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

[botemp]

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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I hadn't noticed your spelling.

What a lovely bit of news Auld! And the jacket sounds tranformational.

I think I'd be washing the other curtain too.

Attempting pics again, the missing ones from my Notting Hill post

It worked but took about five minutes will attempt more later.

auld lovely news

bo thanks for the pictures and all links. I studied them attentively. Trousers look fab [I like the wide fit and how they pool on the floor, more on this below]
How did you find the Joseph popup outlet? I just tried googling and couldn't find it. Never been to Goodhood either, now all on my map

I learned the term santorised! Thanks so much for the linen advice. I am so cross with myself for first cutting it, then throwing away the band that I cut off (!!!) and now finding it too short. I hear what you are saying bo about linen pooling on the floor. However the closest equivalent I could find for this kind of linen seem to be hanging quite high off the floor. I think maybe bani has an understanding of this Scandi look from her Swedish abode. I'll try to block my mind from obsessing over it, try to shrink the other one and accept a slightly high hang. Thanks everyone.

bani your description of Parisian agency makes me want to watch it

Swedes can be very houseproud/hygiene obsessed so I suspect pooling curtains are not their thing but then slightly above floor height works.

Joseph Outlet is here:

184 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RH, United Kingdom

Can't remember how I found it anymore, it's a pop up shop that moves around a lot. It was in Shoreditch previously.

Never sew linen without washing it first. Or be resigned to dry-cleaning. If you sew curtains without washing first, make a nice big wiiiiide hem. Undo it before washing, and resew after. I don't agree with Bo that it shrinks continously, one big shrink for me I think But adding a wide band of a different fabric can look really nice.

What Bo refers to as "obsessed with hygiene" I think is more a practical mindset. Out of respect for the person cleaning one should make it easier to clean. This is all going out the window is this new influencer age of course and with the tax reduction on cleaning services, something that benefits only the well-to-do. Bring back standardisation and obsession with practicality I say. Anyway, we do tend to assume someone will want to run a hoover or a mop around. Why make things harder on yourself and why treat your home as a stage set complete with dust bunnies. Simple and clean. I'm sure Danes love pooling curtains though Decadent people.

Unorthodox Life, that's it. Shite. Do all of you give L'Agence a go and let's talk about the style after.

Auld, so pleased the jacket is working for you on all the levels!

Feebly: in my defence, I did wash the curtains before cutting. Just not on a high temperature. Overall: thanks, you've put my mind at rest

bani I have a slight obsession with scandi although I did find it hard to live in Finland. I appreciated it much more retrospectively, after I moved to the UK. Their childcare, OMG. Children going to school by themselves. Babies sleeping in prams outside cafes. Warm buses. Well-insulated modern houses. Subsidised student accommodation. Endless weak coffee. Cycle lanes in forests. Cross country skiing tracks laid out in pairs so you can go with a buddy with maps supplied. Public swimming pools with 3 kinds of sauna, ice water hole, massage water jets, jacuzzi, 3 euro per person. I can go on

Thanks for the address, bo

Yes, it's one big shrink usually but it can still shrink in smaller percentages after so if you want it a very specific length for its entire life it's really a non starter. I think it's part of the characteristic of linen though, it's a relaxed look. If you want a more tidy modern style curtain you're better off saving yourself a lot of money and going for linen look fabrics, unlike linen they'll hold their colour as well. Linen lives and ages, that should be its appeal, although not to everyone (especially the influencer types).

I said hygiene obsessed because those are the origins that resulted in the great religion of practicality that informs much of Dutch/Scandi design practice that greatly concerns itself with the end user as opposed to the designer's ego (and, yes, we need more of it). But I take your point that just saying practical minded would have been easier

I've always found the hygiene obsession interesting as it was a way for those from the lower social economic classes to elevate and differentiate themselves in the early 20th century (it's not unique and of all ages in a sense, you still see it on Mumsnet with all the toilet brushes and competitive sheet/towel washing threads). It peaked my interest initially as it was primarily propelled forward by women and is why a lot of the Scandi/Dutch/German countries have such a wide economic middle class with a lot of influence. We have an odd tradition in the west to glorify poverty as a great endurance at a class level but treat it as a moral failing when dealing with the individual. By demonstrating their commitment to hygiene in such an intense way it very much broke that perception of the individual failing alongside other social movements. Obviously it was just one of many facets but it's the easiest forgotten one but in terms of Dutch/Scandi design it's had a very lasting influence.

