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.

---

Favoured Parisian addresses:

Second Hand Shops

Outlets

Favoured London addresses:

Charity Shops, Dress Agencies, and Outlets

Favoured NYC addresses:

Consignment shops, Vintage, and Restaurants

---

Previous threads:

Un

Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

Sept

Huit

Neuf

Dix

Onze

Douze

Treize

Quatorze

Quinze

Seize

Dix-sept

I've looked at the Dragon Diffusion ones before but they're so heavy (or I'm just a wimp) for a summer bag.

Anyhow, welcome uncertain, going by the shoes you've posted am I right in assuming you've got narrow (and possibly long) feet? So an open back slide/mule/whatever they're named this season won't work? What do you need the closed toe shoes for, corporate and (semi) formal outings?

How about these @CertainUncertain? Don’t know if too workaday or obvious. Marsell might have something else that appeals.

I’m another who swerves dainty shoes. (Sometimes buy them - they live their whole lives in their shoe bags.) Your Chloe sandals are almost exactly the same as my long ago TopShop literal school run footwear! But my ideal is probably a Marni Fussbett in some aggressively coloured calf hair, combined with fearsomely thick socks.

I saw dragon diffusion too and love the style but assumed they'd be heavy and sounds like they are.

The Bottega is beautiful, but too much. I'd weep when inevitably an ice cream wrapper got thrown into it.

I love the shoes you have. For what it's worth the pairs I reach for most are these: https://www.cettire.com/ie/products/aquazzura-bow-tie-detailed-ballerina-flats-913574378/cmVhY3Rpb24vcHJvZHVjdDoyODJHdEc1MzdKRXc2Mm5zZw%3D%3D?gclid=CjwKCAjw1MajBhAcEiwAagW9MTo2HjYvWW22N76emSfoOKBNyNXMtjYSyE4g2XrVT3Nz3WZZ71nRoCUE8QAvDDBwE

And these

www.ysl.com/en-en/le-loafer-penny-slippers-in-smooth-leather-670232AAA7R1000.html

Both might be a bit plain for your taste. Would you do a Mary Jane? I have long narrow feet - if you do too then I generally find Prada and Gianvito Rossi a good fit too.

If I could choose any I would love to try these certain.

Apologies, @CertainUncertain - I wasn’t concentrating before; you obviously want something dressier.

Roger Vivier manages dressy with an element of stompiness. The other two are slightly less dainty than the ones you have. But you may already have rejected all of these!

Gosh I love the Gianvito Rossi Mary-Janes but I do like dainty shoes. I'm currently wearing an apparently immortal pair of dainty pointed toe flats by Emma Hope.

Re Sunspel t shirts, I was told by an assistant in the Margaret Howell shop that they get their t shirts from Sunspel, so I may as well go there. But they obviously don't make to quite the same quality for their own brand, so I have returned to MH for my beautiful white t shirt needs.

Mind, I am currently in love with the white linen blouse I recently bought from Handworked in Penzance. It was made in Cornwall, amazingly, and is a lovely basic simple shape, and very well-made.

Those Gianvitto Rossi's are similar to Carel (these are slingbacks but they also have them enclosed), I only really like them in red though, to freshen up an otherwise basic outfit. I'm generally team dainty too but I do like a platform so dainty kind of goes out the window then. There's not been too much dainty choices out there for a while though, I assume the pendulum will be swinging back at some point.

Another dainty shoes lover here. I have quite a collection of dainty shoes from Pretty Ballerina, LK Bennett and Hobbs which whilst dainty are also indestructible.

Thank you for all the suggestions. My feet are actually stupidly small (size 36) and relatively narrow, which might be one of the reasons I don't love dainty shoes.

@botemp

I need to be well dressed (some days, anyway), but not corporate, if that makes sense? And I often end up walking a fair amount, so need something that will be ok for that, and I worry that open back flat shoes will be annoying. I do like those Carel ones, but having been to the website, I agree, red are the best and since I already have these Nodaletto ones, am not sure I can justify another red patent pair!

