Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: Do not ask the kock about les préservatifs in the food.

[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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That doesn't sound great quirky, sorry to hear you've had a bad couple of days. I hope the steroids are bringing you some relief

Thanks, bo, I'm asthmatic, but it's normally very well controlled. Occasionally, a virus will floor me, but I'm feeling more myself today.

Thanks for the welcome all. Yes Botemp we went to see Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane Theatre back when that world was normal, I'm very much looking forward to spontaneous adventures again. Coincidentally, she's playing at a festival near us in May and we've just bought tickets, can never resist a bit of Patti!

I've just had a dispatch note for the Ginzas, they'll be here on Friday, I'm very excited about the black and burgundy, I have the flattest arches possible so should be ok with the 40s, we shall see.

I love that Ciatan dress Elle, great wedding outfit too, I haven't been to a wedding for an age, in fact I think the last one I want to was the aforementioned Dutch wedding.

Thanks for all the Belcanto thoughts, I need to get an afternoon of holiday wardrobe-planning in at some point, I've forgotten how to pack for non-UK trips.

Finally, my husband and I are off to a film-themed fancy-dress party on Saturday, I'm thinking Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega but if anyone has any 'things you've probably already got in your wardrobe' ideas I'm all ears!

Interesting thoughts about Gabriela Hearst, I might stalk a few bits and see if they find their way into the sales at some point, The Outnet always has some, but (typically) never the things I want.

Oh, I'm just over 5' 8" Elle, so tall-ish.

I hope you are feeling better quirky, sounds nasty I am glad that yesterday you started feeling a bit more yourself
I like your wedding outfit elle , specially the necklace.
A film themed fancy dress party. That sounds fun. I would love to do a Bonnie and Clyde, specially at this time of the year with hues of that autumnal outfit… although that could send me off searching for a top on that same shade… and I would end up buying one… and a beret … and a scarf. And then kick myself when I remember that I got rid of 2 perfect tweed skirts years ago …

Yes, Patti's here for two nights in Paradiso early June as well. It's a great venue that has a long history with her, it's quite an intimate space.

The Outnet seems to be less well stocked these days, Yoox seems to be getting the better stuff in. But largely, I agree, the Gabriela Hearst stuff that ends up in the sale and outlets are the less desirable bits that make no sense at the price point and still make little sense heavily discounted. She also has a preference for the occasionally crafty detail that can single handedly ruin everything else that's good about it. I suspect it's much like Victoria Beckham's brand and unlikely to see a profit for a very long time.

If it was just me on my own, Annie Hall is easy to scramble together with things you likely already own.

For a couple's outfit, so long as you don't mind being adopted sibling soulmates my favourite is Margot & Richie from The Royal Tenenbaums. Fairly easy to do with things you likely already own, and accessories of sweatband and red hair clip, and cotton gloves are easily bought. The fur coat can be a beige trench coat in a pinch and still work with a stripey dress underneath. Any large bulky bag will do. If you've got the fur coat you can wear any stripey or light bluish colour dress underneath. The look is more in the hairstyle and makeup (that's easy enough to replicate) for Margot and the headband and sunglasses for Richie.

Normally I'd worry there would be others defaulting to Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega as there's usually at least two couples but I suspect this year everyone will be looking like something out of Squid Games...

Mr Flo saw Patti Smith in the 70s, damn him. I had to wait till 'Just Kids' came out (around 10 years ago?). It was a small venue and she was on top form and told lots of great stories including one about going shopping for a new T shirt in the middle of a tour and how hard it is to find The One. I think she'd fit in very well here. (I also think I probably told that story last time.)

Lovely photos Elle you look great.

