Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: Always Have a Ball Gown at the Ready in Celebration of Your Enemy's Demise

[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

Quinze

Seize

Thanks, bo.

Thanks for the new thread, to which I am determined to contribute more regularly.

Great title as always Bo!

ok, after having a cold shower I tried the Birkenstocks again and these might be the ones I am keeping.
the blue ones are Eva (like croc type material) and the others are the sonoras (thinner straps than Milanos and different sole, more trekking type).
My whole foot actually fits inside (just) and from what I can feel they are very comfortable and as I walk up and down the stairs the whole foot stays inside .

I think the sandals search has concluded.

I like the Evas red. Thanks as always bo. I have dipped into these threads in night feedings, tried to catch up and always failed to get through it all so I decided to try and catch the start of a thread- success finally! I think this is about the point I first joined in on these threads, when I was emerging from the baby salt mines with my second and starting to imagine fitting back into clothes.
I hope everyone’s not too hot, have you defined a whole new hot weather aesthetic?’

Good to see you're still around time, I don't think the weather's changed my aesthetic but I'm really fed up with the small selection of hot weather clothes I have. I'm just very bored with wearing the same things every time, I really don't know how these capsule wardrobe people do it.

Annoyingly the shops, online and offline, appear to have little to offer when I'm eager to buy. I also find these clothes wear out quicker, one dress I bought last year (I think) is stretched out already (jersey cotton dress) and looks a bit shit (but it's hot and everyone looks a bit shit so I overlook it). Annoyingly, the type of stuff that's nice to wear in the extreme heat are things that really require ironing (thin cottons and linens) and who wants to iron in this heat only for it to crease shortly thereafter but unironed it feels horrible on the skin. Sigh, I'm very over this heat but it seems we're only getting a short reprieve as it'll be very hot at the weekend again.

What a difference a cold shower makes red, my feet seem to just be bloated to a half size up the whole summer 🤷

Thanks for the new thread bo - excellent sentiments! Good to see you too time.

Summer is the nearest I ever get to a capsule wardrobe. I guess I've had one for a few years now: wide-ish loose fitting trousers and a long sleeved shirt in either cotton, linen or silk. I particularly like a silk shirt - dresses things up a bit, feels nice and surprisingly cool in heat. But yeah I'm bored out of my head after a couple of weeks, although at least I live in parts where summer rarely lasts much longer than that.

I love silk but when it's nearing 30 degrees and over it isn't the best material IME. In dry heat anyhow, I think with a bit of humidity silk can work in hotter temps than that. There's the risk of sweat ruining the silk and/or becoming clammy on the skin. I can only wear anything silk at the high heat temps if it almost doesn't touch the body, so basically a very billowy camisole dress, maybe an oversized silk dress would work too.

I've never been one to splurge much on extreme heat clothes which is probably part of the problem. The Devotion dress has been great for such a thin cotton thing that can just be hung to dry and left unironed but at their normal prices I'm a bit, 'really that much for a flimsy dress?' about it.

Thanks for the new thread, bo, I really must get some enemies so that I can acquire some ball gowns!

I am also wondering about silk, it doesn't absorb sweat. I should not sweat in silk so for me it only works in air conditioned spaces, but, flo, you might know some tricks? Clothes for the heat. I have a bunch, they are 10 years old (normally worn for 2 weeks a year) and desperately out of synch with today's silhouettes: so I sport knee length dresses and skirts (instead of maxi) or short (and not knee length) shorts and tees not quite in the territory of the vest. Feels desperately our of sync with fashion.

Well as a fully paid up member of the decadent west I'll happily whip up a couture ball gown (vastly overestimating my sewing skills here) in celebration of Putin and his cronies being replaced by a legitimate democratic regime but, unfortunately, I lack the optimism to start on that project in advance

Silk does absorb sweat it just doesn't do it as readily as cotton or linen (but when it does it's extra difficult to get sweat stains out of light colours), hence the clamminess over certain temps as it's sort of brewing underneath with nowhere to go. It does regulate body temp better than other fabrics, especially in humid environs as it also keeps the moist heat in the air out, or slower penetration anyhow. My ideal is mixes of fabrics, so you get the best quality out of each fabric but you don't see those as often as people are often like me, not all that eager to spend a lot on these types of clothes.

