Les Parisiennes de Mamansnet: Emergency thread!!

[Papyrophile]

Bonjour Mariannes. Sans botemps, I've taken action; if I am one of many, I'll ask MNHQ to remove this.

Just listened to Bella Freud and Charlotte Gainsbourg, thanks for the tip bo. Yes, the voices and their stories sounded spookily similar. I was doing other stuff while listening and at times I struggled to work out who was talking but fascinating to hear about both their childhoods - made me feel positively bourgeois. I hope they bonded.

I'm looking forward tp the Schiaparelli exhibition starting, even though I might not get to go for a while. Marie Antoinette seems to have been on forever. The V&A are also doing a 5 week online course about her (Schiaparelli) that I'm quite tempted by, but it's £125.00 so I'm trying to make do with a free members' talk and a biography I found in Oxfam.

Hope everyone is well.

Hello Parisiennes, I said I’d report back so here goes. Slightly underwhelming trip , no particular bad events but I just felt this time it lacked any highlights. Wasted a lot of time hunting down a caviste that was in fact closed. Missed the horse show at the Salon de l’Agriculture. Petit Bateau seems to have gone downhill since being acquired by an American firm. All very 1st world problems. Maybe because it was cold, everyone was very wrapped up ( the French are terrified of being cold) so no particular style inspiration. In fact I saw more interesting shapes and textures on the tube home from St Pancras. Sorry this is all downbeat. One nice thing is that Algeria, where I grew up, was well represented at the salon and I bought some very good olive oil and honey to bring back.

I know Flo, I do enjoy watching it on Youtube for that reason. Also means you get to see their outfits. I have similar feelings wrt childhoods, my parents sort of rubbed up against that sphere. I had lots of childhood friends growing up in borderline communes and some would just up and disappear to sail around the world or travel without a destination in an old VW bus. My parents seriously contemplated selling the house and buying a really large historic manor style home with a few other families to all live together 😬I'm so glad that never happened and they decided to soothe their, 'fuck, we've become the boring normies we once so despised' itch by moving abroad for work to continue their denial (not that I was particularly thrilled about that move either but as an adult I can definitely see that was a far superior choice).

I can't remember if I looked into it already but I think that's the same Schiaparelli exhibit as the one I saw in Paris. The course sounds good, shame about the price, is it that much for an online thing? Did you ever end up watching Transatlantic on Netflix, Flo? It features a lot Schiaparelli clothes and accessories. And for more surrealism on film, I recently started on, This is Not a Murder Mystery, which is a visual delight as well. I think it's a British production, not sure who made it or when, it's on our public broadcaster here.

Shame about the lack of excitement @TheGander , is it just the general global mood atm? I know it's leaving me looking at things a bit bleakly, and sudden sunshine a whole lot more appealing than I usually find it, but otherwise most things fail to register as they usually would, ikywim? Algerian olive oil sounds interesting, is it a bit stronger flavoured like in Tunisia? Hmm, now I'm hankering after a brick à l'oeuf fried in that heady olive oil... might need to swing by the French supermarket this weekend to see if they have any brick pastry in stock.

Hi Bo, maybe it’s just the zeitgeist, I don’t know. Some sun would have been welcome. The Algerian olive oil I bought was a late harvest one, similar to the French huile d’olive a l’ancienne. Less peppery than early harvest and a nearly fermented taste which I like, the smell reminds me of my childhood and street smells in Algeria. The honey is outstanding. When honey is made from flowers grown away from intensive agriculture it is always better.

One nice thing I did was the recently updated Musee de Cluny ( the one with the stunning Lady and the Unicorn tapestries). Full of fascinating objects and interpretation and small enough not to be tiring/ overwhelming.

I was looking forward to your report The Gander , but oh well. The honey and olive oil purchases are worth it though. I agree and that is something I miss to be able to get really wild honey. I love olive oil too, does it have very strong smell? Of olive oil? In Argentina I find it smells a lot stronger than the virgin oils here and I am not sure why.

This am feels like a bit of spring is back, after a disappointing week weather wise and I am totally ready to get dressed in a lighter manner. The only thing worth mentioning is that I got a Fenn Wright Masson skirt in cotton, lined, full skirt type (but not overly full), in colours that have a vibe of a Monet painting. I got it in a charity shop for £8. Fits perfectly. So I am ready for spring.

I don’t think I watched transatlantic… but I really enjoy Fashion Neurosis, and when they touch on the interesting childhoods it speaks to me.
Part of my childhood I spent in large communal houses where progressive political activists, intellectuals and artists would live while there was a military coup, we were outside Argentina and a couple of my uncles who were poets used to plan to get a big bus, convert it and do a type of mobile theatre and music on the go with three of the families, who had young children and live freely spreading joy through the world…

Interesting @Redandblue11 . I didn’t know Argentina was an olive oil producer. The strong smell could be later harvest olives are used, some fermentation during the process after picking. I think this is not generally considered a good thing but I like the effect. You get a strong olive smell, like when you are at an olive counter in a deli. Interesting childhood you had. Was the other country Uruguay?

