Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: Maids Cosplaying as Schoolboys are Going to Get Themselves Cancelled by North Korea

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Lovers of Parisian style and fashion with a conscious mindset and lots of chatter in between. Feel free to join in.

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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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The Maker's Atelier has a nice looking pair of wide legged trousers, Bani comes in an elasticated and tailored version in the same pattern, they're not so scarily overpriced in pdf format. I've also been meaning to look into Seamly which is a free online drafting program where you can enter in measurements but that would still involve a bit of work.

As promised, pics of my new bag, it's a little lighter green in RL than the first pic (but not pastel, just not as dark and ashy as it appears in that pic) and it can be worn in several ways. Normally belt bags look like a weird appendage on me but was pleasantly surprised to find this one doesn't. I had originally seen the larger version of this bag but it was a bit awkward looking somehow. Proportionally it fits me a bit like the second model, it doesn't look as small on me as it does in the other model pics.

Oh youse are all very kind. I’ll check out the patterns but you see I’m a fussy creature. Flo, I’d trace a pattern anyway, sure couldn’t I reuse it? I’m just so disinclined to go through the 20 versions to find the right fit dance.

So wait til I tell you, I picked up my late night shopping today and I think I’ve found a winner. For H&M silly money. Pic attached. They fit really well and are so comfortable! I’m not super enthused about the colour, I’d prefer a warmer grey or god imagine if they’d make some brown trousers ever but other than that I’m stoked. Took them all winter to come up with a pair of comfortable properly pandemic chic wool trousers. Almost regret not getting them in black too but I really don’t want all the black. I also got this linen shirt from a high street shop because I noticed that the shoulder seam was on the shoulder. I’m less enthusiastic about this since it’s a bit transparent and I don’t like the line in the middle when whatever you have underneath shows but I’ll give it a think, it fits nicely enough albeit not amazingly.

Glad you finally got some trousers bani

Elle I really love those sandals, and ditto for the bag bo

I have exciting news, I bought a pair of Balenciaga deep red proper velvet trousers from ebay, which cost £10.20. The description was badly written and they have been taken in at the waist. I took a chance thinking I could get the waist let back out again but they seem to fit perfectly.

seem as I had my shoulder drained and injected on Sunday so I am one armed but they needed tried on immediately so I will have a proper go once I'm allowed to move my arm freely later in the week.

I've also got an 80s mac/trench but without buttons and belt (so just a mac?); as fussy trench dont suit me, a blue double breasted blazer and a pretty floral dress (which I'm already having serious doubts about and will probably sell on), in a 2 for 3 ebay sale and we're £5 for all 3 delivered. The mac and blazer look good but I can't try them on yet.

Will post pics once I can move again.

I'm trying to not read too much about the war atm either, a lot of shit has been happening at home and I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water; so until I can manage better here it's headlines only. Your own oxygen mask first and all that....

God Duvet you're getting more and arguably better stuff for less money than my one pair of trousers there! Looking forward to photos of the trousers esp. Hope your shoulder gets better.

They sound like great buys Duvet and I'm glad you've found some trousers bani - they look good. H&M is such an odd place - it can be so shit and then sometimes they do something really great.

bo I'm not really into bags but I really like the shape of that one.

Xing I'm glad to hear you've been hospital visit free although selling a business sounds pretty full on.

I'm still not finding much through my usual 2nd hand outlets but I have just bagged a double breasted Massimo Dutti blazer with an outsize vibe but still fits ok on the shoulders, in some kind of faux silk which sounds grim but is actually quite well done, and also fully lined so there's a bit of weight to it. Very slight fraying around the pocket flaps but otherwise in great condition. When I bought it, I was thinking about those dreaded Christmas work parties where I so often struggle these days. And then I remembered that a) real live work dos are so 2019 and b) even if there are any, I'll most likely have retired by then. So now I need an invite to a meal-and-a-disco to get my tenner's worth.

Sorry, totally meant to cheers to Xing no longer needing any hospital appointments but got sidetracked by Bani's trouser woes (also cheers to those being over). So pleased for you Xing.

Yes, h&m is a weird one, I bought a wool jumper there around this time last year after some uhming and ahing on here. I only got to wearing it this winter and I had fully anticipated it looking a bit shit by now but it still looks like new and way more £££ than I paid for it. Do you think it's the extra wide elastic band that works for you Bani? I can imagine that gives a bit more structure than the usual inch wide ones.

I always think I'm a decent bargain hunter and then Duvet reveals her latest haul hope your shoulder movement is improved soon.

Sorry xing totally missed your good news

So did I Xing! But glad to hear it !

Bo the wide elastic is definitely a feature contributing to goodness. I got complimented at work today and my colleague asked if she could try on the sz 44 I was going to return and possibly buy them off me, she liked them so much. V pleased and simultaneously getting annoyed that I won’t find anything as good again for ages haha.

Forgot to comment on Bo's bag: That's a really nice, just slightly unusual shape! A bit like it's backwards but forwards? Really like it.

Life is full on right now... and yesterday we got word that DMIL's care home is closing so we have to consider where she goes when it does... she's nearly 93 and frail. This could be the most complicated item on my to do list for a while!

I am envious at duvet’s findings
Loving Bo’s bag

Oh Xing the time of your life when people should be able to rest and be sure all is taken care of for them … to be having those stresses… hope you sort that out.

I got hooked into following French & Saunders on Insta (yes I caved in and joined…). So I watch s cut of their sketches every morning as a ‘laughing therapy’ .