I've never really thought about it that deeply to be honest. I just find silk more comfortable and that the sweat dries really quickly, compared to cotton or linen which go a bit clammy and Eww. I know it's counter intuitive and I can't really explain it other than that all my silk shirts are very loose fitting plus, on cooler days, I tend to wear them over some kind of cotton vest which absorbs a lot of the sweat.

On another note, the Margaret Howell sale has passed me by, how did that happen? 😮 It's now down to final reductions and most of the things I like are sold out in my size. Well ok there are trousers, always trousers, but I don't want to buy any more at the moment cos I can feel myself starting to go off ankle length.

Thanks for the new thread bo

red nice choices on the sandals. They are classic basics, which sometimes mistranslates as dull but really shouldn’t. Hopefully these will be your trusty friends for years to come.

Hot weather dressing is something I tried to pick up when living in HK and Shanghai, but even with a decade of tropical summers it’s still tricky. Like bo says, humidity / dry heat is definitely a factor with how things wear - I don’t need anywhere near as much waftiness in dry heat. There’s also the challenge in the UK of cooler mornings and evenings that often need an extra layer to be factored in, freak heatwaves notwithstanding. The slightly-quirky denim jacket I got in NYC has been doing well for this, but it doesn’t feel particularly interesting.

However, I definitely agree with flo’s under-vest tip, especially the Airism ones from Uniqlo that are light and designed to wick sweat. Feels a bit counterintuitive to add more layers but it really works.

stating the obvious klaxon alert One way around the feeling that your summer clothes are out of style is to deliberately avoid fashion brands and buy from the more, ahem, Daily Express supplement classic brands. These are pretty timeless and last for ever, plus are usually good fabric composition. Not sure if I mentioned that I am buying second hand wherever possible (only one non-underwear ‘new’ purchase in 2022 so far) and hands-down my best summer item is a pair of Pure Collection linen-silk cream trousers for £5. Not sure I would look twice at them at full price (or even know where to look for them in order to then ignore them)

Having said that, I know the whole ‘classic look’ thing doesn’t suit some and can come across a bit dull and polite. I guess this is where interesting sunglasses and shoes come in?

Anyway, enough of me wanging on… ciao bellas

Of course, the amazing trick of the vest under the shirt!

Shang so interesting; what would you wear in HK dry - I presume? - heat? I wore silk trousers and shirt on a work trip to Barcelona where at 30 it felt great, but wearing the same in London's 30 made me feel I am stuck inside a space suit.

Flo forgive the unsolicited plea, but honestly, come for MH sample sale. I have only been at one and perhaps it was a particularly good one, but it felt like there was literally everything. Somehow things that sold out online during sales but maybe did not sell out in physical shops (some had prices in euro) were there. I guess once things are in shops or some of them, they don't get them back to ship to people though online sales? Anyway, my feeling was that you can get anything you want

Hong Kong is very humid, not dry at all, subtropical iirc. Northern European cities just aren't built for hot weather so it just seems worse. It's going to be a major issue in the next few decades as all these highly insulated newbuild homes are a nightmare once heated up as they trap the heat in once it's in by design (for winter). Most people manage now because it's just a few days but once it starts becoming more prolonged periods it's going to be a real issue.

Shang, I think part of my issue is that most of my very hot weather clothes are somewhat classic, flattering simple shapes and all pretty much either black, navy, white or some other blah neutral. There's nothing wrong with it but it's not particularly exciting and I don't want to deal with bags or lots jewelry. I think it's also partially psychological, these clothes represent days of not being able to get much done and being a bit slow and running on mediocre sleep.