In Argentina the olive oil is produced in Catamarca, with all the bad economics not sure how the export is at the moment but main clients are Canada and Japan I believe
one example here
https://aceiteraargentina.com/en/quality/

They are said to have low acidity and high polyphenols … I do not know anything about olive oils.

I didn’t live in Uruguay. We first crossed to Bolivia, then Peru and finally arrived to Mexico, on the way back we came through many Latin American countries too, Panama, etc

Popping in to share my latest fashion acquisition, a lilac Celine Paris blazer I found on my dress agency, at a steal price. Quick photo attached , the price was due to having a mark on the back of the neck which is not visible when worn so I am not fussed about it, but might try to get it out carefully by hand with cold water … unless people here tell me otherwise …

Ooh Red what a great buy, it’s fab!

I have a new dress agency find too but mine’s a Toast skirt and nowhere near the same league even if it’s old school Toast.

As regards the mark, I think I’d be inclined to leave it alone if it’s not visible, but what’s the fabric?

Ah that's proper vintage Celine, Red, maybe 1980s? I'd be a bit cautious about DIYing the stain too, it looks like one of those materials that could suck up moisture like a sponge so any wetness spreads further than intended and often dries a different colour with a noticeable outline.

I think high polyphenols in olive oils are meant to be good for your health but not sure if it adds or detracts wrt flavour. There's a lot of spin in olive oil marketing though, and price doesn't always mean much. I think the ones that have a stronger olive character don't have a long shelf life, or maybe more accurately the taste isn't consistent in the long term. I tend to buy Greek olive oil, it seems to be the best value for money compared to Italy and Spain (France has always been overpriced). There's lots of character in it, and varies a lot too depending on the region. Best olive oils I've tasted have been in Italy though, but they tend not to export the good stuff IME.

As for wild honey, Europe isn't ecologically diverse enough for it, there's no such thing as European organic honey as a result, just not enough free space for it to qualify.

Taking a note of Musee Cluny, TheGander, I think I've been at some point, but must be a very long time ago as I'm unsure of even vaguely when. I always feel Musee Guimet is often overlooked in Paris.

Red, maybe I'm reading too much into the ellipses (the ... at the end) but do you also feel that as a child being surrounded by adults who indulged themselves in magical thinking a lot you ended up overly pragmatic and have a lot of internal eye-rolling with people talking loftily about plans which are unlikely to ever materialise but they could actually just go out and do if they would just stop talking about it to everyone...

I wondered about what you said too, Red, and I'd have asked you more about it if I hadn't been side tracked by Celine. I'm always curious because I had such a conventional childhood myself, in which I spent many hours day dreaming about adventures but I'd have been horrified if my parents had ever suggested going on a real one. I'd have been, 'What about my friends and how will I get to watch The Man from UNCLE?'

First, on the Celine side of things yes is 80s and pure wool. I think I will leave the mark well alone. My hair covers it and even if I have my hair up the pony tail is on top. The mark is very faint, possibly make up.

I attach here a photo of the mark, not sure if it comes out well.

on the childhood side of things, I will not do here a full opening of what I think about it. But only to say that on one hand yes it has made me very pragmatic and I tend to plan and look at every possible outcome of stuff I am going to, great for work and the stuff I do in my career, but a pain in the arse in some personal situations.
but on the other hand I still have a lot of dreamy ideas that my friends here in the uk tend to say I am quite adventurous, and also that I could fit in pretty much any circle, I think is true. I would not by choice give that nomad life to my children though, I have ensured that we stayed in one place for my DS.

The same agency has a silk dress in red, green and blues which I am very tempted too … not many opportunities to wear it at all so I left it but I keep thinking about it. It was £70
it was owned by the same person who left the blazer there

well done on your Toast skit flo
what colour is it?
I also read on a separate thread that you are considering some Uniqlo trousers… did you get them?

My skirt is very similar to this current season one Red - in brown/taupe-ish
https://www.toa.st/collections/womens-skirts/products/pleated-cotton-linen-poplin-skirt-ash-brown
I'd been resigned to tracking the current one into the sales but now I've got one for a fraction of that price (I paid £40) plus I've got all spring and summer to wear it, so I'm pretty happy. I'm guessing the one I've bought is from around 7 or 8 years ago because it's a really nice, heavy cotton sateen that they did quite often back then. It's really reminded me how much their quality has gone down while their prices have gone up. They're hardly alone in that respect, I guess.

I've not ordered the Uniqlo C culottes yet. I'd been dithering first over whether to order some other trousers - Toast again but this time second hand from their Reworn page. But I hesitated too long and they've gone. So I might look at Uniqlo C again now.

And sorry bo, I forgot to answer, yes the V&A Schiapparelli course is online. The problem is that there's another one I want to do which is led by the woman who wrote The Dress Detective (link below). It's quite an academic book in parts so much of it is way over my head and I assume the course will be similar., but she also takes an approach to looking at vintage clothes that I've not come across before. So basically if I do that course and the Schiapparelli one then I'll be in yet another austerity situation!
www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/dress-detective-book-ingrid-e-mida-9781350087774

That is a fab skirt flo, I would wear that a lot myself.