Hello bani! Been ages! So you found good fitting trousers eh!
Good trousers… some of my favourite items …
I kinda fancy a sweatshirt type thing, I do not know what it looks like even … just fancy that sort of idea of easy putting on a top that is comfy but slightly more put together that one I would wear for running or gym. Ok, open to suggestions for easy long sleeve tops, sweatshirt type thing. Some environmental credentials … second hand even better … so makes me feel good

Oh Xing, that's awful, so stressful!

Love French and Saunders! Miss French lives just down the road! We walk past her back garden several times a week, but haven't met her yet; she's having a lot of work done on the house.

Everyone's shopping is vastly more interesting than mine... very impressed by Duvet's Balenciaga trousers via E-bay. I NEVER see anything like that.

Thanks all for the kind messages.

Well, after an afternoon on the CQC website and a couple of phone calls, we have an appointment to visit what sounds like a really good nursing and care home with a vacancy tomorrow. Finger and toes crossed that it could be this simple.

All fingers and toes crossed for you Xing.
Btw - you seem to have quite a good selection of neighbors!!

Miss French is the famous one, and hasn't been here long. But she grew up near here and her brother has lived in our village since forever. The village is really not fancy and is definitely outside the fetish-ised parts of the county.

You're being very outing though Xing Good news about the new nursing home, hope it checks out!

Imagine if she’s moved to one of the quaint villages xing. She’d never escape the Dibley references. Fingers crossed for your visit today.

Great to hear the Bani trou-saga is finally over. However, I have one of my own - how on earth do you wear low rise bootcut jeans when you wore them the first time around?

I picked up a pair of what I thought were straight leg black jeans from my local charity shop without trying (changing rooms not available, knew the brand sizing would be ok, worth the risk at only £1). However, I got them home to realise they are ‘vintage’ 00s low rise bootcut.

I’m aware that Y2K is allegedly back so these are apparently now quite fashionable, but I have no idea how to style them to look current and not like I never left Buffy the Vampire Slayer behind. They are a non-Paris Hilton acceptable level of low rise (my finger is on my belly button in the pic), and have a gentle flare so are quite flattering in a naice kind of way. I have been wearing mom and boyfriend jeans, so these just seem a bit too neat and polite.

I know there are some amazing ladies here who are constantly refreshing and updating their looks as they age, so I hope you can advise me!

Apparently her pet hate is the greeting "Good morning Vicar"!

You're right bani, it's probably time for a name change. I must give it some thought.

Hope the new home is the one for your DMIL Xing 🤞

Ah Ab Fab always makes me nostalgic, I think it was the first proper grown up TV I enjoyed watching together with my mother. I own a sweatshirt per that description Red, I even got it secondhand from a consignment shop. It's this jumper but in sweatshirt fabric with more body that's interesting enough to go with anything. Bit of a useless rec though, but maybe Duvet can unearth one for 50p somewhere on the internet .

Shangpie I know what you mean, there's absolutely nothing wrong with them and you look fine but one person's fine is another's meh.

I think shoes are key, the young uns are all wearing them with chunky sneakers and crop tops and it's too reminiscent of the first time round for me (although I laugh at their neat hems, they need to be too long and worn down by pavement already, amateurs ). But diluting that original look, a more grown up shoe with a good flat platform would work, Alohas had some nice ones last year, in theory Birkenstock Boston's could work, I think I've seen some with a chunkier sole. Assuming crop tops are not your thing, something A-line with a bit of body to it that can stand away from the body like pic 2, but something like a safari jacket/shirt that fits similarly over a (dark) vest top would work too.

ShangPie my experience of wearing a look the second time around is that you only worry about it once, and then you realise this is going to carry on happening the rest of your life so you can either take to your bed or brazen it out.

I often mix up the eras a bit. I've got some 90s/early noughties velvet flares that I wear with a black turtle neck for a kind of hippy/beatnik effect. The flare on your jeans looks fairly gentle so I'd probably also try them with an 80s style voluminous blazer.

Or I'd just bypass the 90s (a derivative, overrated decade in my humble opinion) and go back to the 70s: shirts with a big collar or cheesecloth tops (hippy shops still sell them). Or platform shoes. I never wear heels but I still adore platforms and, as bo says, shoes are a good way of differentiating your look . For inspiration I recommend music videos - I'm sad to say the women's wear hasn't aged so well in my opinion, but some of the male bands look amazing. Mick Jagger has always been a stylish dresser who evolved with the times. (Also Charlie Watts but he's normally sitting down so not as visible.)

Rushing in to agree with flo about wearing a look again. I think once you've seen how fashion cycles, you get more able to mix and match old clothes with something different when they come back into fashion again.

And, in other, totally selfish, news... I have my leather jacket and it is just perfect.
Can't take a photo in my hotel room as the lighting is all wrong, but will try and post one when I'm home or somewhere else. Amazingly soft leather, very light but warm, lovely colour and cut, perfect fit. Have had two compliments already.

That's great news, AuldAlliance - I'm very happy for you!

Thrilled that the leather jacket is a hit, Auld. Rare to find a new buy that's an instant best friend, but so satisfying.

From the geriatric corner, I'm nodding along with Flo about not stressing over decades and second (or third) time round styles... and the 70s are definitely superior style-wise to the 90s. And the Stones -- the late Charlie Watts RIP wore a suit as beautifully as any man ever.

bo is as ever spot on the money re shoes.

Now to assemble an outfit for viewing a care home... fingers crossed it's the right one. DH will be so pleased if it is. I'm already in his good books for finding it.