Have you read the Nordic Theory of Everything by any chance micro, it mostly compares Finnish life with American (which does make it a bit whiny in places) but it's an interesting read.

Ah, I see, bo. Thank you. I will now happily live with my living curtains

Never heard about the book, thanks. There are also some pretty big problems, one is the problem of having a titular nation (or two, in case of Fi) and consequently, a true foreigner is always to remain an outsider. Not a problem in London

Very interesting about hygiene, bo. In Helsinki I remember special metal bars outside where women (never seen men doing this) in the summer would take their cotton rug runners (IKEA makes lots now) and wash them. So these are not Persian type rugs (never saw any in Fi), which could be interpreted as a sign of poverty historically, but although Persian rugs are washable, it's not easy to take them out to the yard for regular cleaning. It's interesting there is a connection between cleaning and design

Stopping by to say The Parisian Agency is one of my guilty pleasures. Probably because is so different from American shows, or even British ones. You might cringe at some bits Bo, but if you take it as it is … is quite watchable IMO.
I am happy because I made it to the snow. So skiing (myself very badly) with my family in a lovely sunny place.

red how happy I am for you; say hello to the snow for me

Everybody I know is skiing this week. Except me.. I ski exceptionally badly though.

Auld sounds like life is well and truly on the up!

Bo lovely photos. Looks like you crammed in some serious shopping and I hope some of it got converted into luggage. I had no idea of linen stretching etc simply because of the rising and falling temperature behind the curtain.

Bani brown and blue are a particular yen of mine at the moment … it never occurred to me to put them together until a few months ago and now I am obsessed. I liked the trailer of the French reality programme, I might have to give it a whirl while I huddle on the sofa waiting for the rain to stop (in May?).

Micro your descriptions of Finnish saunas sound absolutely magical, no wonder you miss them so much.

Red have a wonderful time skiing.

Yes, micro it's an interesting connection in Scandi/Dutch design. My grandmother (who originally comes from the hygiene obsessed bandwidth) was invited into loads of working groups to give architects and designers her opinion on functionality and usability as a housewife, there was a lot of discussion about cleaning 🤣. Still, at nearly a 100 she's giving her opinions, solicited and not, about the function and usability of spaces and things (she was also very active in making buildings accessible to the disabled, that seemed to naturally evolve from having to deal with prams).

There's a Swedish movie, Kitchen Stories, which is a sort of dramatised version of these processes where a scientist observes the behaviour of a man in the kitchen to engineer a better kitchen and records his every move but the plotline is mostly about the establishment of a friendship between subject and observer. It's probably not the easiest movie to find to watch though as it's from the early 00s.

Yes, one of the issues of the Nordic Theory of Everything is that it's very rosey eyed about Finland. The criticism about the US is fair but side by side it can feel unbalanced. I do like her basic premise though that the Nordic style system actually mean more freedom for individual citizens and as she examines the difference in the US she shows that it seems to be more myth than reality there.

Enjoy the snow Red, finally this time ⛷️

Attempting a pic dump again.

Pic 1 was a Haider Ackerman blazer I found in a Noting Hill charity shop (short version; the charity shops not on or right by Portobello road are actually well worth the visit). I liked it but it just felt a little too big, also tried on but did not photograph a rather boring pair of grey trousers from Margaret Howell, the price of £20 made me try it but it was just too dull even at that price.

Pic 2 was an H&M conscious cropped blazer in another charity shop (on Portobello road). I did quite like it and it was very affordable (£12) but I left it behind, there were some issues with the fabric puckering in places (it was a very unusual fabric made of wood pulp) and the jetted pockets were very fast fashion in finish. Things I could have overlooked for a fun buy but the fact it would be a fun buy that I'd wear a few times and then hang in the back of my closet for a year or two before being donated again ended up being the thing that put me of, it felt weirdly wasteful

It has opened me up to the idea of cropped blazers again though, maybe in a more useful colour for spring so it can function as a jacket.

Pic 3 is a beach/summer dress from a Greek brand (Devotion) I found in tkmaxx minutes before closing. I tried on a load of other things but didn't take any pics in the last minute dash, this is stolen from the internet. It's not the most amazing unique thing ever but it wears really easily and felt quite right when. I'll be quite thankful for it come nicer weather. I'll attempt attaching another pic of a model/influencer who is my height in a different print version of it and it fits her just like it fits me.

