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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bo glad to hear the coat saga is drawing to a close. Pics of the green almond coming soon?

Perhaps you could create an actual saga for bani’s colour-mad gawping medieval peasants

I couldn’t understand at all why they were called gaucho trousers tbh. My head was in planning my trip when I saw it so I quickly forgot it. But I have to say it doesn’t feel right to me at all that they call it gaucho.
My grandad was a gaucho, he had a farm (we still have it), cows, horses, dressed with a hat , gaucho trousers, all of it, and those culottes would have got on the way of horse riding and he would have had to put those pins cyclists use to hold the bottom of flapping trousers… so those are not gaucho trousers at all.

Have we just cancelled Uniqlo? I don't think we're doing this cancelling thing right 🙈 but yes definitely not gaucho trousers. I'm not convinced they're really culottes either but that's become such an odd catch all term that they can get away with it.

My almond green coat arrived and I love it, already worn out. It's a lot more difficult to photograph well though. It does still feel a bit big as I was only wearing a cashmere jumper today but it's so piddly thin I'll likely wear it with a thick jumper 99% of the time. I took a pic in store somewhere but I don't know if it's any good, my phone gets confused about what it's photographing whenever I have my mask on. Had a browse of tkmaxx, didn't buy anything but the gold section had some nice things in. Meant to go past Zara to look at the ader error puffer but totally forgot 🤦 I got fed up with the crowds of people far sooner than anticipated.

Great news that the coat saga has a happy ending!

I got back a day early so I've picked up the +J order. The light's already going (at 2pm!) so I think photos will have to wait until tomorrow but, in the meantime, I have plenty of thoughts. Important things first, the label clearly says, 'Gaucho Trousers' and even 'Pantalon Gaucho' so I'm guessing words have been had in the Uniqlo diversity department.

I'm very taken with them with one reservation which I'll come to. They're super wide with a lovely flowing, drapey quality that reminds me of culottes in the 70s - divided skirts as opposed to trousers - so I get the name change on that score. They also have a bit of a 'Wild West Women' vibe and I can imagine them accessorised with a high neck blouse, cameo brooch and a shotgun.

Is 'wild west' hate speech by the way? Ah well I may as well continue. One crucial detail for me is that the pleats are positioned on either side of the pockets rather than the fly. It means you have lots of volume without the dreaded stomach bulge. Very clever, JS.

They're generously sized and I can well imagine they were way too big for you bo. I sent for 26 and 27 waist, haven't even bothered unpacking the 27s and I reckon I might even have got away with 25 inch, although I've no intention of trying. In real life, I'm just about a 27 waist if I hold my breath. I think you also found them low waisted bo which is interesting because on me they're a moderately high (although not armpit high) rise. The hem ends at my ankle bone which is just where I like it. With my flat, chunky ankle boots there's just a flash of sock (or skin in warmer weather) when I walk but no more. But bear in mind I'm only 5'3.

The olive colour is for sludge fans only, but I'm one of them so that's fine. They look brown in some lights and kind of murky pondwater green in others.

They're also fully lined. My reservation - and here I agree with bo- is that the fabric, while lovely and drapey, does feel a little bit flimsy. I imagine it was the only way they could achieve the fluidity at this price point, and I definitely wouldn't want to lose that. But they're not cheap and I'm slightly concerned at how well the fabric will wear. So with that in mind, I'm going to leave them a couple of days just in case my heart hardens.

The jeans I've kept on wearing, which tells you all you need to know. Nice dark denim and a good shape and I don't know why I hadn't spotted them before. I upsized to 28 because I wanted that baggy-on-the-thigh look. They're slightly loose on the waist but nothing a belt doesn't fix and, while they don't give me thighs like the model, it's as near as I'll ever get.

Just @ing @faustina cos you were asking about them. Sorry for holding back on pics but they wouldn't be helpful at the moment - will do some tomorrow when the light will hopefully be better.

@Floisme - those gaullottes sound very promising - I am also a massive sludge fan! I'll look forward to the pics. Love the idea of accessorising with a shotgun and brooch. I still have my cowboy belt from my cowboy outfit as a child which just about still fits if I breathe in- perhaps you could find something similar to finish it off?
Did you get the rinsed jeans or the navy ones? I thought the rinsed denim was really good

Gaulottes!

Lovely to hear you had a good time, Red! Gorgeous landscape Nice to shop hecho en Argentina too!