I'm also finding there's just a new category of hot summer clothes of extra hot summer clothes when the outside temps are higher than your body temp you need to go counterintuitive and cover up Bedouin style. If I don't tie up my 'vyshyvanka' too tightly around the waist it's actually quite nice for this weather, it would have been even more perfect if I had made it in an even lighter weight handkerchief weight linen.

Silk boxer shorts (sort of, they're sort of boy shorts but loose fitting) under a dress are a newfound revelation though, I need to find more of those. Mine are from Cos, bought ages ago in the sale and they've never done them again. I'd make them myself but they have a hem finish that I can't do on a domestic machine and the hand sewn alternative is fiddly and time consuming.

I also lack enough hot hot summer clothes. And definitely covering up Bedouin style is one of the ways, I did that quite a lot while I lived in the Middle East, the extra thin cotton fabrics there felt the best option, vs having 45 degrees of sun against your skin. I am not sure what type of cotton they were. And contrary to what people might think it was 85% humidity too.
I lost a big lot of those clothes… annoying story …
shangpie , I am also doing a buy very little new this year (I know it doesn’t look like with my sandals malarkey), but not as hard as last year which I think I lasted till the MH sample sale.
although, I might consider something new for very hot weather as I also find these type of clothes wear more easily and I don’t find real good quality in second hand of these, maybe I am looking in the wrong places.

• taking note of silk boxer shorts

I would love to go to a Margaret Howell sample sale microbius. Love it. But I don't get to London that often and, when I do, there's always a lot of things to fit in. I nearly managed one last autumn but I had to cancel the trip.

I've covered up in the heat for years, ever since a bad experience in Greece when I was about 20. Have to say it makes me wince to see exposed flesh under a hot sun.

The sonoras Birkenstocks fared excellently yesterday when we had a full day in London a 12 hours choco-block of train, tube, walking along various tourist spots, Oxford street, kings road and more.
What were you doing in Oxford Streer you might say, I was with 4 teenagers DH, friend and niece and nephew. I had forgotten how painful is to buy clothes as a teen , how conscious of your body you are and how much you try to fit in. I tried to be the nice aunty and not contradict or be against when they found stuff they loved, even if it was a 100% polyester top in H&M. They did not buy much, just 2 of them bought one or two items each. They know what I think and how the stuff is produced , plastic, etc but I think is not helpful to be against them, is a journey they have to make and make their choices.
Teens are new territory to me, those here with more experience. Do you find it hard to let go when they choose stuff that is ‘ethically’ not fully aligned to your values ?

My feet did not get any blisters, I did not even break them in beforehand and were 100% comfortable. So very happy .

I agree it can be hard with teenagers Red. In theory I'm all about letting people make their own mistakes - that it's part of the fun. But to this day I feel bad for the way I reacted the time my son picked out some monstrosity in Top Shop.

Only ever had the one, and he has always been something of an aesthete. But there's a pair of Austrian paratrooper boots that drives us crazy.... they look fine, but they squeak with each step.

Sorry red, great to know the shoes stood up to the 12-hour marathon comfortably. Augurs well.

Sorry, I'm supposed to be working so I finished that post a bit abruptly.

I do understand the urge to save teenagers from themselves, especially when they're choosing something that isn't only horrible but that you fear will make them a target (as was the case with my son that time). I still think it's best not to, even though I didn't always manage to follow my own advice. The same goes for ethics really although I know it's tempting when they're being really self righteous.

Great title Bo, thank you for new thread!

I’m always stuck mumsnetting on my phone which makes it harder to post long, thought out posts so I keep meaning to do it “later, at a computer” and never do. So I miss all the things I want to say, let’s see if I can catch up!

I personally don’t find silk as thermoregulating as they claim, but I do see the point of a loose silk anything drying quickly in a breeze. Until that breeze comes it’s wet with sweat and stuck to your body in manner of wet T-shirt contest. 😒 But as you know I’ve returned to linen, my first love. I’ll hear nothing said against it. I agree with Bo that some more blends would be nice, like silk and cotton which is very lightweight but still has some body. Where did those clothes go one wonders. And speaking of vests under shirts - I went for a walk in early spring and ended up sweating and with a chafing sports bra, so stuck a corner of my linen scarf between bra and skin and it was very comfortable - I understand now all historical dressing, the comfort of linen next to your skin soaking up your sweat and gunk is really something. I don’t know how to convert this to modern dressing sadly.

