Les Parisiennes des Mamanset: A Sin of Pride

[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:

[[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FdQbdNEUpGqOyH2oqBQZBVsKISieRgxW_F67mgRLSrw/edit?usp=sharing Consignment shops, Vintage, an
d Restaurants]]

---

Previous thread

I have pale, blue eyes and suit most blues. However, the cobalt blue red is wearing is a bit too bright for me and tends to wear me rather than me it. I would probably tone it down with softer blues. I think I need colours that are bright, but not too bright. I can wear muted blues, but other colours that are muted can look murky on me. So, yes, it's to do with your skin tone and colouring as a whole, I think.

Ah, MrFlo remains above the patio for another day then.

I'm similar colouring to Red, just paler and am also a blue can do me no wrong person. That particular shade is a favourite, some I like less but still work for me. Never considered blue eyed people couldn't wear all blues but then again, brown doesn't work in all shades for me either so I suppose it makes sense somewhere.

Yes he has his uses! Maybe any shade that's brighter than my eyes, irrespective of colour, is the problem? They're quite a deep blue and I tend to avoid very bright colours although by instinct rather than design.

Blues are tricky for me, and I was a blue-eyed blonde (until going grey) but with an olive complexion. Very pale blues are the worst, and can only be worn below the waist. Turquoise is fine, as are some navies, but I have to try tops on in person.

In past decades when I spent a lot of time trying on clothes in actual shops, the assistants would always try to offer me particularly harsh, bright royal blues - which looked vile on me and would give anyone a headache. I guess they were guided by what they’d seen in magazines. I’m fine with rich navy shades and really ought to buy more of them.

This is the Camiel Fortgens jacket I wore in a field last weekend. I thought I’d made a mistake when I tried wearing it in Winter, because it really doesn’t work with most of my Winter clothes - but in cold Summer it was fine, colour-wise, with the ivory dress I threw it over.

Not so sure about the proportions … I think it was designed to be ironic-old-lady car coat length. But now I’m so old that people jump to offer me a seat, the irony is somewhat lost. And having seen the photos people took of me, I can see a much shorter, cropped bomber jacket length would have worked better with an instep length dress. So at least I know that now.

Still, it’s a good thing I don’t have unlimited funds - or I’d just keep trying this in different colours. Not sure why I’m still so obsessed. This is the pink version of mine. (Website model, not me, obvs!)

Fortunately they’ve slightly changed the design this year and the new one isn’t quite so cute, so I’m not tempted.

At the risk of reviving my argument with bo I too normally like a shorter length on an unfitted jacket. But then a cropped jacket wouldn't have been much use in a field last weekend Did it rain on you all the time?

No, thank God! We were lucky. Bit greyish when I arrived, but the sun came out at just the right moment, so it was a lovely late afternoon / evening. Jacket made an excellent ‘picnic blanket’ whilst waiting for the Chemical Brothers. Woke up in our cosy, watertight glamping pod at five in the morning to the sound of heavy rain, and felt sad for the fields full of tents. I’m happy with rain on a walk, but then I need a warm house and a bath to go back to!

The Chemical Brothers are alive? Why did I think they were dead...

Ah proportions are extra tough to figure out when the thing you're wearing has unusual volume. I often feel they don't always photograph the way they appear in life. Even though the camera is not supposed to lie and all that I definitely feel digital phone cameras augment things weirdly when confronted with a human in an unusual shape garment.

Shop assistants can be a bit weird, I know someone with a very deep skin tone but she's very classical buttoned up in her style, navy blazers with gold buttons type of thing. Yet shop assistants clamor to put her in neon and other brights. They would look amazing on her but it's so obviously the antithesis of her style when you see her so I don't know why they'd even try beyond trying to rid themselves of stock that suits almost no one.

That is the sort of jacket it would look awful on me. Super cool though and that blue over ivory is a good choice.
yes, agree either shorter or even longer would be better (on me at least).
Were you at a festival crkd? I love a summer festival.

xpost with Bo

I was in a tent at the very same festival, @CrkdLttrCrkdLttr, and was perfectly dry. The Chemical Brothers were, to me, unimpressive. But then, I never was a fan.

I have blue/grey eyes, and a grey streak (I think it’s called a mallen). I’ve cool undertones and suit most blues except royal blue and turquoise. Teal and cornflower are my absolute perfect shades. I have to try hard to get other colours in my wardrobe.

Delighted to hear you were comfy, @Voltefarce! Though I so wish I’d woken up to today’s weather last weekend.

Having spent aeons cogitating over what to wear, it was a relief to see that absolutely anything would have been fine. It’s a sad reflection on my life that these days I rarely get ‘dressed’ for anything not occupation-related. Must try harder!

I always wanted a mallen streak when I was little, my mother wasn't willing to indulge it <harumph> I'm well Volte

Yeah, life's gotten extra boring post pandemic with dressing up opportunities. I'd say it's such a shame but equally I'm quite happy it's not so oppressively prescriptive for everyone either.

Oh yes, anything goes! Although I do always take the opportunity to get dressed up. On the Sunday night I wore a full black ball gown with huge pheasant feather headdress 😆 I also made matching outfits for me and my son out of a 1960s duvet cover.

Currently knee deep in clothes going through another wardrobe cleanse 😬

I never realised what a treat getting dressed for the office was! I don't miss my job in the slightest but I do miss planning what to wear.

I've always thought that about going to work. Mine used to be ferociously tailored and a bit odd. Now as almost every one is in jeans I'm taking the opportunity of wearing dresses in a style which many on MN hate.

Ha! I’m awfully aware that the one blessing of never being able to retire is that I still have to think about what to wear, (and aim to look vaguely current) pretty much every time I leave the house.

But it makes MN assumptions around women of my age a bit discombobulating.

I’m distraught at not being there for your ballgown and feathers, @Voltefarce !

Oh Volte please post a photo - of the headdress alone if the entire outfit is too outing, it sounds amazing and a welcome distraction from dog walking clothes in the mud

And Flo Natasha and Crkd completely on agree about work having its bonuses in terms of having to get dressed for being with other people. My dog’s sartorially challenged - she prefers to shed her hair - so there’s not much if any clothes interaction from her (if you discount the amount of her hair I get to wear….)

As usual pressed send without adequate proofreading you get my drift

Ha, my latest YouTube algorithm suggestions are all about knitting a jumper with dog hair 🤢

I was a bit snippy on a thread recently where a poster asked if 2 dresses looked "grannyish"

No, they don't, I said, as I've no idea what "looks grannyish" looks like but they are both underwhelming and one's too tight. I probably shouldn't have but it's so irritating.