Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: It's French charm, you know, beheaded people, red wine and blood all over the place - it's romantic, it's normal.

[botemp]

Lovers of Parisian style and fashion with a conscious mindset and lots of chatter in between.

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I've also got fond memories of those first few Uniqlo U ranges around 2017/18, and how I used to race to get an order completed before I had to leave for work. The quality wasn't as good as the Jil Sander collabs (don't think I ever bought IdlF) but the silhouette was changing and I thought Lemaire totally nailed that spot between modern, wearable and affordable. And having just said the quality wasn't as good, I only recently gave up on those curve leg cotton twill trousers I was always on about.

Grace Wales Bonner has been appointed head of menswear for Hermes. I'm so pleased for her. It's a shame that I really don't vibe with what Hermes hawks in their shops because as a company I really admire the path they walk and the bold creative appointments they've often made. I'm half tempted to believe this appointment might actually signal something more daring appearing in their shop offerings, but the world's been to bleak lately, I've no room for such hope...

Thanks Flo and Papyro for the Rejina availability musings. I'd be quite happy to find just a small selection, so here's hoping for many returns. Poppy, Red, Rejina's own line has quite a lot of synthetics in them so it isn't all that surprising. She sits at a difficult price point and I think she's an independent so I can sort of understand it. I'd really like to see some research on it though, because I know I've not bought things because of synthetics and MN is a bit of an echo chamber when it comes to a dislike of synthetics so I really don't know if brands are knowingly leaving money on the table or that my exclusion just means I'm part of a very small share of consumers that they can afford to miss out on.

Collabs are very different from what they used to be, I feel, when they were first a thing I felt like they were trying to prove that fast fashion was capable of producing just as high quality for less, the only thing they were missing was the designer and when you slotted that in, it made sense, each was bringing their strength to the table. Didn't always exactly work out like that but nailing the feel of a more high quality item was very much crucial to the success. These days it's more about nailing the style of the designer, the fast fashion component is only really present as a sales point. I get the sense designers are a lot less involved now too, their reputation doesn't seem to be at risk as much and simultaneously all the H&M brands seem to slowly be morphing into actual fashion houses, showing at fashion week and hiring traditional designers as CD, etc.

Even though (despite inflicting a long and boring post on my experience of Margiela era Hermes on an uninterested thread somewhere a while ago) I haven’t bought anything from Hermes in about twenty years, I’m tremendously excited by the Grace Wales Bonner news.

https://www.vogue.com/article/hermes-appoints-grace-wales-bonner-as-creative-director-of-menswear?share=app

Really delighted she’ll be focused on what’s she’s brilliant at. (Like Emily Adams Bode Aujla at Bode, it’s just unarguable that a genius for menswear doesn’t necessarily translate into the same for womenswear.) There used to be some awkward hours on Matches desperately trying to feel sufficient love for the women’s collections to actually click buy on anything. Now I can spend the next few years fantasy-dressing my male relatives in leather …

Thanks for the update, I'm totally lost now with who's at which fashion house so I'm very grateful to posters like bo and CrkdLttr for* *dragging me through the 21st century.

I've finished paying for my boots so celebrated with my first foray onto Vinted. I've lost a bit of weight this year, probably short term so I didn't want to spend a lot of time or money on new clothes or alterations, but I did want a few things that fitted properly. I know I've held back from it for a long time and in some ways, it's better than I expected and, in other ways, it's worse.

I got off to a great start - a Cos midi skirt with a very satisfying Diane Keatonesque swagger. Then onto some Toast wide leg trousers - I was really pleased when I spotted these because they're possibly my all time favourites and I've been trying for about 8 years to find a substitute. However, although the style and details are the same, the fabric isn't. My original ones are in a very heavy but soft cotton whereas these are still cotton but much more lightweight and I hadn't thought to check that in the photos (although I might not have spotted it in any case). I'd have probably still bought them cos I love the shape but it was a bit of a let down. I also sent for some Toast wide leg cords, again thinking they were a fail safe. They're as described but they just don't have that Toast slouch factor. They feel like work trousers.

Which I guess demonstrates how hit and miss it is, even when you stick to brands and items you know. It's also scarily addictive - I can't stop looking at it and I hate the way it eats up my time.

Incidentally the amount of money changing hands for some Toast is startling. I know their prices have shot up but it's still second hand and being sold on the basis of a few photos. Some Margaret Howell is cheaper.

