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.

It looks like it’s sold out Flo, as all tickets at the end are sold, so one would assume all previous ones had gone: I just noticed there was some availability at the beginning of August. I do recommend it, for the high quality of much of what you see, and the beautiful evening gowns, as I mentioned.

ok, so I am keeping the beige culottes, I have returned the brown ones. It turns out that the beige ones were a tiny bit smaller at the waist and have a tiny bit of room if the fabric gives in, they fit well and I am hoping to wear them a lot.

yes the tickets for the Queen’s wardrobe are sold out I tried a few times …

Not fashion related but hoping to get tickets for Tracey Emin at the Tate. Anyone else going?

I don't know about Tracey Emin, Red. I think she's an interesting person and I really admire the way she's dealt with her health issues. I bet she'd be great company on a night out (although I'm more a coffee-and-cake person these days). But somehow I've never been that keen on her art - I've always found it a little me too 'Me, me, me'. Admittedly I might just have not seen enough of it.

How are you getting on with the culottes? I've nearly bought a second pair in the cream colour but, if they're a bit smaller than the brown then they won't fit me a well so I'm hesitating now. I'm waiting until pension day before I decide.

I see the queen's wardrobe exhibition is now on until April 2027. A friend is taking me as a birthday present in the autumn which will be lovely. I'm going to see if I can talk her into going to the Celia Birtwell /Ossie Clark exhibition while we're there.

@Floisme
I'm waiting until pension day before I decide.

Oh thank you for this - a much needed belly laugh!

But it’s true!

This is how I live now, waiting for pension day so I can go shopping

Well, I am wearing the culottes today for first time for work, enjoying the ease to wear and how they look. Previous days were way too hot round here and needed the thinnest fabrics.

You might be good in the cream ones Flo the difference was really small, but also was the feeling of the darker colour and amount of fabric on me tends to swamp me, the cream ones lifted me on a different way.

Yes, Tracey E is a special one, I have been attracted to her pieces with collage/embroidered not sure what the technique she used was but they look a bit like cool tapestries.
But also I am interested and intrigued to see irl her pieces for the message, meaning they hold. I will report back after I go there in a couple of weeks.

Saw about the Queen’s wardrobe being extended. Will plan a visit

Hello all, dental related shenanigans have been keeping me down but I think I'm on the mend now. I've drowned my sorrows by mooching in the shops. Hadn't been to &Other Stories for a while and wondered in to see the difference Jonathan Saunders was making there. It seemed a bit more edited down? Not sure what to make of it, it also felt more expensive than it used to be, but I don't have a good memory of when I last properly looked at things there when not in the sale so perhaps it was always this way.

I was at Uniqlo to try and spot these mythical culottes despite those never working for me. Didn't see any, the jeans from the JW Anderson collab looked good though and seemed to be popular as only the smallest and largest size were left. Side note, these type of barrel trousers seem to be having a revival, though they only sort of disappeared yesterday to my mind, though the new ones are really full length rather than cropped. Have mostly seen them on very tall people so far.

Saw a really nice navy silk organza shirt at Arket, had been planning on making one of those myself. Contemplating just buying it seeing as the first heatwave has already come which likely isn't going to improve my sewing output and sourcing nice silk organza that isn't black or white can be tricky and/or expensive. Am going to Dries van Noten's fabric sale in Antwerp next week though, which I fear is the last time as they're selling everything at 50% off so might find some organza there.

Local department store started carrying Damson Madder, which I had seen around but just assumed was some sort of random Insta brand, guess there's a bit more investment behind it than that. Some of it definitely skews very young but it has that freshness and a bit of fun that Ganni once had when it was all shiny and new. The type of thing where one piece can make the rest of your wardrobe feel all fresh again. Prices seem somewhat reasonable, definitely for the quality, not that it's the best possible out there but it kind of reminds me of the days when high street brands had really intricate and well made pieces with maybe an odd loose thread but beyond that it was solid. And within the UK they offer free alterations and repairs. I tried on this top in red, liked it but because of the volume it sort of limits what I can wear underneath and so does the colour to an extend. The white would be more versatile but I really liked the red colour. Sigh. Also liked one of their reversible jackets but they only had one left on a mannequin and they wouldn't let me try it...

Saw in the news that Shein is buying Everlane 😶

I need to check the schedule but if anyone is up for a meetup Nov/Dec for all/some of these exhibitions let me know. As for Tracy Emin, I'm always a bit conflicted. She, along with others during that Cool Britannia era that rose to prominence through Saachi, have a bit of an air about them for that reason. Probably justified for some, and not others. But I've never really connected with her work and I always struggle a bit with the intellectual framing of it by critics, while simultaneously it's sort of ripe for pointing and laughing at by the masses. In that sense it feels more relevant in a larger UK cultural perspective than an artistic one.

