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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Previous threads:

Un

Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

Sept

Huit

Neuf

Dix

Onze

Douze

Treize

Quatorze

Quinze

Constituency event, bo. No ballgowns, just a very fitted bodice and a bit of a bop.

red 9 of September works for me; I will most likely need to be in a day's long meeting on the 16th. It would be great to go to the show together. Hopefully mm will let us know when she emerges from the stream of weddings

Afternoon les maids! Back in the UK with a crushingly jetlagged 3yo and a few NYC bargains, although not from the consignment stores.

I was 😳 by the crazy let’s be generous and say ambitious pricing at INA and Tokyo 7. Tried on a few great items (loved some red Balenciaga flat sandals and a Philip Lim jacket) but then got terrible sticker shock - even a Cos top was $75.

However, I got caught in a downpour and ducked into the Goodwill store opposite the doorway where I was cowering, and scored a long black summer-goth Helmut Lang dress, a great-fitting vintage denim jacket, some khaki Levis for DH and a few other bits for $43.

For the spreadsheet, the INA store listing is now closed but there are several others to check out - I went to one off Broadway by W 14th (or thereabouts)

Lots of people-watching around the Lower East Side for an eclectic upscale thrift store vibe, and going west and crossing over to Chelsea I got some more approachable-to-me ideas for urban summer style ahead of our coming heatwave. Saw lots of shorts + silk vests / shirts + Birkenstocks / clumpy sandals combos, and bags seem to be getting bigger again.

Oh I'm sorry to hear that about Tokyo 7 ShangPie - it was never bargain basement but it always seemed fairly priced. Nothing is forever I guess.

red micro 9th September sounds great - what time should we aim for?

9th September it is!
is 10.30 am ok? It opens at 10 am.
I am not sure how long it will take us but a couple of hours max I would think and if we can grab lunch afterwards that would be great.
I can also clear my afternoon, so if we want to head to see some pre-loved clothes we can too!
Anyone else who wants to join, just let us know .

Sorry, maybe overcautious but I can suggest you discuss time and meeting points off board, who knows who's reading along.

Goo to hear you fared well regardless of the ambitious pricing elsewhere Shangpie. I think many of use with great NYC shopping memories probably are coloured by when the dollar was worth very little and the European currencies were riding very high. Unless you're looking for American brands it often isn't really worth it, I know Zara is considered to be a very expensive brand there so I guess Cos is the same?

Thank you Bo for the caution advice . You are very right.

Bonsoir mes amies, I've been too distracted for the internet for a long while. Glad to see everyone doing well despite the odd plagues floating about! Will try to catch up:

Vyshyvanka - love it Bo. Genuinely! I see what you mean with the embroidery being sparse, but it's not to its detriment it just makes it a little different. Personally I'm all into folk clothes changing/not being static and all that you know.

My own sewing these past two weeks has, incidentally, been painstakingly making a mock-up out of old bedsheets of a trouser pattern I bought that caused about four melt-downs because I'm thick and don't understand instructions. Haven't gotten to the sewing part yet even.

I don't have Birkenstocks, but I do have a pair of plastic (croc-like material) knock-offs that cost me 6 euro and are this years sandals of choice.

Speaking of silk - do you know these American bowling shirts that are made of silk that's really thick? Where can one find THAT silk???? I'd LOVE trousers made from that.

Am off to Copenhagen tomorrow, ca 8 hours by train. Looking forward to it but have serious travel anxiety as per usual. Only for a few days, then up again through the south of Sweden for a few days then home. Will try to not fall off the internet again ;) Miss the clothes discussions, you've had some good ones these past few pages ❤

Argh stupid Mumsnet made me lose my post.

Anyhow, good to see you again Bani, how exciting you're going to Copenhagen. Wave to the little mermaid for me (I never go see her 🙈 but when I did centuries ago, there was a Noa Noa outlet shop that had nice things, probably not there anymore though...).