That is a proper Sophie's Choice, Flo, I think I prefer to be in over my head and take it in piece by piece slugging along in the back over a made for a general audience course. But it would probably also depend on how much headspace I'd have for it at the time.

Red, yes, I don't necessarily view it as a bad thing, it's just one of those things now and then that you realise what was a normal childhood to some is very atypical to others. I think it does bring about a weird mix of taking on quite adult attitudes and responsibilities younger while still holding onto a more childlike open view of the world into adulthood. Where the unknown isn't a scary thing, mostly just a neutral thing where you have confidence that if the worst thing happens you'll manage your way through. But being unfazed by things can also be interpreted as being uncaring to other's fears and insecurities so it's sometimes a tough balance.

Also, can't see much of the stain, I'd leave it for now as well and have the dry cleaner have a look at it when it needs cleaning. Not sure where to stand on the dress in the dress agency. I'm generally of the, if it haunts you after leaving it hanging, you probably should go back and get it. But I've also done that in the past and then it transpired that the whole wanting it had at some point eclipsed the actual object. So, maybe a second try on with the most critical attitude possible?

Off to hunt for that dress detective book now, it's so annoying how many fashion/sewing books are only in limited print and you find about them years later when they're only available secondhand at inflated prices.

There’s a new edition of The Dress Detective due out later this year bo and it sounds like it’ll be quite a big overhaul with all new case studies, so it might be worth holding back from buying this edition unless it’s at a very bargainous price

Thanks, Flo, I've put in a notification for when it's released (end of May for anyone else interested). In the meantime I have a pdf version of the current edition to tide me over.

Have you been sewing much? I feel I should make something but a bit uninspired as to what.

I can't do any sewing at the moment until my hand heals up properly bo. Before that, I'd mainly been doing alterations, which keep me busy but the last time I tried making something from scratch was last year. I put quite a lot of work into it - even did a toile! - but it went badly wrong and I was so dismayed I couldn't face working out what I'd done. So it's still on the sewing table, looking at me reproachfully.

Such a lovely jacket, blue, and woe! Flo. You’re obviously still thinking about what to do.

I am currently in Shanghai, having a great time. It’s such an interesting city. Huge -30m inhabitants. Many of them, the young people in particular, are very stylish, though there’s a surprising lack of colour.

We went into a shopping centre, IFC Mall, on our way to going up the 3rd tallest building in the world. IFC Mall probably rivals those in Dubai (which of course has the world’s tallest building).

The Chanel shop was over 3 floors, and every other major brand had a big shop. There were no ordinary shops at all. A whole floor it seemed was devoted to children’s wear. A very cute Burberry trench in age 6 was in one window.

We did have an amazing lunch there but that was, inevitably, all that we bought.

I'm very envious Poppy. I imagine the people watching is fab even if you don't buy much?

Sorry, Flo, I should have considered your hand before asking that (<-- why does that sound like a marriage proposal 😶). This weekend I tossed out some old underwear and am now contemplating the daunting task of some basic cotton undies as the last batch I bought look like they'll wear out quicker than the ones I bought prior to that. Thankfully they don't require a lot of material so worst case scenario it won't be that much money wasted. Though I still have to double check that it's actually feasible without an overlock or coverlock machine.

Shanghai, how exciting, Poppy, it used to be called the Paris of the Orient iirc. Someone should really make a travel show of all the "Paris of the...", which they can then follow up with "Venice of the...". Admittedly, Shanghai does have a very European vibe down at the Bund. I think Shanghai Tang (traditional Chinese Qipao tailor but they also had some 1930s style jewellery that didn't cost the earth) is down there although the prices were high back when I was there, I assume even more so now, so maybe they've moved to the fancy mall. I remember going to some of those sprawling luxury malls in Beijing when they were just newly opened, very surreal, back then it was pretty empty with a scattering of western expats but suspect those are in the minority now.

Poppy that sounds fascinating, does the city feel way too much?
I haven’t visited China and would love to.

Ha no worries bo! I forget about my hand most nights and then get a shock when I wake up.

I hoping Poppy will send more reports from Shanghai. In the meantime, I'm reading a biography of Schiaparelli (by Meryle Secrest). It's bursting with names and places, so much so that I'm struggling to keep up, but it's making me ask myself whether I've been overrating her, just a little bit? Yes, she was incredibly inventive and witty and imaginative and she had some very cool friends (plus some who weren't at all cool by the sound of things but I've not got to the war yet). But I'm starting to wonder whether her biggest talents were for self promotion and networking? Dunno. I still definitely want to go to the exhibition but I feel less tempted now to shell out for the online course.

By the way, bo, I've read somewhere that the V&A exhibition will focus more on her time in London and her British connections so it might not be identical to the one you've seen but there's bound to be a big overlap. And I'd forgotten about Translantic so thanks for the reminder.

Here's a review of the biography which is much more readable than the book itself but then Rachel Cooke was a fab writer, gone much too soon:
www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/26/elsa-schiaparelli-biography-review-dali-chanel.