Yes Bo I agree on the Collabs reflection. I do wonder how much input the designer actually gets.

oh Flo so you are in Vinted … I came back to Vinted after months away from it as it had annoyed me how bad the algorithm was suggesting stuff not at all what I would like, but came back and it seems they have sorted that a bit (eg not asking for huge spying just if I filter for certain brands and sizes I want that sort of stuff suggested )
anyhow, agree that Toast always keeps its price. I got a checked shirt in cream, yellows browns, happy with it as an everyday item type thing or under a jumper as the collar is nice.
what size do you get trousers in toast? Do you go for your usual or size down?

absolutely, is hugely addictive but the addiction wears off too. At least in my case.

The Toast cords are a size 6 Red. That might be partly of why I'm not keen on them because, although I can't fault the fit, they feel a bit 'tidy'. The other trousers (the ones I thought were a replica of my favourites) are an 8 which had always been my usual size but I'd been drifting up towards a 10 lately. The fit's fine, it's the fabric that was disappointing. But I think what might be happening is that I've not dropped a full size so a site where I can't try on probably isn't a great idea at the moment.

The algorithm works well for me - too well really because it's forever coming up with different but enticing things which feeds the addictiveness. It's not actually tempting me to buy that much (yet) because I tell myself they'll be something else along soon that'll be just as tempting. It's the amount of time it eats up that I resent.

<Pokes head in with a pathetic wave>

Vinted can be a heady drug, fortunately for me, the courier services they use here are shit which takes the shine off of a lot of it. I keep needing to go further afield to pick up anything with a hope they don't then randomly send it to a different pickup point which is just a dodgy shop even further away where you have to find your own package in a dark room that stinks of cigarettes 😣. You do need to go through all the privacy settings in the app otherwise it stalks the hell out of you.

It was nice seeing some you at the meetup, even if the Marie Antoinette exhibit was a bit of a wash.

Antwerp sample sales are expanding online. Mr Mittens and Christian Wijnants are now available online for a limited time period (CW is until the 23rd, not sure about MM). CW is strangely cheaper than it was in the physical sale, avoid the scarves though, they were on a horrifically white silk that I doubt is kind to anyone's complexion.

https://www.ilovemrmittens.com/collections/archive-sale-november-2025
https://christianwijnants.com/collections/archive-sale-2025

Hey you're back! Sorry to hear that about the Marie Antoinette exhibition. I'm hoping to get there in the new year and I'll go anyway, even if it's crap, as I can get in free and won't need to book.

I think my relationship with Vinted might be over after just 3 dates as they've changed their sizing info to fit with the US market. Or something. Basically it's going to be more hit and miss than ever from what I can see. I think I'll stick to Vintage Ebay - the dealers seem to be more my kind of people, e.g. they tell you the garment measurements without waiting to be asked.

I got another longish pleated skirt, this time from H&M in dark green fabric with a hint of a sheen. I think it works better for me than the Uniqlo C one as it's less of a statement piece and leaves the rest of your outfit to do the talking. In any case, I've had it too long to take back now so it's staying.

Off to look at those links now, thanks bo, I've missed the fashion chat!

Editing as I watched Pillow Talk (Doris Day and Rock Hudson) on the telly last night. Don't know if anyone else did? It was even sillier than I'd remembered but Oh my goodness, Doris Day's outfits were fab and now I want to go and live in 1950s West Side New York.

Uniqlo's colab with J W Anderson turned up trumps! The jeans (washed blue) and the cropped grey/pink striped shirt work a treat. The shirt is awesome with the Rejina Pyo jeans, so I have been very happy with this A/W buys.

Edit to say, I have missed you all and hope that life is going well for everyone.

I actually made it to JL to see some of the Rejina Pyo collab bits, they still had quite a lot. Fabric did seem to let it down in a lot of cases, unfortunately. The jumpers seemed nice though.

Is that a new JW Anderson collab, Papyro? I tried on an Oxford shirt when I was looking at the Uniqlo C ones that was quite nice but not life changing enough to buy.

Flo, I'm going to remind you to have a browse through Vestiaire Collective again. ATM it's, weirdly, the platform with the best value for money and no shady or flaky sellers. Not the best to browse compared to all the newer platforms who have your taste figured out in seconds but that's probably also why it's full of potential hidden gems.

1950's West Side NYC sounds dreamy indeed if we ignore the shitty civil rights at the time, something about costumes in fifties movies that has yet to be eclipsed. In tangent to that, I've been having a terrible crisis of confidence lately when it comes to all things pink, not even a respectable dusty tone, no, sugary soft dreamy pinks.

I loved the shape of a shirt in that tone at Arket and figured I'd just try it on in the hopes other colours were available online and instead I'm swooning over the colour (but still haven't bought it, because of the aforementioned crisis). Also, when in Antwerp recently, tried on a lovely Dries van Noten coat in full, light as a feather, soft pink and again walked away trying to latch on to my senses but ugh, maybe I'm a soft pink girly after all... but it's just soooo saccharine.