Oh Red, I bought fake Birkies made out of that material thinking I’d be the bee’s knees but walking any sort of distance in them gives me terrible blisters. Put them on in Malmö- not even a very hot day! - and was kilt (Irish pronunciation) with it. However my fake crocs are amazing. Surely the same sort of stuff? It’s very annoying all the same.

Saw two young girls yesterday in white/light short summer dresses and identical white Birkenstocks and they were so cute. Looked so young and all their life ahead of them etc, made a cynic smile. But point is I noticed the Birkenstocks and pondered the white footwear trend.

Anyway we’ve had our two days of heat now
and we’re back to cool-ish weather.
I too am sorely disappointed in the shops who never have anything to buy. I have to get started on my sewing but waaahhh so hard. I might make a tote bag to get myself in the zone.
I have bought loads of new knickers? Sloggi maxi - long live granny knickers!

Oh and wait till I tell you, went on a second hand round today and found the attached loafers (but in black) in a shop for 150 kr in my size! Mens’ shoes so a little wide but nothing too bad. Hardly worn at all! They looked pretty good on so I bought them. Admittedly partly because they were a bargain considering the price I saw them fetch on Spartoo there. 😬 I’m not 100 percent convinced I can make them work. But mr bani and eldest daughter thought they were nice and tried them on (but they fit only meeeeee).

Very sorry about your posh frock shop Xing. End of an era.

I too have been thinking about silk boxers/shorts under dresses! We need to bring back sensible underwear, somewhere along the line we’ve been absolutely codded!

Don’t silk boxers sound very sweaty? You do get pretty sticky down there in the heat… I usually wear very lightweight cotton, cotton voile, silk in hot days and shorts or flowy skirts (including a
very lightweight viscose one, with a shirred-style waistline that means it doesn’t stick or cling at the waist in the heat) But was surprised to find some heavier linen still fairly comfortable this summer despite being very heavily pregnant. I’ve just looked for some photos but unsurprisingly there aren’t many as I was too busy being enormous with elephant feet. I do love cotton silk as a fabric.

As I was self obsessed about my own sandals I missed the post where Xing mentioned the terrible news about the posh frock shop 😦
I always type on my phone Bani, hence my usual terrible grammar and typos (that’s my excuse anyway).

Those type of loafers never suited me, I wish they did as sometimes I see people wearing them and look kick ass to me, but I definitely couldn’t pull them off.

I am not sure if silk boxers are a good idea or not, but I like the sound of that idea. I never had the issue of wet perspiration with silk tbh.

and yes I will try to stay away from stopping teens, you are right Flo, wish me luck on my years ahead.

Me too Red, me too, it's entirely my phone's fault without it my SPAG is flawless

My silk boxers are not true boxers as mentioned before, they're open at the side so very breezy. I found an Etsy listing with the same concept except it's marketed at men (and not actually silk) and I can't stop snickering at the pictures.

I agree shirred waistlines are counterintuitively nice in the heat. I've reconnected with my Isabel Marant ruffle skirts which have them, which I thought I had grown out of (bit girly, but suddenly I like the girly again). I browsed a bit of Vinted thinking another one would be a nice find and I'm still bitter about a silk burgundy one I never bought but turns out they're a hot commodity at the moment and selling for €€€€. I have spotted them on young women again but I sort of assumed they bought them in some fast fashion place.

Viscose i find tricky, there's some variation in it, some good, some terrible in heat and I've yet to figure out the determining factor. Lyocell and Tencel generally good though. I do like a linen viscose mix as it's all the benefits of linen, none of the extreme creasing.

Ha, quite the Cinderella moment with the shoes Bani, there's a special joy in having something everyone wants and it only being your exact size.