Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: For the Love of Well Dressed Women in Repose

[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

Treize

I agree that the white dress looks good on you, bo, but if it doesn't feel like you fair enough. I remember buying a wrap dress with a graphic 70s print that really suited me, but I felt like an imposter in it.

Elle, yes quite an Isabel Marant aesthetic. I do like slightly boho stuff in warmer weather (the old indie kid in me) but need to find ways to make it wearable ie very diluted.

Well if you don't like 'lovely' I'm the last person to complain bo - I've far too many triggers of my own. I agree it's not exactly fashion forward but it does look .... dunno would 'elegant' or 'classy' work any better? But if it doesn't feel right then that's the end of it.

I didn't take photos but I am distinctly underwhelmed by my +J buys that I picked up and tried on yesterday. Fabrics are good bla bla though.

The sweatpants were very slim fit. I might have been better off with an XL, but I think they would have been baggier around the waist then I ideally like. Most annoyingly they felt very low in the back, a bit skimpily cut in the arse-al region. Not sure an XL would fix that actually unless much larger. Maybe even the mens' version would have fit better?

The hoodie, despite the glowing endorsements, I don't really see the point of at first try. I felt like I was wearing some sort of Little Red Riding Hood cape but blue. It also looked ri-di-cu-lous over the skimpy tight trousers, which is something I should have foreseen. I easily look like an apple with two popsicle sticks stuck into it despite my generous arse so should avoid those looks. And I can't really, now when I've cooled down, think of when I would ever need such a hoodie?

The oversize supima cotton shirt is nice as far as those things go but I don't like the fit and really I should have known better because I don't think it's my colour. But that one I might play with a little before deciding whether to return, and also look at the colour in daylight. I admit that I was just throwing something in the basket though, sadly.

Oh bani what a bummer, although kind of interesting how the same item of clothing can elicit such different responses.

I must admit, if you'd held a gun to my head and told me to pick out something for you I'd have gone for a dress like bo's (though I'm not sure whether you'd have wanted sleeves?) or the wide leg trousers. Disappointing though and I feel for you.

I agree completely Flo but yes, I'd have wanted sleeves ideally and they didn't make the wide leg trousers in my size the fuckers. So I thought why not some snazzier leasure wear? Fool that I am.

Sing it with me to the tune of Monty Python's I like Chinese: I like proper shops (well, you'll have to write the rest yourself I am ostensibly at work)

Oh Lord me too. Proper shops where have you gone? There will soon be none left round these parts.

I think getting the right size is a bit of an issue with these +J collections. The white dress and black are the same dress just different sizes, in my ideal world I'd have the top half in the black size and the bottom in the white size. As seen above with black dress it can look really bleh and awful in the wrong size and lovely in another. I do think it's an issue for me that I'm too tall for my size at Uniqlo as everything just sits at the wrong place, I've never been able to wear anything in petite sizing either for the same reason.

For future reference: I'm equally triggered by elegant and classy Flo 🤦 that's the stuff that comes relatively easy to me, but it doesn't feel like me iykwim and when people compliment me on that I always get the sense they haven't really bothered to get to know me, just surface scanning, though I appreciate it's something a lot of people aim for where I'm really pleased if I do casual well as that's more challenging for me. This is probably why I have issues with hairdressers as they think I want coiffed elegant high maintenance hair...

So I lied, it does say 'gains' on my shirt sort of, in the white letters it says "protest against" and then indifférence repeated as the black columns. I bought it on a whim in Paris when it was meant to be warm weather but the last day it was suddenly very cold. It's by each X other and it's the nicest t-shirt material, weighty and soft, but the designs are a bit eh, but I've grown to like this a lot just by how it wears and washes.

www-vogue-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/article/violette-serrat-french-girl-make-up?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&amp&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=16171830407600&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.co.uk%2Fbeauty%2Farticle%2Fviolette-serrat-french-girl-make-up

Viollette has a makeup/beauty brand out. That's a ridiculously long link.

bo, I know exactly what you mean about lovely, elegant, classy.

Weird that Vogue UK (link doesn't work but I did see the announcement pop up on my YouTube feed) is pushing it since it seems to be US only for now.

I don't know, I have extreme beauty fatigue, and really don't see the point of another new brand and the French girl thing is beginning to wear thin as a marketing ploy when Violette has quite an interesting hook of her own without the need of but it's French.

