Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: JesusFlo Superstar in a Back Lit Kaftan (Toyboy Not Included)

[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

Dix-sept

My old workplace would never do dress up Monday anyway so I'm being wistful for no reason. I have to admit, if heels do make a big comeback I will smile a wry smile, not because I have the slightest intention of wearing any, but because there was so much rapture at their demise you'd have thought it was the end of the patriarchy.

There were a few deletions when I first got there bo but there seem to be more now. All things considered I think that, for the time being at least, I will limit myself to saying 'Hmmm'.

Thanks for your very kind comments hound - and keep posting!

I think the UK was always a bit more 'behind' with workwear so the pandemic change felt larger than elsewhere, I suspect. One of the most high profile female lawyers here is full Goth, I just can't imagine that in the UK (I'm sure there are Goth lawyers). For all this talk of suits and dressing up, I've yet to see anyone actually dress in that style, but I'm probably looking in the wrong places.

I think you are right Bo that the uk is ‘behind’ in workwear. My industry is probably not the yardstick to measure anything as in engineering and construction as a general rule the female population is very much a minority and you either get androgynous type looks or the very traditional feminine dressed are somehow dated, as in general we are people who are not interested in trends / fashion the same way. Of course there are outliers probably I am considered one? Not sure…

But I also observe the rest in my conmute to work (now only twice a week) and there is a fair share of liberal professions (media, etc) and city type and I have not seen yet the full dress up thing, I am not saying they are dressed down but they are cautiously dressing up, not making it too obvious. Except one person actually that always catches my attention as looks like she just had her hair professionally done and is wearing killer heels, I hope she lives right next to the station or gets dropped because I genuinely do not know how she gets herself to the platform looking like that says it with slight envy , but that I would say is an outlier, which there are always examples.

I’m in city law and there’s a real mix at my workplace (or I should say “was” as I’m between firms). My workwear was completely casual whereas others were more traditional for the role. I am certainly taking advantage of my moving to go back toward the smarter end (although if I have to stop wearing trainers in the office I will be annoyed). Currently purchasing lots of separates (blazers and trousers) from Vinted as I feel that office dresses are now rather dated for me.

My office used to have the horror of dress down Friday on the last Friday of the month, which then became every Friday. I deliberately wore my smartest outfits.

Pre lockdown some of my work clothes were less formal - the Mrs Danvers #2 was less and was being replaced by things like shirtwaister dresses from Samantha Sung, silk tea dresses from Edina Ronay and slightly bonkers dresses from Palava, all of which seeped into my non work wear.

At the moment the refuseniks from pre Covid dress down Fridays are in formal clothes ; everyone else permanently looks as dreadful as they did on dress down Fridays.

Sadly out of the workwear loop after a year of SAHP-ing but hoping to get back into it in September. Not likely to be a massively corporate role where I am, but looking forward to smartening myself up and being a useful contributing human again (yes, yes, I know motherhood and unpaid labour and all that but YKWIM - tone policing myself just in case 🫣)

Anyway, I’m popping on during a quiet moment during an Easter trip to London with a potential public service announcement. Somehow I managed to squeeze in a brief charity shop browse on the walk from Hyde Park playground to the Dinosaurs, and the Trinity Hospice shop on Palace Gate has a decent selection of Studio Nicholson items - several dresses and a few pairs of trousers IIRC. Is it @microbius who is SN-mad? If so, get over to S Ken ASAP 🤓

Oh Mary Quant 💔

😔Mary
perhaps I should wear a mini again.

Ha we should have a National Miniskirt Day!

We have a national skirt day, it's not a set day, just the first semi warm sunny day of the year and everyone knows to get their legs out and everyone keeps saying, oh it's national skirt day, isn't it?

Mary Quant leaves behind quite the legacy. Looking through the articles popping up now I am left wondering, did Mary Portas single white female Mary Quant

@ShangPie thanks very much for alerting me to Studio Nicholson. I knew they donate stuff unsold at sample sales to charity, but have never seen it at a charity shop!

Bo, sorry about your grandmother!

And yes about the weird atmosphere. Although I might have contributed to poop-ing in the previous THAT thread that was going well until weird vocabulary started creeping up etc. I should have kept shtumm and just stopped following. [MM told me off already] she didn't; the poster removed all her posts with lots of links/shops. I never mentioned anyone, a bit of overreaction? Anyway, I am not trying not to post in case this all means I am not adept at social media communication.

I went to the Gentlewench archive sale today and bought a few items - pics attached: a brooch and a very grunge-y jumper.

Well, as I experienced today, being vague leaves a lot of room for interpretation and misunderstanding. I understand it's not great to have your intent misunderstood and it gets lost quite easy on SM but I do feel it is a bit unfair to ascribe it as an overreaction of the other poster, micro, especially knowing they read/lurk on this thread and for all we know the deletion was just a privacy thing. It's better just to clarify what you mean in situations like that at the time.