Bo, v happy for you about almond coat. Now that's the sort of happy ending we like chez Parisiennes. Flo with her dithering there is letting the side down rather. (I like the sound of the pleats being on the side of the pockets. I have regained the weight I lost and the twisted front pleats on trousers are doing my head in. )

Two things to tell yiz!

Firstly: I follow a clothes shop on Instagram that's in the same building as the Textile Museum in Borås (formerly a centre of Swedish textile production). The museum has an exhibition on Bröderna Magnusson's line of Parisian fashion, created for many years under the leadership of the directrice Ylva Segh. Information about the exhibit in English. Part of this is going to be re-releasing patterns from the time. They started with the pop around dress that of course appeals to me something fierce. Links to it made up as a coat and as a dress (bit dowdy-looking to be honest). I want it. The coat! I want to make a sweeping dressing gown thing. I'll be watching to see what patterns they release, I love this idea!

Secondly: Yesterday was Lucia (St Lucia's day) here, and we watched the telly performance at 7 in the morning as is traditional. They do the traditional choir dressed up thing and some performances, one by Linnea Bjoern (no, I hadn't heard of her) who wore an amazing blouse made of ribbons sewn together. The comments are full of people saying wow the top is gorgeous and her going Thanks! What does that mean, woman, did you make it, did your auntie make it - what???

Not clothes shop. Fabric shop.

Ah the last link didn't work for me but I found the ribbon shirt by googling. Looks cool, I was expecting horrible shiny satin ribbon but it's more of a crafty knotted type folk ribbon but tbh I was more taken with her shoes I need to dig out some of my old acne boots with an extreme platform. Also, how can you talk about St Lucia and not mention the buns, although December is just all buns all the time in Sweden isn't it, best not mention all the buns...

Gaulottes sounds like an excellent portmanteau (another tick in our French appropriation efforts) and evoke thoughts of Gauloises without the lung damage. I'm somewhat tempted to trawl Twitter educating Uniqlo but then I remember the cest pit that it is...

Anyhow, back to Flo and her flimsy woes, I can't remember what I said initially but I remember the crotch length being really weird in relation to the size and had anticipated that in the right size I'd be suffering from visiting camels, luckily that doesn't seem to be the case for you Flo. I'm still of the opinion they were more money than they were worth but I found zero redeemable features in them so I was probably being extra harsh.

Urgh booster shots are being expedited here too which generally is a good thing but it's wreaking havoc with holiday plans so I'm probably not the best to advise whether to keep the gaulottes right now as I'm grumpy.

Also, my picture with my almond coat is rather useless for showing the coat. I'll attempt another picture when there's decent light. Instead you can have an entertaining the medieval colour gawping peasants pic of a Jil Sander dress I found at tkmaxx in a mega size (didn't really look ridiculously sized on, aside from the length) but it was more money than I wanted to pay to occasionally play at Guantanamo chic, if it ends up in the sale rack for a song I'll maybe reconsider.

There were also some really well fitting Jil Sander trousers, like really well fitting, but they were half transparant (purposefully) and I just wasn't feeling that. I really need to seek out JS, the brand, though, something about the cuts works well with my body, but hardly anyone sells it here. Also tried on some red Marni gaulottes (but way too big) and a black Prada camisole dress (too 90s).

Dithering I am practising mindful shopping I'll have you know. But I will forgive you for that coat bani which looks fantastic - are you going to make it? The dress, I agree, looks less spectacular on a real woman with a real waist.

I love that red/orange colour bo, it looks like it really suits you. Plus one never knows when one might be extradited to a US jail.

Ok back in a couple of hours with some gaullotte pics, all being well.

Sorry for delay - winter light and sludgy colours do not make for good photos, at least not on my phone, so I ended up in the local, fluorescent lit charity shop changing room. (No guilt - they get plenty of money from me.)
I'm still all of a dither. I really like that the effect is more separated skirt than trousers, which you can hopefully see. Makes me think of scandalous Victorian ladies who went walking and horse riding.
Tried to do a close up to show position of the pleats although I think Uniqlo's pic is better - anyway they're very kind on the belly and it's not a trick I can remember seeing anywhere else. And you know how I like a pleat.
But I'm still uneasy about the fabric - it drapes so nicely but already I'm watching for early fluffing. And it's not as if they're cheap - keeping them will mean no smash n' grab raid on the Margaret Howell or Toast sale.
I may need to summon The Adjudicator aka Mr Flo.

You do wear them well Flo but I agree the flimsiness of the fabric lets them down a bit. How confident are you in your ability to copy the pattern and make them yourself in a higher quality fabric? That would probably be my solution out of it. Also, don't Uniqlo have very long extended returns at the moment for Christmas, you could hold onto them through the other sales for a bit and return if something else captivates you.

