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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Previous threads:

Un

Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

Sept

Huit

Neuf

Dix

Onze

Douze

Treize

Quatorze

Jesus yes, no-one is taking amazing photos haha, I feel lucky if I get the perspective somewhat right.

Many years ago (90s) La Redoute wrote in a catalogue that the style was "grand pantalon, petit pull" and that sort of holds up well, I think, and vice versa for that matter. I don't think your red and beige outfit looks ridiculous at all Microbius (slavic? Polish? you don't have to say but I can't help guessing) but it doesn't, perhaps, look as amazing as you want it to? Don't see why you couldn't teach in it but I live in Sweden and we don't do dress codes haha. Btw I think a cheap option to look at might be Other Stories, the bits designed in Stockholm.

Xing, I love a bit of plaited leather, but I'm not a bag person. Have for some years had a secret hankering for braided shoes though?

I spent a few hours this weekend trying to trace the trousers I want to sew a copy of off on paper but I think I'm doing it wrong. I really am terribly impractical so it's super hard to feel confident.

flo I looked at Annie Hall's trousers more closely and I think they are longer than mine. We are back to the question of length. Maybe mine are not oversized enough?

bo it is intensely interesting to read your analysis. I am amazed really, I would never have looked at these pics in this way. Also, I wouldn't have thought that some of this was deliberate (low shoes, for instance).

I tried a few more things - attached,. The trousers by now became very wrinkly

I think it's only deliberate in the sense that she probably tried a few options and found that something works surprisingly well, the pairing of the shoes and trousers in the beige was probably decided on colour. That's how I would have ended up with the pairings, I don't intellectualise it to that extent and even if she was dressed by a stylist I doubt they'd thought about it that much either. They'll generally have developed what works for different people by sense.

banivani thanks! I like to put distance between students and myself, and find that going formal works really well. You've got to intimidate them a bit Sometimes I strive to inhabit a mad professor look. On a serious note, there was research that showed that students are more critical of women and ethnic minorities teachers, than of white males, for instance, in their evaluation forms. Sad fact but it basically means you are still fighting stereotypes and as a woman (with an accent) judged on your presentation quite a bit. I teach them difficult things and if I vow students they follow me, if I don't they think it's too difficult and it's my fault. Somehow performance and appearance is part of the vowing. I could do a more contemporary look I guess but then have to sustain it throughout. Maybe I am overthinking this

Will look at &Other Stories, never went there!

Perhaps you are right and there is something in the baggy trousers that irritates me and just doesn't work and maybe I should just let that look rest and stick to straight, long enough, haha, trousers

xing everything looked in this thread looks interesting to me, and your bag certainly fits the category!

Yeah they'll be long in Annie Hall microbius it's a late 70s film which was when trouser fashions were at full puddle sweeping length. So maybe this is one of those occasions when I can't properly tell if something really does look good or whether it's fashion making me see it that that way! I do prefer them longer in your latest pics, where you're wearing them with something more fitted on top, and maybe that's another sign that I'm starting to get bored of the cropped trend. But I still think that, if your whole outfit is oversized, then a flash of ankle can help balance it out.

Happy New Year!
I always like a bit of Annie Hall vibes myself too … even if I get it wrong and end up in the crumpled department.
I definitely do not analyse too much silhouettes or what goes with what … I kinda like some stuff and other not too much, but that tends to change depending on my mood and what I am doing. I have noticed that an outfit that really worked well one time , a few months later doesn’t feel right anymore… also for me depends on how I am actually feeling or even how my complexion is at that time of the year.
Right - the boiler suit has arrived (finisterre) , the cotton material is just lovely , very soft, the dye is also really nice and it is actually ridiculously comfortable, I like it. Now, I don’t think I look Amazing on it, but somehow wearing it makes me feel good. I imagine wearing it on an every day type thing, as an easy outfit. Opinions?

The photos didn’t seem to post the first time round . Here they are

Big thumbs up from me on the boiler suit Red, the colour is really unusual and it fits you well, even in the back, which is always the tricky bit. Quite like the idea of one of those belted bag thingies with it. Is it easy to get out of for the toilet?

Yes, time of year (similarly have a changing complexion, I guess you're olive-y too), mood, schedule, etc. all sort of conspire together. It's far from an exact science, I can go to bed thinking oh I'll wear X tomorrow and then absolutely not be feeling it the next morning. Similarly I can be like a teenager with a new favourite song on endless repeat and absolutely wear a new favourite out until I'm over it. It's not that rational and I think the fun you can find in it gets lost if you're too serious about it.

Thanks Bo, yes I am olive-ish too.
The boiler suit is easy enough for me to get in/out for toilet trips. It has a zip that runs low enough at the front to help. It also has side buttons to fasten at the waist if you fancy. The one on the photo is size 10 which is my regular size and fits well. Maybe because I am small in the top and also very flexible on my shoulder and arm area is very easy for me the in/out. But I think is very well designed so you definitely do not need to be a contortionist
Plus points for being made here in the Uk, organic cotton dyed here in their mill, etc etc

Another vote for the boiler suit - it looks lovely, fits in all the right places.