Funnily I have recently bought myself something from Damson Madder having made the same assumption you had. I do like that top.

Mine is more staid but for the price the quality is very good:
https://thehambledon.com/products/voula-wool-and-cashmere-blend-cardigan-lime#

from the same shop I bought a Nicholson and Nicholson skirt in pale green. They are a lovely brand (Japanese) - https://thehambledon.com/collections/nicholson-nicholson
I bought the green skirt in a 10 and pale blue version with the matching top in a size 8. The eights were too small for me, but a friend liked them so she’s kept them. I’ve had so many admiring comments on the skirt since I’ve had it.

Damson Madder have clearly been ensuring they have the right visibility as I also keep looking at them, maybe started with insta. I haven’t seen them in person but is good to know the quality is good.
I like the look and vibe of the brand and of both your purchases Bo and Poppy.

I think I saw their checked top and I thought Ganni too. I have always looked at those checked tops and dresses but never actually bought one.
Although this one I am not sure if it would be right for me, but I like the overall look.

I like the shape of those Damson Madder tops although I never entirely trust my own judgement in a heatwave - it's a bit like if I shop in December when all the glitter looks completely normal. I also really like the shape of the boxy Nicholson & Nicholson top in your link Poppy.

I've had a little spend ..... not the Uniqlo culottes in the end but trousers and a jumper from Toast Reworn, both replicas of things I'd bought several years ago. I'm quite taken with that site although it does remind me of how much the quality of their (Toast) current stuff has slipped.

Also bo, I've been to that Vivienne Westwood exhibition at the Bowes Museum so thanks for the tip-off. It was a good selection, including things from the 70s/early 80s and some of her tweed suits, which were my favourite. One interesting aspect was that the pieces were all (or nearly all) donated by private collectors and you could tell they'd loved them because they'd been worn. The pirate boots, for example had clearly had a long and rich life. (The photos didn't come out unfortunately because they were behind glass.) I think the organisers missed a trick there. I wanted to hear from those owners, where they'd bought the clothes, where they'd worn them and how people reacted - so many interesting stories missed which was a bit of a shame.

I am always up for a meet up and exhibition too, forgot to mention Bo, just have a look. I haven’t given it too much thought yet of dates but Nov could work

Sounds good Red, maybe a weekend date this time as I know that is what made it difficult for some to attend last time? But I assume tickets will be harder to get.

That checked Damson Madder top looks to be the same top I tried on but with sleeves. I do see that working for you Red.

Your cardigan instantly makes me want to call it darling, Poppy, which sounds kind of old fashioned but I don't think it's actually that. Definitely a vintage vibe but the colour makes it feel very current and one of those that's surprisingly versatile. I'm familiar with Nicholson & Nicholson, it's a very nice brand which I only ever see sold quite randomly in an off the beaten path town's single nice boutique. Never saw it in Japan though, always makes me wonder about all those European brands that are big over there but not here and we probably get some Japanese brands like that over here.

Flo, I find that no one really cares about what people are wearing in these heatwaves is kind of liberating. I mean the number of bare chested men I've had to see these past few days. The only ones that really stand out are the people who are very put together in an entirely heat appropriate way. I feel I need to applaud their forward thinking in their excessively crisply ironed garbs and perfectly coifed hair but I seem to be more spiritually aligned with the bare chested men and just letting go with the heat of it all, questionable judgement and all.

Glad to hear the Bowes museum was a hit (did you check your eyesight at the castle too 😎), I do get what you mean with the an audiotour of sorts with the wearers being an enrichment but from my limited experience of people who borrow things to museums, they really value their anonymity. It's the ones who prominently want their names on the wings for wafting bills around that are the weirdos in that world.

I saw there's a new-ish art museum/gallery in Sussex that looked really good, Goodwood Art Foundation, very much connected with the outdoors so nice for the garden enthusiasts too, I assume. Anybody been by any chance, think it opened last year?

possible meet up some weekends that could work this end:
Week of 9 Nov
week of 23 Nov
Fridays and Sundays good

micro (might have different name now keen) , mm tentative

Have a look Bo your end

Anyone else here (even if you never came along) just shout , we normally don’t disclose here all details

plan would be to see Queen’s wardrobe exhibition

haven’t checked ticket availability for those dates …

I’m tentative @Redandblue11 - would love to make it along again.

@Voltefarce any preference Friday or Sunday ? Indifferent?

Sunday would be better if possible

Sunday would be better for me too, and I can make both 15 and 29 November.