@CrkdLttrCrkdLttr

Thank you. I do like those Alluce ones, but not sure I'm edgy enough to rock the 70s Hollywood producer look!

@Redandblue11

I always like Clergerie on other people, but for some reason feel like they look like I'm playing dress up when I try them on.

@MmePoppySeedDefage

I noticed the other day that Emma Hope on Westbourne Grove is gone, was wondering if they were still around. I went straight to the Handworked website and was very disappointed to see all the size small were sold out. Are they quite oversized or would a medium work as an oversized one?

Speaking of dainty shoes I had an emergency footwear situation this morning. The perfect footwear for a dress for an event at 3.30 this afternoon was low wedge, ribbon tie espadrilles- which I do not own. M&S had a couple of "might do" options on their website.

I got these in the light stone.

Dainty shoes 1

and these

Dainty shoes 2

The light stone are nicer than espadrilles would have been.

I’ve just received the pink suede version of the M&S ballet flats. Seem very nice quality and comfort. I love those Gianvitto Rossi's @botemp.

I meant Carel.

Those M&S ballet flats look good for the money!

I have some embellished velvet mules that I got from M&S in the sale for £12 a while ago. They are all man-made but really pretty and a good shape, and a friend of mine thinks they are as attractive as her silver Prada sling backs and better because I can wear tights with them - must be the man made foot bed, while she slips around on her leather one, so can only wear her Pradas with bare feet.

I have another bargain pair of M&S shoes that are red and orange suède-alike that I also love and look much more expensive than £10...

Re Handworked sizes, I am a size 8 and tried on a medium in the shop last year. It was just a bit too big. You could try asking if they will be getting any more, as they are made locally.

I'll be going to Paris in October, so will investigate the lovely Carel shoes then. I've made a few sizing mistakes buying shoes online, so I've resolved to buy them in person in future.

Yes, Poppy, Carel shoes are probably best tried on in store, French sizing is always weird, sometimes it's a size smaller than Italian, sometimes it's the same size and Carel uses two different factories that don't have consistency of sizes across the two, they do mention it on their website though so there's that.

Unknown is it one of those purgatory dresscodes where men can just forego their socks in loafers and women are left agonising over whether their shoes are dressed enough but not dressy. I've been meaning to turn that disparity into an infographic for forever now, man changes formal trousers for dark jeans for dress code x, woman has nervous breakdown while measuring the height of all her heels in her closet.

I do like a bright colour shoe for this time of year, Hereu tends to market itself as an artisanal Mediterranean brand. On most sites they just carry the dull brown and black shoes for capsule wardrobe fanatics but on their own site they have lots of colourful choices which actually shows off the craftsmanship better than the classic colours IMO, good number of flats which I think should be okay for city walking.

I'm very jealous of your size 36 feet in a grass is always greener way, you've got so much choice in the sales, but I do understand it comes with its own challenges.

For anyone wanting the Miu Miu straw bag vibe, try this one from Parfois

The Carel Mary Janes are gorgeous.

I also love the Carel shoes, I was tempted to buy some last time in Paris but I could not decide on colour and was rushing and didn’t want a rush decision. There were some soft pastels that were tempting me but I wasn’t sure if they would have enough longevity.

The brand Parfois, I don’t think I have seen irl. What is the quality like?

Mind you those Hereu shoes are fab.

I’ve been lurking for what feels like ages but the dainty shoe appreciation has drawn me out. Stomping around in my chunky Weejuns loafers is fun, but I can’t deny my love of a good pointed flat and a jaunty bright spring shoe.

The Carel shoes are gorgeous and reminded me of a red Zara pair that I wore and wore over multiple years. Sadly they got too scruffy but I kept wanting to reach for them, so the only way to stop myself was to get rid. Anyway, thanks to this chat and the wonders of Vinted, I just repurchased them BNWOT from a lovely seller in Lancashire and am already looking forward to wearing them again.

I think it was Xing (forgot everyone has new names now) who said threads and threads ago that a new pair of shoes is the best way to update existing clothes. I’m definitely coming around to this idea!