They're a great colour Floisme, but like you say, they aren't cheap, so if not exactly what you wanted, I would hold out for the smash and grab option

I am a sucker for those type of trousers, you suit the gaullottes , they love you flo… do You love them?
I am not sure how much they were, but agree I would hold onto them to see if anything else grabs your fancy in the sales and if not you return them , assuming you have a reasonable return period.

I love the pleats Flo, they show up much better in your photo than on Uniqlo's website. But the wrong material, at that price, could be a dealbreaker for me. :/

Have been lurking for ages.. now need some wonderful sartorial advice!
What would you wear with this Hush cicley skirt (not the polo neck jumper it’s styled with on the websit as it would make me melt). I HAVE to have the skirt but a top would be useful

I was in Uniqlo today Flo and they had loads of +J collection in, I noticed the black version of the gaulottes had slightly better fabric than the sludge olive green, bit more substance to it somehow. To further add to the dithering and all that (don't mind me, I have no right to speak, I'm dithering about a Lemaire and/or Acne bag, though I'm partially convinced this dithering is as a result of the increasing likelihood our holiday plans are about to be cancelled).

@Phwooooar, where are you wearing it to? Or are you asking for just casual wear ideas? It's probably getting a bit past its expiration date (the combo, not the skirt itself) but you can't really go wrong with a fluffy mohair oversized jumper.

Also, I can't believe I'm the one saying this, but I actually think a knit tank top would clash well where you knock the fuddy duddy aspect out of the tank top without diminishing the fun out of the sequin skirt. One with a bit of a folsky pattern would work well, potentially.

@botemp to wear at home for Christmas/NY and maybe out out (but not posh out). I just overheat indoors in woolly jumpers but don’t want to look “twee” in sequins. Maybe as you say it’s going to be past its expiration dat shortly. Hadn’t thought of a tank top - last wore one of those in the 70s in my very young youth!

I'm going to claim the credit for converting bo to tank tops Phw000ar I think I'd either pair it with something fairly low key e.g a black T shirt or turtle neck (I.e. similar look to a thick jumper but without the iverheating) not as as hot a thick jumper). Or I'd go all out for full on glitter. Cos if we can't wear double sequins this Christmas then when can we?

bo that's a useful tip about the black gaulottes. I avoided them initially as it's just not a colour I wear much, but I can imagine the black might also look more dramatic as well as more substantial. Did you see what the grey fabric was like by any chance?

MrFlo sucked in his breath at first but after that he was surprisingly positive about them, or at least not as negative as I'd expected. So not the killer blow I'd kind of been hoping for.

Sorry a bit of mashed up repetition there but I hope it makes sense?

Booooo to cancellations

Phwooooar , if you tend to get hot with a jumper indoors a tee would be my way to go, with a crop chunky cardigan.
Or if you have a top structured / cropped , something like the photo , is in white so not ideal for xmas with all the potential to get splashed with food probably.

I'm so ashamed Flo tank tops I actually think twee is the way to go, an argyle jumper (I know I know, no jumpers) could do similar things like a tank top alongside sequins. A silk shirt or camisole in a similar colour would also be nice but I think it would be a bit too well behaved and a bit Germans at Christmas (nothing wrong with Germans but they make you Brits look normal at Christmas, they're very extra at Christmas and scarily serious about it too). Actually, an awful Christmas jumper might work as well.

I didn't see the grey today Flo but I remember seeing it in Antwerp alongside the olive and I think they were fairly similar, the black was noticeably a bit crisper iykwim. I've come across this before but it's usually in linen and silk where the lighter colours require bleaching before dyeing and they tend to be a bit flimsier or more transparent. I'd have assumed that in wool and mostly darker colours there wouldn't be that much difference, who knows maybe the black were just newly out of the packaging and the olive had veen hanging there for a bit?

The silk shirt was actually surprisingly nice silk, nice substantial woven type with a nice crispness as well. I still feel it's a bit too much money for a Uniqlo shirt (I think I paid around €90 for a silk shirt in last year's +J collection so €150 feels extortionate) but it would potentially be nice with my orchid trousers for an all over tonal look. I'm keeping an eye out for when it inevitably goes in the sale (they had so much stock still).

One of my aunties knitted this cardigan for me, which initially I wasn’t too sure about the colour combo but I actually quite like it now that I tried it on properly (was too hot in Arg to try it on).

Photo

Xssed post with Bo.