I don't know what exact silk they use for the bowling shirts there seem to be some expensive ones from Prada and the like in silk twill. I'm not convinced that's the original silk and I wouldn't recommend it for trousers unless you find a really nice quality of it (mostly it's used for lining and scarves). I don't think it's Marocain silk but that's probably the closest to the more vintage weaves of silk which tended to be denser and less super shiny and it makes for lovely trousers and is a lot easier to work with as it doesn't slip and slide everywhere. Scary expensive usually though, I bought some here for cheaper (it's usually £75/m upwards) but only black though and I don't know if they deliver duties paid as I bought there pre brexit.

You're also reminding me, I saw a great linen shirt dress you'd probably also like at Cos, it's a lovely deep dark navy almost black, but much nicer than black. I tried it on over my clothes on the shop floor over trousers and a top and it was really nice worn open as a sort of duster too. Anyway, know you love a good shirt dress so thought I'd flag it up. I might go back for it considering the weather we're having (but I'm currently protesting as I hate how Cos always releases the best summer stuff after the summer sales have started, I don't even get the delusion of maybe bagging it in the sale).

Lovely to see you bani and I'm sorry if life is still proving stressful. I hear you on the sewing - I've not made anything I really liked for ages and don't get me started on incomprehensible pattern instructions. I don't think I've come across silk bowling shirts, only heavy cotton and (more recently) polyester but I can imagine it's a great fabric. Enjoy Copenhagen.

Ooo Bo I’ve been eyeing that dress and been similarly annoyed it won’t hit the sales ;) have been consoling myself with the idea that I ideally want to buy sleeves that hit my shoulder, not dropped seams, but that colour is veeeery nice. If I walk past Cos now in Copenhagen or Malmö I might have a peek.

When I worked in a dry cleaner I had a customer who loved these American bowling shirts and lectured me on how great they were 😂 some were rayon and some were silk, and the silk is so thick you’d mistake it for the rayon. I was in Beyond Retro (big Stockholm second hand shop for youngsters who like mad prints) and saw one not long ago, and started wondering again why this fabric isn’t more popular and available for other things. 🤔

My travel anxiety has calmed down now (always does once we’re on the mode of transport) - such an annoying condition to have, serves ZERO purpose, not even a proper phobia like fear of flying. Am looking forward too 🙄 dragging a sulking teenager around the Danish capital 😁

Flo, it’s almost easier to figure stuff out for yourself and not try to follow a fecking pattern.

Malmö, try to refrain from burning any Korans while you're there 🧐

There's also a Collab with some influencer (I think) that I saw in the Cos stores, the patterns are very Dries van Noten (a little too close to imitation if you ask me) but they were a bit meh on me, shapes of the clothes are very basic.

I love the idea of a bowling shirt fanatic. I do know the type of silk you're referencing, I thinking it's a heavy tightly woven crepe they just don't make it like that anymore and I don't know why. It's a bit dull, as in lacking sheen, that's my best guess.

Glad to hear the travel anxiety is over now, my mother was also a sufferer (more highly stressed than anxiety TBF) and it drove the rest of us up the wall. Are you also usually a bit meh about housework but go mad with the deep cleaning for a birthday party celebration at home?

I'm fairly confident I make my own patterns because the pattern instructions make no sense to me

As a general rule I avoid burning books ;)

Are you also usually a bit meh about housework but go mad with the deep cleaning for a birthday party celebration at home?

shut up

I’m happy to inform everyone that I’m - secretely - v annoyed with husband and son already, they are frankly pains to travel with. Not all the time, but they seem to go out of their way to annoy me at least once every two hours. Am making plans to mooch around on my own for a bit tomorrow and think our son will be all the happier if he can do the same tbh. 😂

I saw the Cos collab and it was cool but boring clothes, I agree. 🥸

Saw a shop smack in the center with some sort of floaty kaftan dresses I might try to have another look at tomorrow. 🤞

Forgot to say congrats to Shang for NY finds. Aghast at the inflated prices in the other shop!