The Oxford shirt isn't spectacular in itself, just useful, but it is perfection with the RP/JL jeans and the Rise & Fall pink clay ballet wrap cardi bought earlier.

I don't normally enjoy pink either, but it makes sense with the brown stuff that's elbowed the black and navy aside this season, and weirdly it helps integrate with the grey I always wear.

But the same JWA colab I think.

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to make the meet up, too.

I’ve also been wearing pink recently having not been near it since I was in my teens.

I knitted a jumper in my perfect shade of pink tweedy yarn, and also had enough yarn to do a balaclava/hood which I’ve almost finished. Possibly because it’s tweedy it’s not sugary. This is the yarn, in Rose:

https://isagerstrik.dk/en/product/aran-tweed/

Thanks for those links Bo, CW has some really good stuff.

Yes was good the meet up, and agree the exhibition left me disappointed. I was later on bemused by some of the 5 star reviews it had received.

I have also gone off Vinted flo the sizing, just swamp of stuff on the site and inconsistent accuracy of descriptions is off putting.
but I agree that Vestiare has some good stuff.

Thanks for the Vestiare nudge bo and Red. I'd tried to log in a few weeks ago but I'd forgotten my password and, when I tried to re-register, it wouldn't let me do that either. I know you can browse without logging in but it was such a long winded process, I ended up throwing a strop and hadn't tried again. But this time it let me in straight away.

As you say, the search functions aren't as sophisticated and their definition of 'vintage' is very um.... inclusive, but I've already found a 1950s hat that looks just like one that Doris Day was wearing in Pillow Talk (buyer in Italy though so I'm not seriously tempted). Prices, as you say, pretty reasonable, even factoring in the Black Friday offers.

Five stars for that exhibit , it wasn't terrible but it just felt like they threw up a lot of tangents and never followed through on them. I felt it was a missed opportunity on what the sudden interest and her revival means in different eras (and therefore today because this exhibit didn't come out of nowhere either and it's very popular). It wouldn't be too hard to draw a narrative that it feeds into times of anticipatory upheaval to then indulge in some head in sand last hurrah vibes. Or how history has painted her over the years and propaganda of all sides have defined her from libertine to ultra conservative. I might just have to dust off my Antonia Fraser biography of M-A over the holidays as an antidote.

Papyro, I think we're talking about different Oxford shirts, I just tried on a blue Oxford shirt, yours sounds much more exciting with the stripes.

Poppy that Aran tweed looks lovely, although that pink is full on candy. I have a hat in a similar colour (no flecks) and that I somehow have no issues with it's the super soft ballet pink that's haunting me. It's a winter thing for me, I think, pink really lifts my complexion in these grey times, in spring or summer pink fails to tempt in the same way.

I wouldn't mind a hat in the beige aran yarn from that range. I've been eyeing a hat in the Johnstons of Elgin sale with a Donegal like pattern that's somewhat similar in colour with all the flecks but I find cashmere hats a bit hit and miss, they can be a bit lifeless somehow and JoE mentions charging for returns but not how much... I'd like some cashmere bed socks though, wanted to go to their shop while in London but kind of forgot about it while there

Flo, I think the good thing about Vestiaire is because you need to do a bit of digging and the shipping is higher you're not just speeding through checkout before contemplating what exactly you just bought. Vinted really taps into FOMO on their platform and it's kind of at odds with their sustainability spiel.

How is everyone managing in the December onslaught? Have you finished your balaclava Poppy? Are you still assembling a 1950s wardrobe Flo?

Despite my fighting words about Vinted there was a bargain that could not be passed up (hobby related) and inevitably I ended up in a different package point halfway around town. For once not a dodgy money laundering night store but a rather other worldly suntanning studio. I did not know those things still existed, my SPF obsessive self was in shock and slightly petrified.... It was ridiculously busy too, and maybe it was a money laundering thing after all as everyone paid cash carrying huge wads of money and those coming out didn't appear all that tanned

I also succumbed to the saccharine pink in the Black Friday sales, and now they seem to be posting it on the newsletters and ad campaigns so probably a sensible move not waiting out the sales on that (though I did discover they have it in a slightly longer version in black and white, might try and grab one of those in the sales).

Also remembered another London thing I meant to do and then promptly forgot about when I was there. Has anyone been to see the Asket store in Londen, not Arket, Asket with an s, even though they resemble each other quite a lot in terms of offerings and are both Swedish. It appears to be even more transparent with their supply chain and manufacturing and sourcing material as much in Europe as possible, prices seem reasonable considering all that (not far off Arket again).

https://www.asket.com/

https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/azzedine-alaia-dressmaker-dior-exhibitions-paris-l58f6tzlx I hope this link will dodge the Times' paywall.

