as Elle mentioned plated gold only tends to last a couple of years if you wear it frequently. I have some lovely pieces and I was even thinking in taking them to get gold plated again, I am not even sure if it is actually worth doing it.
But for solid gold I would try to find second hand. Every year I do a trip to a big antique market that comes to England every year (allegedly biggest in Europe) sellers from France, Belgium, Spain, Italy are found there too. Last year I went with my two friends and it was one of their big birthdays and she was after gold jewellery, so she found a couple of lovely chains and separate pendants and a pair of earrings that I bargained for her down to a very good price. I enjoy asking for reductions in vintage markets, sellers allow a percentage for this anyway.
I got myself there a gold chain (very fine and delicate) with two charms that touched my love of travel ... a pair of binoculars and a rudder ...
say no more ...

I'm wary with second hand as it's a rather large market and I feel you have to really know what you're buying. I know the pieces I own are 24K gold but it's from a very specific region so wouldn't feel confident spotting it at a second hand seller if they claimed something was 24k. There also seems to be a large variation in quality, our finest independent jeweler has lovely quality things with price tags to match but they also sell second hand pieces not of their design. It's just good business sense, people can buy something at the place with the best reputation at all budgets. I often walk past the second hand window display and you can definitely tell there's a quality downgrade, stones aren't as nice, the metals have a different reflection, etc. and it's not down to age. They're also designs that I'm not particularly attracted to, very safe, proportions aren't as nice, etc. It seems fairly priced but I suspect outside such an established shop it would be cheaper.

I sometimes nose on a French high end second hand seller's shop online that has in house experts (I usually keep an eye on the designer bags, the 'lower' end stuff not the Chanel and Hermes) and they have some beautiful vintage pieces that are really unique, and would very much suit the rest of my rather eclectic inherited collection as it's of similar eras. But if you look at the prices, you'll understand why I thought Elle's Cartier necklace seemed very reasonable, I just assume the prices are reasonable in comparison to the same level of craftsmanship new but I really have no idea.

Xing, didn't you mention a sister (or SIL) that worked in jewelry picking up good bargains with all that knowledge?

Certainly make for nicer souvenirs, quirky art and jewellery was usually what got schlepped back, I promise they didn't fob the locals off with beads. When you travel to specific places they also often have mines and tend to be quite a bit cheaper because of that. I have some silver and I think lapis lazuli pieces from South America when we traveled there, it was very cheap, even on my teenage budget. I just don't wear it much, I liked silver then but prefer gold now (thought it was very fuddy duddy), luckily I can wear both, only rose gold looks weird on me.

Elle, I've manifested two navy wrap coats in the Harvey Nicholas sale, both last pieces so hope they're still there by the time you click. They have a good discount but a high starting price so I might need to get more specific with the whole manifesting thing.

www.harveynichols.com/int/brand/the-row/386837-maddy-midnight-blue-wool-blend-coat/p3787374/

www.harveynichols.com/int/brand/arch4/413961-chelsea-midnight-blue-cashmere-coat/p3921073/

bo, I have a couple of things my parents brought back from holidays, a silver twist necklace with a very distinct style and a silk scarf, both from Greece, I think. I did have a forest green, mock croc satchel I bought in Paris, but sadly got rid of. I would so wear it now!

I like that Arch4 coat.

Yes second hand imo needs to be done with knowledge, I only buy british marked gold, as the quality is guaranteed somehow and I learnt some of the basic hallmarks. My other friend too is of a family that trades antique so I normally go with her and picked up some basics. The other thing, is that if I find something that I absolutely love I am not so worried about the exact carat or the gold as it is something I really like.

I cannot believe is the 22nd already. At times I am getting a bit homesick, I really wish I was in my sunny hometown now.

My DSis has over the years commissioned quite a bit of jewellery, but in Brazil and Dubai rather than in the UK. She met a designer who worked for H Stern in Rio when she lived there, and both she and my DM commissioned things from him. And Dubai's Gold Souk was once the cheapest place to have jewellery made because the (very skilled) Indian labour was priced in. I've had stuff reworked in Dubai and Sri Lanka, with varying degrees of success. We had a signet ring made for DS's 21st locally, from unloved/broken bits, and cast in sand from our favourite beach.

But there's a second hand dealer in the local market (Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley's mum, and really glamorous) who knows her stuff. Last time I looked there was a glorious Victorian spider brooch in gold with a large green tourmaline body and red tourmaline head, but I didn't weaken.

Re the escape map, I have always been a bit scared of doing anything with it, for the reasons bo noted. It's got all the original folds, and lives in the dark in an acid-free envelope, until I find a really exceptional person to frame and mount it.

Loving the coats, everyone, and would love to see Elle's Loewe cargo trousers. I do love a good cargo; the pockets are so useful. Or did I miss the picture above?

xing perhaps the map is best left to be taken out and admired occasionally.
I couldn’t remember the name, there is a special type of glass, my mum is used to work in a gallery/museum and she also worked in the exhibition side so used to mention that to me , but of course in Spanish and for paintings but silk is slightly different a quick search with silk suggests if it is really valuable best not to.
americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2013/08/how-do-you-preserve-a-100-year-old-piece-of-silk-and-woman-suffrage-history.html

Thank you for that link Red... While the maps are fairly commonplace, so nothing like as valuable as the banners the American History article talks about, but I think caution is probably the sensible thing.