Oh those are very dainty.!

MN's targeted advertising has just shown me this. It's getting more accurate.

Etro jacket

Parfois is so-so quality, red, but I do appreciate that they're at least somewhat creative with their output and it's not slavish copycat stuff, they definitely take inspiration but then sort of go and do their own thing. I'm weirdly drawn to a holographic beach tote that's not all that useful on a beach (it has a picture of a beach, I think). It can definitely be passed off as something more expensive than it is going by the photos, IRL may be a different story...

Shangpie, those are really cheery, I do like to focus on a shoe too, for change or just a starting point for an outfit.

It's a bank holiday so I've already seen Succession and I won't spoil it (I think), it was masterful and all that but you fellow Succession watchers on here might help me answer WTF was that Mark Cross bag on Shiv. I'm probably just focusing on that rather than on the whole it's over and I'm sad about it being over but surely there is meaning in it (the way there wasn't in the Kendall's bad dye job and sweaty nostrils) <clutches at straws>

So many great shoe brands that I haven’t heard of! The Carel ones are lovely, especially the Peche Night. I definitely get the same vibe from your Zara shoes Shangpie, they look perfect.

I love the Gianvito Rossi mary janes too, a little bit different, but super elegant.

Those M&S ones are definitely Chloe adjacent with the scallop detail.

Thanks for the Parfois shopper link thelongrider. I don’t think we’ve a brick and mortar store here, so it’s never on my radar. I’m now leaning towards cheap beach bag and save my money for a bag I’d get more wear out of.

That Etro jacket is divine, the neckline is giving ecclesiastical vibes in a good way.

botemp no Succession spoilers for 24 hours please. I’m hoping to watch tonight and have managed to avoid spoilers so far! Mark Fast doesn’t seem like a brand that Siobhan would go for. What an odd choice.

Speaking of odd handbag choices, is anyone watching The Diplomat? I think my husband is getting fed up of me hissing “that fucking bag” every time the titular character appears on screen. It is the opposite of a capriciously large bag. It is a mean, pointlessly small bag, useful only for dissuading muggers when being a tourist. I don’t understand the styling at all. I think they were trying to go for dressing her like she just doesn’t care about her appearance, so you have unbrushed hair, minimal make up, block heels. However maybe because of the actress it actually reads (to me anyway) as the kind of style that kick started this thread – very Paris cool girl. I love it. Until that sodding bag comes out. It’s so pointless that it’s distracting. It barely would fit a phone, certainly not documents and the character seems the type to just put a phone in her pocket anyway.

Certain, have you looked on Chie Mahara?

www.chiemihara.com/en/chie-mihara-shoes-12

Their shoes are very varied, but you might find something. They aren't cheap but they aren't mega-expensive either and I think that the quality for the money is excellent. These for example come in 36:

www.chiemihara.com/en/chie-mihara-shoes/13911-151243-rosali-silver.html#/10-colour-silver/19-shoe_size-34

Back! And I've just caught up with the thread after the digital and news detox. Some great shoes in the Hereu range... I love the colours, but didn't see a great deal to tempt in Spain and Portugal, probably because MrDesmond has a low retail tolerance. I bought a couple of inexpensive low wedge espadrilles (a fisherman's sandal in pewter and a cream loafer mule) which are comfortable and a bit different, and a not-quite-white Parfois bag. The quality is not amazing as bo says (although my favourite dog-walking cross-body is still going after four or five years daily use) but a white handbag isn't something I'm going to splurge on for a couple of months use. Otherwise, two pairs of cheap holiday earrings, and some soaps.

After all the advice upthread on Portuguese clothing manufacturing regions, I was optimistic for lots of factory shops but it turned into a wild goose chase. Unfortunately, everything I itched to buy was furniture.

We did stay in one fabulously designed tiny hotel, which held just about every iconic chair and lighting from the 20th century. The hotelier's mother was an interior designer, and it showed.

I bloody hate that bag too Elle!
every time I see it I wonder, why on Earth she is wearing that ?!

oh yes, I always want to buy furniture when I am abroad!