No idea what happened to that link.

I'm underwhelmed by my Arket dresses, I agree bo, the sizing is weird. Both are lovely fabric, the velvet one is obviously made for someone pear shaped, as it was looser on the hips and I could barely do it up, the ruching came up really high more like collarbone, so sat strangely www.arket.com/en_gbp/women/dresses/product.ruched-velvet-dress-grey.0914926001.html (hope the link works this time) and the black and white one was not black and white, but off white and like a tent. They are the same size.

www.arket.com/en_gbp/women/dresses/product.printed-a-line-dress-beige.0803465002.html the other dress, I know it's supposed to be looser but it really was very shapeless and not white.

I see the link says beige, but the website says black/white. Poor descriptions are not exactly helpful...

They also call it a 'subtle volume', fibbers. Shame they didn't work out, quirky. Not sure what's up with the H&M group usually it's just H&M that's all over the place with size and fit but now I had it in both Arket and Other Stories, and the H&M Simone Rocha collab (which usually are pretty size consistent, in line with designer sizing).

bo subtle volume! It was not remotely subtle. I wish we still had standard sizing, especially with online shopping.

subtle volume my hole

But speaking of subtle volume. I’m sort of warming to the Uniqlo shirt? Not sure though, still don’t think fit is great. Am adding a photo so you can see the trousers that don’t fit great either haha but they are so comfortable 🤷‍♀️! Mr bani likes it but admits he just likes shirts a lot so might be biased.

I really like it Bani, the colour is a great hue and it really makes both pieces pop without clashing and being blindingly bright, it's a nice harmony.

Also, I'd be none the wiser about poor fit of trousers if you hadn't been pointing it out

That's a very wearable combination bani. I'm with bo. Perfectionist is good, but you can search a long time.

I also agree, the blue shirt and red trousers look great. Bright but not too bright.

Bani I think the shirt looks great. Nice deep colour and great sheen to the fabric. think the fit looks fine, slightly streched cos you've your arms far back, but even with that the placket is still sitting well so I'd say it's a keeper. Shame about the tracksuit.

My selection was a bit of a mixed bag.

First up the jacket. I really like this. It's really well made, nice fabric and properly finished. I can wear it at least two ways. Firstly to slightly lift my leggings and runners park uniform and secondly in a 90s revival Noel Gallagher tribute way. The good is really generous which is great. I hate a hood with no room for a ponytail.

The sweaters, as expected were miles too big. The high neckline means that they don't work as oversized and just give me a butch vibe. I ordered the small too which are a nice fit. Mediums will be returned. If anyone wants them happy to pass them on at cost of they're still out of stock on the website.

Next the white shirt in a small. Not really feeling this too be honest. Too much volume and neither structured nor soft. It's fine, but not a keeper.

Finally the dress. Wow this feel great, fabric is soooo good, but the fit is so weird. It's massive around the armholes. Might keep stalking a small return or contemplate having this one tweaked.

I like the jacket Elle, is the white shirt the same as my white shirt? I like mine but it's bigger on me and I think that does make a difference to how it fits, it seems to be a running theme of +J, they must get so many returns.

Well I'd offer you my dress in a size small but I already sent it back. Probably best to order from them anyhow as I liked it even less in a size down. The linen blend trousers are the same material (and it's so nice, I agree, it's so aggravating how nicely made it is as well as being beautiful material and then for it to be weird on) they didn't grab my attention previously but on the back of the fabric I might order them if they come back in stock but clueless about size now though...

I liked the look of the white dress but seeing the photos, I'm glad I didn't buy it.

Arket is so difficult, I've never found anything from there that fits me yet. I think I would have to head to a shop and try things on to get an idea.

I like the shirt and trousers @banivani

In other news I bought some new pyjamas (it seems ridiculously hard to find plain ones) and a purse. Not terribly exciting!

Bani I am absolutely loving your shirt and those trousers are cool too! Both together look great IMO.
I am enjoying bo and elle photos too great to see again new clothes.
What pyjamas did you get catherine?

Oh and I did a LOL when Elle wrote ‘..If you’re on the hunt for an ugly shoe would you consider a fisherman’s sandal...’. Hunt for ugly shoe

These ones - www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-lucia-yarn-dye-stripe-cotton-pyjama-set/light-pink/p4833264

I forgot to say I added some stripey summery coloured socks as well.