Anyhow, that's probably enough vagueposting, there's like three THAT threads mentioned now and I think they're all different threads and surely everyone is losing the plot.

Back to Mary Quant, reading JCM's obit, she declares her the heir to Coco Chanel, hmm, I feel Mary Quant was an entity to herself. Aside from both being women designing for women I just don't see a lot of overlap.

I apologise to the poster in question especially if they are likely to read this as they lurk here (didn't know that). It seems all around such a faux pax on my behalf anyway, all considered, sorry if I offended anyone and also if I spoiled the fun! [I also was migrating computers at the time and could not log back in and explain /clarify and then days passed and it was too late]

Should remain within the walls of Les Parisiennes. Off to reading about Quant

Very glad to read that it doesn't seem to be me who has erred, I don't think. I rarely post anywhere that isn't S&B or politics. There's not a lot of crossover. But the politics stuff gets very heated. I do book threads too.

It’s true that casual Friday is well and truly dead, no need for it when 1. You can wear jeans any day and 2. No one comes to the office Friday. I find I just don’t need to wear jeans to work as it’s only a few days a week, while I used to live for it. I’m usually home Friday but going in today and out afterwards-this is casual, I wear the skirt regularly but with blouse/top and jacket. I do wear heels in the office quite a lot but not today.

It wasn't you, desmond, and no one from here that I recognised. To be honest I just got triggered by a specific couple of words used and then I was thinking over it, English is not even my first language, maybe it was just a completely wrong reaction? But enough about that

Time, I like your outfit, the gold and the fur, I bet it looks even better with more light on

Are you referring to the Age and demographics thread? Tbh there was , what I thought, a strange post from you about something being "deeply alienating". I don't know what or whom you were referring to.

Micro's already apologised and explained that she didn't express herself well, Natacha. Not sure there's more to it. In places like MN where people quickly form community over something shared it's always a bit hazardous to imply in-out group dynamics.

Micro, as basic internet/SM 101, I think it's always helpful to keep in mind that anything that triggers an emotionally strong response that isn't obvious and universal (eg. someone bludgeoning a kitten to death) it's usually best to take a step back and evaluate. Sometimes it's just you and sometimes things are triggering by design (and with the current MN climate one to keep an eye out for). Avoid responding while still feeling that initial emotion. The internet is filled with examples where that didn't happen <cough> pretty much twitter in a nutshell <cough>, so don't beat yourself up for it either. It happens to the best of us, thankfully we're not all bots yet.

It looks like more rain today and tomorrow. Boring. I want fun in spring outfits!

It's very sunny here for a change, but still on the cold side. Thankfully next week looks to be proper spring weather, I'm banking on Monday being national skirt day. Weekend outlook isn't that great, I think I'm going to launder all my wool things at the weekend and store them away and pull out the spring bits.

It started wet, but seems to be clearing over the weekend. I too want spring outfits and fun, red. Any excuse to hang up the waterproofs.

I started tackling the winter woollens a few weeks ago when I bought a ton of moth repellent kit, a bit prematurely: I had to take some back out again as the temperature plummeted.

Holidays approaching, so please can I ask for all your hot tips on S&B opportunities in the northwestern corner of Spain and Portugal? From Santander to Coimbra (not as far south as Lisbon) but will be in Porto and several of the historic/art places of interest. Shoes would be of particular interest as I need to break my trainer addiction!

just jumping in Red you probably know it but I really really love the food culture in San Sebastián absolutely amazing pintxos (Basque tapas). 😋

Sadly mm47, San Sebastian is not on the itinerary... we're going west! Another holiday I hope!

Funeral went well, very nice send off and testament to a long and well lived full life. I knew she had a vast network but I had no idea she's been asked to be a cabinet minister and declined. DIY brooch held up well but I don't think I'll ever wear it again.

Portugal, from Vinted it does seem that in that area north and south of Porto, roughly Aveiro/Braga a lot of the factories that make things for Hanro, Raey, Studio Nicholson, Sunspel, etc. sell their factory seconds for very little money. But I can't find anything with a quick Google so keep your eyes peeled for any factory signs, I guess, although in Italy it's often just a shop in the town that looks to be bursting at the seams with clothes.

I think there's also a large outlet village near Porto, part of that chain that Bicester also belongs to, I think. That'll be a mix of international luxury brands and some local ones. If you're in need of linens/towels they do some great ones in Portugal, Paris Em Lisboa is a gorgeous shop in Lisbon, maybe they have other locations in the rest of the country? Claus Porto soaps are lovely as well, although hardly a secret anymore.

Sorry, and for the shoes, São João da Madeira is where all the high quality shoes in Portugal tend to be made.