Bani sulking teenagers and husbands are not a good combo. So your plan to much around on your own in the Danish capital sounds like heaven to me.
I am sat here sweating my ass working , love the heat but this has done no good to my productivity. I have been pretty useless at work, tbh the rest have been too so nobody has noticed.

travel anxiety… don’t get me started … I know I am a right pain pre-anything: travel/visitors/birthdays/parties/etc etc and I always end up organising it all , because it gives me more stress to think someone else is being really slow at moving their arse and doing anything about it. My husband now just ignores me.

Sandals update : 5 pairs of tevas are traveling back to where they came from. I just did not feel too excited about them, the ones that were the most comfortable for my type of feet were not great to my feet full of bones so they had to go back.
I have 5 pairs of Birkenstocks coming to me which I hope they will do the trick. There are so many lovely colours of them but I just went with same old black in the hope of longevity…

some photos of the best 3 tevas, tbh they are probably not bad at all and they are comfy… but I was expecting a lot more , I am not sure if it even exists…

I don't know if anyone has suggested Arizona Love to you @Redandblue11? I have a pair and they are the most comfortable thing for trogging about in a hot city. I think they're a little bit more aesthetically pleasing than the Tevas but with a very similar vibe.

Did I ever update about the Zeus and Dionne dress I bought? It's absolutely and without a doubt the best Summer dress I've ever laid my mitts on. Just perfectly simply cut, suits my body-shape and exactly the right length (which surprised me as it was too long for the NaP model who was apparently an inch taller than me, I concluded she must have had an extraordinarily long head and neck). It will be lunching with me on sweltering Monday!

I'll get a photo then. On the back of that I ordered a silk top from them, Nap and Matches were out in my size so I had to order it direct, I shall report back.

Re travel anxiety, I hear you! Mine has been ameliorated by HRT so I'm hoping it was just a temporary hormonal condition. However, I have planned a circuitous route to Dubrovnik in August via Swiss Air business and Zurich to circumnavigate Manchester Terminal 2 and popular carriers. I'm hoping my plan pays off!

bani this won't make you feel any better but your post really made me laugh. If you keep a journal and ever publish it, let us know.

Hope you have better luck with the Birkenstocks Red. I won't pretend I felt excited when I got mine, just relieved at drawing a line under a five year sandal hunt. But I haven't regretted them.

I do remember that dress Tree, so pleased to hear it's a good un, Looking forward to more reports.

It's yard sale season round here and my haul so far includes an ultra small men's 3-piece suit for a fiver - presumably bought for a teenager for wedding, plus for £2 each, a Toast linen top (old school Toast in that knitted linen that was around early noughties) a shirt with some interesting detail and some sludge coloured wool trousers - a German brand and probably the pick of the bunch. I should disclose I also spent £15 on half a dozen other items that are already in the charity shop bag - you can't try on very easily so you just have to take a punt. But I'd have happily paid considerably more for the things that do work so I feel well up on the deal.

Yes, Tevas look a little unsubstantial at first glance, I think being so lightweight has something to do with the idea of it. I did see some video on YouTube that compared them to similar looking ones with some extreme testing and they were surprisingly hardy and durable, I think they fared better than Birkenstocks but that was a separate video (don't ask me why I enjoy watching shoes be destroyed, I don't know either 🤷). When I ordered a pair of Arizona Loves they arrived with one of the triangles that hold the straps together already broken, they've left a bit of a bad impression ever since but they are indeed very aesthetically pleasing, not sure how well they'd be for a rural walks type shoe.

Another one for awaiting the Zeus + Dionne dress pics. I still have more reports from Paris Flo, but I'm lazy, I did find the Jil Sander/Khaite lookalike dress at a Zara there though, I'm already thinking of altering it 😬

I thought yard sales were a unique to America terminology thing and it was car boot sales in the UK. Is it literally in people's front gardens? Sounds like you had quite the haul.

Yes it's an American import but a far less annoying one than Halloween. Yup literally in people's gardens or outside on the pavement, so you walk around the neighbourhood, have a bit of a chat, get some exercise and relieve people of some of their junk (half of which goes straight to the charity shop). Provided the weather's kind its a win all round 😀

Sorry that Tevas weren't a match for you, Red, and thank you for you know what!