Extra pic

Auld what lovely news, I'm so pleased for you - and I'm not even talking about the jacket!

Thanks for all the pics bo. I think my favourite is the loose fitting burgundy trousers and top although it sounds like there were some quality issues. I still haven't quite got my head around Shoreditch turning hipster, but then I can still remember when Portobello Rd was decidedly dodgy so anything can happen. I think I've been in a very good charity shop on one of the side roads on the left of Portobello Rd (although I guess that depends on which way you're walking) so maybe it's the same one. Interesting that you're being drawn to shorter jackets again - still not happening for me yet although I'm sure it will sooner or later so I'm definitely not getting rid of any.

microbius I'm late to the curtain chat but I'm also in the 'wash the other one' camp.

Before I forget, if anyone is interested, Antwerp sample sales are on from 9-15 May (but the bulk of it start one or two days later so more like 11-15).

Quiet on here, have all you bots gone frolicking in the snow?

Last of my London pics, didn't take any at MH sample sale, I agree with Red that the Pandora dress agency has really gone down the drain, not sure it's the same owners. Sign of the Times were still good, I tried on a pair of Celine trousers there, gorgeous blue but double pleats really don't work for me.

Didn't shop much on the last day, mostly visited some great shows at galleries as they didn't require pre-booking, highly recommend, galleries in London really are on another level.

Must also admit defeat, if you don't need to use the Covent Garden tube station it's actually quite a nice area to walk around

I also really liked discovering the sort of Korea town area around Charing Cross. There was a great French-Korean cafe (Arôme) where all the pastries looked so perfect they looked like something out of a Ghibli movie and they had some interesting flavours, I had an excellent croissant there (wanted the Honey Toast which apparently is their signature product but the person in front of me got the last one ). There was also a really interesting looking Korean vintage shop but unfortunately it was closed for no apparent reason.

So final purchase, in another Tkmaxx , I found a pair of Nina Ricci trousers, very similar cut to the pair I uploaded previously (I'm fairly confident they're a version of the same pattern). I had grabbed my own size and what I thought was a size up, my own size fit but there were some odd issues, similar to on the model in pic 2, it sort of pulled in two directions at the top of the zip and in weird directions at the pleats and then it was a bit big and standing up at the waist.

What I thought was a size up was actually a few size up but that did fit well, Tkmaxx fitting room pic is a dreadful presentation of it (they really do try hard to have the most unflattering light in there). Colour in RL is somewhat between pic 1 and 2, and I was wearing tights (took those off later to try again) so it was clinging a bit but it is also too big but it was easy to see how that could be fixed to fit and have the benefit of a wider leg feel. I'm just still trying to determine whether to tailor it at the intended waist level (which potentially means the same issues as the right size) or wear it slightly lower rise (my preference for now as it's also a quicker and easier alteration, it just looks a bit weird when sitting down as there's a bit of extra fabric around the crotch but this is a general issue with wide leg trousers and me, I blame not having a penis). Jil Sander blazer I tried on with it was unfortunately too small, which was a shame as it was a bargain (trousers not so much but still a good deal, fancy fabric in similar colour I was contemplating would have cost more, but it was really £££ fabric so not really comparable)

X-post with Flo as I was taking my sweat time posting.

The burgundy top is mine (it's Dries van Noten but my most least Dries van Noten looking thing, I got it recently in the winter sales), and the bright orchid trouser I wore with them were my pandemic project. I did really like the Spanish ethical designer trousers in beige I tried but fit was indeed the issue (mostly at the back) but there's a few boutiques here that carry the brand so I'll try some more.

Yeah, parts of Portobello are still a bit dodgy, under the rail track it gets decidedly less picturesque but there's a nice side street there, Goldborne Rd with interesting shops (there was an interesting direct to responsible cashmere brand (Oyuna) and some of the nicer vintage and charity shops.

Attaching pic of the previous Nina Ricci trousers for reference, of which I'm convinced have been created from the same base pattern. Fairly sure she's also wearing a size or more up and wearing it lower than designed.