I was shouting, 'Annie Hall, Annie Hall!' too but ok, I guess your husband might not relish going as Woody Allen. I'm actually struggling to think of many films, aside from the fancy dress shop kind - Star Wars etc, where both the leading characters have their own distinctive look. Do you have any vintage clothes Shrike cos, as usual, I'm reaching for the classics, e.g. Lisa and Jeff (Grace Kelly and James Stewart) in Rear Window. James Stewart spent pretty much the entire film in pyjamas with a plaster cast on his leg and binoculars around his neck, while Grace Kelly wore a succession of iconic 50's outfits.

Or Bond and Moneypenny? And sorry, no disrespect to Naomie Harris but I mean Lois Maxwell, who used to get allotted 3 minutes of film time and always knocked it out of the park. You'd need a pencil skirt, white shirt, string of pearls and maybe a cardigan around your shoulders.

@ShrikeAttack what about Lurch and Morticia (thinking of your amazing hair) - your husband could wear a dinner jacket and face painting and I bet you have a killer black dress you could wear…

Coming out of lurking to say I have no fashion queries or tips but it’s fabulous that old reactionary Ayn Rand gets a mention here. And very French to mash up style and ideas.

Thanks for all the fancy-dress ideas, Annie Hall was an original thought of mine but H really didn't fancy getting his Woody Allen on...

Margot and Ritchie was an excellent call, and could have been easily realised, I even have a vintage fur that I inherited from my grandmother that doesn't ever get an outing, but, I've just started HRT, the thought of wearing fur and gloves all night nearly pushed me over the edge of 'never being a sensible temperature again'. I also considered Ali Macgraw and Ryan O'neal in Love Story but discounted it because my head would boil in a beanie and duffle coat all night. See also Streisand and Retford in The Way We Were.

PLUS, most of the classic 70s films that I adore Stylistically have little in the way of husband dressing-up fun.

@mm47, my nickname for years was Morticia, I wasn't even ever a goth or even baby-goth, I was pale and lithe with a penchant for red lips and dark.clothes. And obviously, the hair!

After much rifling in the wardrobe we've decided to camp it up as Amber Waves and Jack Horner from Boogie Nights, all I've had to order is a wig, H's outfit is all my clothes other than his shoes, and he has the hair and beard. Will post photos!

The Ginzas arrived today but my Dad's been over for dinner so I haven't had the opportunity to open them yet. The package does feel satisfyingly heavy though. Will report back.

Ha Bob I had assumed the Ayn Rand stuff would put people off more than anything. Or perpetuate the myth we're all the alt right on here 😂 but yes, you're right on the French mashup of style and ideas. I've noticed BHL (Bernard-Henri Lévy) seems to be everywhere at the moment (I guess he has a book to sell) and even OH was commenting on his impeccable style.

Boogie Nights sounds a fun time, have you opened your package yet, Shrike?

Oh, and I forgot, I got a newsletter from LVR, The Row has stupidly expensive children's wear now. It's adorable and all but I just can't...

link to the girls stuff (but the boys stuff seems to be the same).

For balance @botemp how about Simone de Beauvoir’s “my clothes and me” in the Observer in 1960 ?www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2019/mar/17/observer-archive-my-clothes-and-i-by-simone-de-beauvoir-20-march-1960
I think it’s funny how she claims to buck convention, and then dresses quite conventionally!

www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2019/mar/17/observer-archive-my-clothes-and-i-by-simone-de-beauvoir-20-march-1960
Link didn’t work, let’s see if this does.

Interesting about Simone de Beauvoir Bob… thinking aloud here … it reminds me about ‘highly intellectual’ ladies in male dominated professions , which are not conventional in the sense that all around them is not ‘conventional’ , the fact that they are creating or thinking in that space . So dressing conventionally is actually quite unconventional as otherwise it would be expected to continue to defy convention …
I don’t think I am making sense
Or is it? in my world I deal with xyz… I cannot occupy my mind … so I just wear things that I don’t have to think or will not detract of what I am trying to covey.
Dressing ‘like everyone else’ so all that is valuable is what you do or say.
I think I see some of that in certain circles.
Not sure, thinking aloud here…

Sorry Red I know you're trying to make sense of something but I've lost the plot 😂

Thanks Bob that was thoroughly enjoyable. Poor old Simone wouldn't last long on these boards with her 1960s ideas on age and weight. Granted, she'd probably go down like a lead balloon on relationships first...