Happy Christmas to you all as I may not remember to send season's greetings next week. We're looking forward to PapyroJr visiting for a week. In other non news, the only fashion news is that the winter update has finally selected a replacement for the brown sweater the moths got: a very plain bitter chocolate polo neck, which is a compromise, and the rest is all wellies and wet weather gear!

Oh that article looks intriguing @Papyrophile! I'm paywalled but I'll get an archived link and post it later,

No 50s wardrobe yet bo but I'm currently obsessed by Balenciaga (Cristobal not the current iteration). Can't understand why I never paid that much attention to him before. Hoping for some books for Christmas.

I really fell down a Cristobal Balenciaga rabbit hole when I got into pattern making, I think you need to have put together a few garments before appreciating how special he really was. I think there are a few vintage patterns you can buy in places, I very much nod at the 'master of us all' comment. There was a tv series about him as well on either Apple or Disney+ (I have neither, I got it from, uhm, places) that I'd recommend. And if ever in Spanish Basque country, the Balenciaga museum in his village is a worthwhile detour.

Archive link to the article https://archive.ph/LvIfb

Incidentally I'd just booked tickets for that exhibit, Loïc Prigent covered it on his YT channel, I haven't watched the video yet as I want to see it in the flesh first but assume it will show most of the exhibit and some behind the scenes footage.

s

Funnily enough, Bo, I just came across Asket, yesterday, and have earmarked a trip to the shop. It does look interesting.

i did finish my pink tweed hood. I would say it’s not technically a balaclava because it’s quite loose. I wore it last Friday when I did a course on pruning soft fruit in the winter (!) And it was nice and warm. I might do another one in cashmere for a bit of luxe.

I recently came across this (quite long) YouTube video about the wool trade in Yorkshire which I found really interesting and inspiring - so much so that I recently bought myself a pair of Paul Smith wool trousers.

Thanks for archiving that article bo, that was some collection of Azzedine Alaïa's!

It's reminded me of a story that I think I heard at an online V&A talk (so presumably accurate??) of a Chanel Manchester Velvet Company dress that was discovered somewhere incongruous like a kilo sale. Does that ring any bells with anyone? I tried Google but it was useless.

I've decided I don't have either the skill for pattern drafting or the patience to learn but I'm looking at photos of some Balenciaga outfits and thinking, 'How did he do that?' Very cross with myself now for not trying harder to get to that V&A exhibition about him a few years ago. But I see you can request to see some of his pieces by appointment at their Storehouse so maybe that's an aim for 2026.

I hadn't heard of Asket either but they look interesting and I'll keep eyes and ears open. I'm impressed that they offer free repairs. Those shop photos on their website look a bit intimidating though - it doesn't look like the kind of place where you can wander in and have a rummage!

Me too Flo, but I think that exhibit was more than a few years ago, definitely a couple of years before the pandemic hit. There are some youtube videos on the V&A channel that are interesting to look at from when the exhibit was on. They took x rays to understand the construction of some of the garments, lots of stray pins in the hems were found.

I usually stop by the Fondation Alaia when I'm in Paris and they have preserved his atelier inside exactly as it was when he died, and it's very much a scene of chaos that will make absolute sense to the person who created it. That he was a hoarder of dresses doesn't surprise me in the least. He has a huge Balenciaga and Thierry Mugler collection as well. Probably more designers than that.

Poppy it took me an embarrassingly long second to catch on you weren't pruning actual fruit into some fanciful winter display, but rather the trees that grown them...

Please report back on the Asket visit. I think it looks fairly standard Scandi shop design Flo but I do think there's a general thing of high street shops (well the upper priced end of it) presenting themselves like high fashion and somewhat disowning the fast fashion aspect (not that I'd classify Asket as fast fashion but it is within the price bandwidth of that rather than designer fashion). You're seeing it with advertisements as well, between those using AI and those very pointedly not. I'm skeptical it has anything to do with any sort of principles and more to do with the online discussion generated by such a choice and framing it as authentic vs inauthentic. Though the Intermarche Christmas ad from France that's currently going viral is a unicorn exception as far as I can tell and genuinely just wonderfully well done.

There's a new episode of Fashion Neurosis with Helena Bonham Carter as a guest. Haven't watched it yet, but assume that might be one of interest for some on here.

Wow I watched a bit of that video Bo - Dior and Alaïa!
I don’t speak French and even so is mesmerising to watch and listen to. Have you been to see it already?

I am also half way the episode of Fashion Neurosis with Helena BC and is a delight, I always liked her and her slightly edgy Brit outfits.