Bani, as someone regularly annoyed with my teenage son, I am convinced it is part of the preparation for being happy for when they finally leave. Can't wait. It's get more complicated when annoyance is with DP and my 3 year old. They don't seem to be gearing up to go anywhere 😬Ah well, it's all part of the bliss of summer holiday. With Flo, I'll be awaiting for your diaries/ memoir

Shang, very interesting report on NY and bo, when and if you get around to it, Paris notes would be great. I've been thinking about you yesterday when I went to MatchesFashion sample sale. Part of my SampleSale foundation year. I was soooo confused by the variety and sheer incomprehensibleness of it all.

My conclusions so far:
-the best dressed people in London sample sale are South-East Asian students, boys and girls. Almost all men present are entirely from that demographic
-they know what to look for and how to look and evaluate and they move quickly (you are kicked out after an hour!!!)
-I tried some The Row footwear. Very comfortable. Still quite steeply price, so didn't get their loafers
-bought these boots from Neous. Recognise our discussions? Square toes, tick; weird length, tick;
Beautifully leather lined but still a bit squashy on my toes. Will require rubber soles and some professional stretching I suppose, but I like their angular lines
===end of report===

Thank you tree, yes the Arizona Love are more aesthetically pleasing but on this occasion I was after sandals that would be good on a path country walk too, but that also looked good on town/city. Although in my search I have to keep reminding myself That is what I am after … as I keep looking at pretty shoes 🙄
you seem to be very lucky flo to live in a place full of second hand opportunities!

very welcome micro

Bo I know if there is any technical detail to be asked about any item you are the one to ask, haha I am constantly amazed at the amount of information you know . Thanks!

Well I quite liked those green and black tevas for what it’s worth, Red. But if you’re not feeling it …

I brought three pairs of shoes with me
to Copenhagen (including my cheap sandals) and have only worn the white sneakers in the end since it hasn’t been that warm and I’m guaranteed no blisters in those. At least the other shoes weren’t heavy 🙄 Verdict on Copenhagen: I’m financially ruined but really like the place. Better than Stockholm for sure. If only I could afford more! Decided not to buy anything at the floaty kaftan place, didn’t love it enough for that price.

I did stumble across a shop called Boii that sold big tote/beach style bags from reclaimed saris that I really liked but they were 450 Danish kr and I wouldn’t get the use of one I think. I’ll probably kick myself later.

Am also looking forward to the Z&D dress!

Glad you find my travel woes amusing 😉 It’s less amusing when I have the runs for an entire day before we go anywhere. 😶

The teenager is not my only problem - unless I decide what we’re doing we only seem to walk around looking for fucking places to fucking eat, drives me insane. I cannot make mr bani understand my point either, so vexing. He genuinely thinks he’s carrying the party (when it’s clearly me!!!).

Flo your yard sales sound great, good finds.

Ah Bani I see I was mistaken in unmasking you as a long game Russian troll, you've been the poo troll all along 🙈

Anyhow, sounds like Mr Bani needs to be accidentally forgotten in Christiana, you can pick him up all 'enlightened' when it's time to leave. Think of it as adult Småland

I hate to be Debbie Downer micro but if your toes are squished into a square toe box I'm not convinced stretching and breaking them in is going to remedy that they're probably a half size too small. Personally I'd cut my losses and sell them on now as they're still new and avoid a whole lot of feet pain.

I dunno Red, the secondhand moments are getting so sporadic. I keep thinking that's it, it's over, time to either sign up for Vinted or get to grips with sewing, and every time I do then something crops up. But how much longer it's going to last I don't know.

I'm sorry bani, travel anxiety isn't funny at all. I think I'm suffering more from travel lethargy at the moment. I keep listening to friends getting excited about their far away holidays and all I can think is, 'What for?' It's like some people lost their sense of smell through Covid but I lost my sense of adventure (and I haven't even had Covid as far as I know).