The comment section was also brilliant, I have a new book recommendation to add to the ever growing pile and I had a good laugh at the poster losing it that someone in 2019 wouldn't mend their clothes and went on a whole eco rant 🤣

To further shatter eco ideals, I've succumbed to the Outnet clearance sale and clicked checkout on these Dries van Noten trousers. I have them earmarked for a almost formal evening thing although the news isn't giving me much confidence in it happening now but I think they should be able to be worn casually with a black roll neck.

I lost the plot too Bo ! No need to apologise I don’t want to re-read what I wrote as is a bit cringe

Those trousers!!! I would have shatter eco ideals too! Love.

I take your point entirely Red. She really was unconventional in her personal life, living in hotel rooms, rejecting marriage and motherhood, having love affairs with men and women- including students. She’d definitely be flamed for that one on mumsnet! I wonder whether the french academic system which was her milieu from early life onwards, being so relentlessly competitive and rigorous might have inculcated the idea that to care about clothes was frivolous and unintellectual, whereas actually she liked beautiful things, fabrics, good food etc.

SdeB might not have been especially interested but she sounds ruthlessly efficient about everything as well as hugely competitive, and she clearly enjoyed the treasures she was able to buy on her travels.

Yeah, it did make me nostalgic about the intertwining of fashion/style and travel and how you used to have a wardrobe that reflected your travels (if you were lucky to do that a lot), it's all very samey samey everywhere and if it isn't you can have it shipped in without the experience. My GM would always have a whole list of specialty items (of all sorts, food, clothes, etc.) she'd give to someone if they were going to a specific destination, and you'd end up in the most interesting places. That tradition hasn't completely disappeared in our family but it's no longer quite the same.

Fun random fact, I was nearly named Simone after SdB, I'm rather glad they went with a different femenist author instead.

I don't know Bob, I think French intellectuals have always railed against the Bourgeoisie rather than the traditional power at the top, her reluctance to be shown care about clothes feels, to me, more in line with that as a typical bourgeois female preoccupation of caring about how one is perceived, rather than that it was a condemned subject intellectually, but I'll report back with what 'At the Existentialist Café' reveals.

Thanks for that link Bob - I'm going to read it properly over coffee but, if that first paragraph's anything to go by, Simone de Beauvoir sounds just like those posters who swoop in every so often to tell us all off for talking about clothes. But, as I've never seen a photo of her where she wasn't looking immaculate - and very cool too in my opinion, I don't believe a word of it.

I've finished it now. Oh my, those treasures.... she is so going to get cancelled

And the comments are marvellous - the one complaining because The Guardian 'uncritically reproduces it'... What has happened to that newspaper? Thanks again Bob - great read.

While I'm here - and then I'll let someone else have a word - I've had an email from The Makers Atelier about this online course if any embroiderers are interested?
www.textiletoursofparis.com/classes-workshops

Haha, yes the comment section is brilliant and also rather blind they're reading The Observer. There were also some overly sycophant types that probably wouldn't be so forgiving if it were anyone else.

Anyhow, #SimonedeBeaivoirIsCancelled #BurnTheWitch probably should have included the 👏emoji ad nauseam in there somewhere...

Apologies, meant to post this yesterday but Jil Sander and Uniqlo are back on for FW21 just a teaser for now.

Interesting embroidery link, thanks Flo. I'm kind of interested as I'd like to be able to do it well but I'm just not much of a fan of embroidery so I don't know if I'd ever have use for it.

I have ordered a couple of pairs of Açai outdoor winter trousers in two sizes in graphite , I will report back to xing. Also a pair of thermal winter leggings with a pocket for the phone. I am hoping they will be toastie for winter walks and also look good.