This is why I love this thread from boots to preserving suffragette banners . Whoever said fashion was frivolous?

I'm on for a quick moan and will catch up later.

Hermes have kidnapped my boots!!!!
Northern Ireland is no longer being delivered to, though they might change their minds, but they might not...and is it covid or brexit....and I have NO BOOTS or I suppose

Ah poor you duvet I wonder if they intentionally chose that name for their business as Hermes may have been the messenger of Mt Olympic but he was also the bloody god of thieves I've yet to hear anything nice said about them on here.

Tis the season for ranting, I think. A few of my orders aren't arriving on time too but thankfully they're just things I bought myself not Christmas presents.

at Hermes also being the god of thieves. duvet, I'm sorry about your boots, I have just couriered something to France to my parents, I suspect it may get there the year after next...

We've just gone into Tier 4 from Tier 2 .

Welcome to tier 4 quirky
Sorry ... evil joke.

Oh duvet if I can magic your boots I would.

Sorry about your orders too Bo

Today I feel my tolerance threshold is at tipping point.

red, my tolerance too. It just feels like everything is constantly shifting. At least we have lots of food and essentials in, such as . Also glad we went out yesterday and got some official admin type jobs done while we could.

We're going from (squeak) T1 to T2, and my life won't change very much on the back of that. But I suspect it's a political decision, designed to discourage folk from flooding the area from higher tiers because they think life is more easy-going here. I am public enemy #1 already having dissed the local football club for spreading, when it seems that the infection started with a couple from London who came to visit and went to the pub every night. Plonkers. It is as polite as I can manage.

I think it's too late, lots have people have already travelled. There's quite a few second homes in Norfolk and Suffolk. My main concern is the schools. The parent's WhatsApp group already tells me there's another positive case in dd2's school (not her class).

Still tier 2 where I am but it won't stay there whatever Boris comes out with. Hopefully the AstraZeneca vaccine can get approval and we can ramp that program up, because I don't see any way out of repeated lockdowns of some kind unless that happens.

On the plus side my 87 year old dad has had his first vaccine dose and every single one is a small step forwards for everyone, so that's something.

Hermes are the worst, closely followed by DHL.

Sad to see Stella Tennant died today.

I just saw the news about Stella Tennant, yes very sad.

Yesterday I wore my lime green cashmere cardigan that I picked up the other day from a dress agency. I wear it quite a bit at home as is roomy enough order loads of things and warms me while leaving room to move around doing stuff. But yesterday with the lavender top underneath I just loved the colour, uplifting [although I didn’t feel uplifted at all but just wanted to rant and complain about it all ]

Today I hope moods are lifted for all as xmas is nearly here.

I came on to post about Stella Tennant too, so sad, she can't have been very old. Vogue article here: www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/stella-tennant-tributes

I like that cardigan, red, I have a similar cashmere one in that pale, lemon/lime colour, mine has slimmer sleeves. I find it surprisingly useful, I also like it with forest green, navy and charcoal grey. It makes a good contrast.

I did wear my very bright red coat the other day into town. We had a whole lot of chores to do: paperwork to sign, courier to visit etc. (though I might look back on those wistfully, now we will be even more restricted). Although, the raspberry red feels christmassy, I find I wear it more into spring, when it's cold enough for a wool coat but I want something bright in spring light.

I still have a dark, grey military style coat that needs tailoring from ebay, that will have to wait until the restrictions end. The shoulders are too wide, I took out the shoulder pads (it's 90s, but still has a bit of 80s silhouette about it) but really needs adjusting, which is beyond my capabilities. It is a lovely, long wool coat with a narrow cut. Mind you, if I can't go anywhere, I wouldn't have worn it anyway.

@Sickoffamilydrama I love your idea of wearing a sequinned dress with jeans. I may (definitely) steal it!
After a couple of weeks just wearing exercise kit I've excelled myself today with colour AND sparkles.
I was rewarded with this lovely rainbow.
I may have to change later because I have just had my Christmas jumper delivered. Better late than never!

So sorry. That was meant for a different thread. As you were....

Bani love those boots - sneaks off to google brand.
I also love blundstones.

I'd noticed photos of Stella Tennant doing the rounds but hadn't realised why. Awful. A really interesting and thoroughly decent person by all accounts but such a stylish, distinctive looking woman too. I wonder how far someone with her kind of looks would get in fashion these days. Hope I'm wrong.

Sorry to start Christmas on a somber note. Seems fitting. Love that lime and lavender combo. Going to wear the barrel legs today I think and a red jumper. I need something warm. That's a mighty fine sparkly jumper Jilli- come back and tell us about wearing it.

Favourite tea of the year last night: pies from our favourite bakery with chips and peas from the chippie. British cuisine at its finest. If today's meal is half as good I'll be very happy.

to all.