This sale buy came for me today - www.johnlewis.com/brora-mohair-blend-jumper/raspberry/p5703835?size=12 - and it's a keeper, just the colour is enough to lift my mood a bit.

The boilersuit is really flattering on you, both the fit and the colour red.

A quick hello and happy new year ladies to share a link for Flo who if I remember correctly was thinking of relining an old leather coat:

www.instagram.com/p/CH_CdkQAFPD/?utm_medium=copy_link

I've really enjoyed the recent thoughts on style by microbios, style is out the window in West of Ireland between WFH, covid and family life, so the musings are a welcome break.

I'm not Flo but found that interesting too, Name, I mostly do lining like that too but the armpit seams are new to me and seem much easier to do than by machine. Do you know, did she use silk/extra strong thread because of the leather aspect? My inclination with silk and other strong fabrics is always to go with a weak thread so that it's the thread that breaks rather than the fabric.

Lovely jumper there too Catherine, great colour, I agree.

I'm very uninterested in buying things at the moment despite seeing alluring things in the sale. Don't know if it's lockdown or that I'm still dithering over a Zara dress.

I like the jumper catherine, Brora has lovely quality.

ThisName thank you, that's really kind and very well remembered. Not only do I have a leather coat, there's now a tweed coat that I bought last year that's desperately in need of relining - both on my growing 'I'll learn to do that when I retire' pile. I will save that Instagram post.

I love that boiler suit on you Red - the fit and the colour look great.

Where's Catherine's jumper?

Ah found it - great colour, great buy!

A very late thank you to bani - IIRC you had a ‘MN thing’ last winter with your recommendations for Scandi quilted / padded outdoor skirts. I managed to get one and wore it out today in the snow. Returned home with a toasty derriere instead of the normal numb-bum so am feeling smug and warm

Any other Scandi winter styling tips to share? (apart from layering like your life depends on it)

Good evening, all. My New Years resolution is to be --more— active on this thread!

I am trying not to purchase anything at the moment - my main effort is getting back down to a size where I can wear my own clothes, then will stock take.

However…I keep coming back to this Aurelie cardigan.

I should also have said that, whilst I am trying not to purchase anything, I have just ordered a(nother) Breton top, as well as a coat from Crew. I predict that the coat will look terrible as I am quite short.

Good to see you again Volte I like that coat a lot - fingers crossed for the length. The cardigan is very pretty and you can never have too many breton tops.

I'm tracking down a couple of things I'm convinced my wardrobe needs. In news that will surprise no-one, I've not stopped obsessing about oversize blazers but I realised I didn't literally mean oversize - what I really meant was a man's suit jacket: the shape, the lack of fuss and the functionality (I just love all the inside pockets). But I wanted one that fitted. I don't mind them being long and I can alter sleeve length but the problem is the shoulders and armholes. I bought a couple in charity shops to see if I could alter them but neither my sewing skills nor my 50 year-old maths O Level were up to it. At least I see now why my seamstress never wants to do shoulders.

Then I had a brainwave and started a trawl of the smarter end of teenage boy clothing, which took me from Marks and Spencer to Moss Bros to Armani Kids. And I may have found a solution in our local H&M who not only do a teens blazer in 100% linen and cotton, but also, for an additional £17, matching trousers. Will post a couple of pics later.

And then I'm after a second jacket but this time with a more - and sorry, I know this is a wanky expression - artisan vibe, one that I can wear with jeans etc but that crucially will also work with and tone down smarter, tailored trousers. I'm back working from home and will probably have retired by the end of the year and, while my workplace was never that corporate, I do have some smarter clothes that will wither away if I don't find a way of re-inventing them. I'm prepared to throw a bit of money at the problem cos I think that, if I can get it right, it'll pay for itself, so I'm still drumming my fingers for the Margaret Howell sale which I imagine starts next week. I have a few back up idea too, mainly culled from that Monty Don thread a few months ago.

Yikes massive post - I didn't realise it was that long, sorry.

A belated Happy New Year, everyone!

Now, I'm going to try to catch up on the thread properly.

ShangPie not really a styling tip, but we lose a huge amount of heat through our head, so a hat is essential

Nice choices, VolteFarce!

Flo I am with you on this one. If you find your solutions, please share! One thing I could recommend is American Vintage jersey blazers, really easy to use, work with smart clothes but make it more "interesting"

Continuing with the quest for the sculptural everyday, here is today's find in local Trinity Hospice charity shop. I love the hat, it completes the coat with its angular shoulders and the scarf I think, goes quite well with it. The oversized, or just too big in this case, white jeans are from bo early posts (I never owed white trousers before). They look quite cool but I continue having trouble with the feel of oversized trousers as I keep finding them annoying in their hang.

I also want to thank people on this tread as reading it made me pay more attention to things not normally on my radar and be more creative and open in my approach to clothes. I am pretty I would not have noticed this hat in its man's section appearance and with its shocking pink, before.

in relation to the hat above, that turns out to be bimba&lola
what do you think about this scarf from the same place?
I never heard of them before