In the interests of Anglo-French relations I don’t think we should allow this other up-and-coming exhibition to pass unremarked:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/bayeux-tapestry

I understand it’s only left France twice in its entire history. Let’s hope we don’t lose it

@PoppySeedBagelRedux , @Voltefarce I will keep you in mind for the meet up . I will private message you when we have firm details

oh Flo - thanks for that heads up!

thanks Red.

I am a member of the British Museum and we get priority booking to the ‘tapestry’, two free visits, and others at a reduced rate. They recently told us all to reset our passwords ‘ASAP’ in preparation for the tapestry ticket sales , and the website nearly crashed so goodness knows what it’ll be like on the day booking opens for us.

it sounds like everyone who is in the know will want to see that tapestry.

talking about tapestries, I saw Tracey Emin yesterday at the Tate. Amongst the many things I enjoyed, I will say it is deeply personal and what I like is that she shows stuff we don’t normally like to talk about or see, she presents it in a very powerful way.
She has some amazing work on with stitches and tapestry like, quite sizeable pieces.

And of course My Bed

Greetings! I had to go digging for this thread, hope everyone's well?

I'm just back from a very mini break in London so I got to the Schiaparelli exhibition, Yee ha! I take back what I said before - she may have been well connected and something of a socialite but she was also damn good.

I'm intrigued as to how she learnt to cut and tailor like that without (as far as I could tell) any training. Or was it more that she employed the very best people to execute her ideas (more than most designers do anyway) and left that side of it to them? If that was explained then I missed it.

She must have been a big influence on Vivienne Westwood - not just the zany stuff but also the bustles, the tartan, the visible zips.

I checked tickets for Tracey Emin Red but time was short so I gave it a miss. I do see what you mean about it being uncomfortable viewing, and how that's partly the point, but there's still a bit too much oversharing for my taste!

The Schiaparelli exhibition sounds good!! I want to go, but haven’t got round to doing anything about making it happen.
I have to admit I do know know anything about her other than her name etc, and now I am intrigued, might try to read about her.

Oversharing lol, yes Tracey E definitely does that.

Just saw that Margaret Howell has a sale on. Have you seen anything tempting Flo?

I heard MH is late 70s and still hands on and she still goes into the shops etc and has a good look and makes sure she is happy with her products.

I've not looked at the Margaret Howell sale yet Red, because I made a vow to stay away until the final reductions. I don't know if I'll stick to it though! Have you seen anything?

I read the Schiaparelli biography by Meryle Secrest but it's very detailed about her friends and relationships - far too many names for my poor little brain - but sketchy about how she actually learned her craft. I mean I know you didn't go to fashion school back then but Chanel, for example, started out as a seamstress in a draper's shop plus the nuns in the orphanage made sure she knew how to sew because she was expected to have to earn her own living. Schiaparelli, on the other hand, seemed to start by knocking out some witty jumpers from nowhere. They look great but how did she get them made up? That's what I wanted to know. Maybe there's more in the exhibition catalogue, which I haven't looked at properly yet, or maybe I need to find another book about her.

I hate to say, I told you so, Flo, but I did tell you the exhibition would alter your stance on her sewing and tailoring skills. I left similarly impressed when the exhibit was on in Paris. I think her skills mostly came from being raised aristo adjacent (isn't she a long lost Medici?), so knowing what to ask for without having the skills and raised in an environment of 'good taste'. It's kind of how fashion designers operate now through delegation, you don't really get the skilled sewers/patter makers working their way up anymore (the Japanese seem to be the exception to the rule).

Is the heat brutal in the UK as well, ugh, I'm already over it and the summer has barely started...

Red, I just checked dates for November/December and Eurostar seem to be causing the same issue they did last time by doing maintenance works at the weekend so there's no trains. Is October (or maybe even September) an option? Also saw Anish Kapoor is at the Hayward Gallery until Oct 19 and would love to catch that too. Provided that those dates aren't already sold out for the Q''s exhibit.

I went to look at the Cecilie Bahnsen collection at Uniqlo. I was a bit underwhelmed, I was most taken with some denim culottes that they paired everything with on the mannequin but that's not part of the collection. Culottes and I are not simpatico so I didn't bother trying them on, but for those who do get on with them I'd say have a look. They have a really nice sculptural quality, although perhaps more suited for a typical summer, not this current overheated one.

By chance I walked in on the Eckhaus Latta colab at Mango (sizing was wild but I don't think there's much online left anyhow) and walked out with a skirt and shirt combo. Although I'm uhming ahing on whether to keep it as the skirt on its own isn't as versatile in my wardrobe as anticipated, but I really like them together so maybe I should just think of it as a dress that I can also partly wear as a shirt. The skirt is not as weird in the back as it looks on the pictures, it has an interesting (in a good way, says I, anyhow) layering effect when worn done up. The worn untied version works in a more casual way but I've yet to find a top in my wardrobe where that comes together well.