Ooh I like them, great find. I think I'd wear them low at the waist, they look good on you plus I keep hearing that low waist is back, which I must admit makes my heart sink a little - the last time it happened I ended up in dresses for a few years to get away. But hey it's not all about me!

red enjoy the skiing. It’s hard to think of a time when that might feature in my life again. Really enjoyed your skirt and top combination. You managed to make MH very “you”.

I love the blue trousers botemp, what a great colour. I’d be inclined to leave them low slung too. I often size up to make sure that I get the length at the bottom (I feel your pain microbius) and have the same crotch issue, but it’s rarely noticeable in motion and arguably gives more of that menswear feel. I swithered too long over the potential inadequate length of the Dries trousers.

That coat is perfection microbius. Also love all the other purchases.

I nearly want to go to London to see if those Petar Petrov trousers are still there and in my size! Your own orchid ones are still the star of the show though.

I’m also pondering the cropped silhouette. I wore these jeans with a cropped cardigan and I can’t decide if it works with my proportions or not.

Oh! Antwerp sales. How annoying that I will have to pass again. Fingers crossed, that week a very close member of my family is coming all the way from the Southern Hemisphere to visit me .
I also really like the trousers and hung low they look perfect.
Elle lovely to see you back! Gosh … a very long time now for me … but I remember trying clothes after a baby and trying to work out proportions, etc. on my body.
I know it happens all the time with natural changes, but pregnancy and post pregnancy is so drastic, isn’t it?
Now, I am a lover of a crop silhouette. And there is nothing wrong per say with your outfit, but you are right, there is something not quite right. Is it the colour of the jeans in contrast with the cardi? Or somehow the dress down feel of the bottom half versus the cardi which feels more put together? (Again that sort of contrast can work really well). I think you can definitely make it work (the cropped silhouette) with different trousers / different top.
I am really enjoying the snow. I just absolutely love it, even though I am the slowest person on the piste. I am actually wondering if cross country skiing would be better for me… Bani? Micro? Any of you have any ideas on this?
I have a bit of time while I rest my legs and DH, DS are in the pool.

I think because the trousers have a bit of a flare (or the trainers are making it look that way) you sort of have competing vision points. I think the cropped thing works well with a straight bottom half which is somewhat solid where the shoes aren't as apparent so the focus is more around the waist. I think that's also why I liked the sort of change up, as much as I like the long lines in everything with the oversized pieces it's getting to the point where it doesn't feel all that stretchy anymore and more like it's dragging me down a bit. I've attached the burgundy trousers (more on those below) with a trench blouse which also feels a bit of a play on this by having that cropped layer in top half, feels fresher in my mind somehow. And as much as low waist trousers are being pushed right now, I don't think a lot of post pandemic bodies are ready for that quite yet.

Ok, I tried on too many things to remember so when Flo said burgundy trousers I forgot I tried some of those and thought she was talking about the trousers I tried with my burgundy top and then Elle referred to them as Petar Petrov trouser but they're from the other Peter, Peter Do, so writing things down accurate isn't my forte lately. Anyhow, they definitely had a size 38 in the shop but it might be a bit big going by my experience?

I've found them here in a size 36, they were 40% off previouslybut they're running some promo of extra % off so they've gone back to normal price although I've often had a here's a 40% off code use it within 60 minutes code whenever I've gone on LVR and otherwise I assume it'll drop down again after the weekend. They also have it in black (also was on sale previously). And it's also here in olive on Mytheresa where it is marked down, they also note on fit they that they suggest going down two sizes. It is a staple piece in the collection though, it just comes back in different colours/materials.

I'm rather useless on the ski front Red, but afaik the cross skiing is fairly easy and safe to do and more leisurely.

I am now officially addicted to wide trousers with inverted pleats. Thank-you (slightly sarcastic). Never before have I looked at them, now can't stop! elle I think you got good advice, it's probably the shoes; but also maybe the dipped detail on the collar that is another competing point, to use bo expression and generally a complicated neckline?

red I adore cross country skiing. I think you need to watch a few videos to see how to do it if you've never done it before, because you can, if you want to, get a good speed (with good technique). It varies depending on the temperature and the snow condition but I think contemporary grip waxes are so good they can give you good glide at any temperature. If you want to go athletic, you can do so-called free style (so called skate skiing), that gets you tired very quickly. Classic skiing is so beautiful, gives you a way to be with the forest in quietness and serenity. Oh, I miss it so much; I realised last time I skied is probably 5 years ago if not more