I don't blog a lot about fashion, but I thought I would talk about two fashion related things I've discovered in France this year.
The first one is the Gambettes Box. Back for Valentine's day (yeah, I'm behind on my blogging) B offered me a 3 month subscription to Gambettes Box. Like JolieBox or Bark Box or any of the other monthly box subscription services, you get a surprise package once a month.
With Gambettes Box, there's one pair of black tights each month (varying thicknesses/opacity and possibly texture) and one "fun" pair. During my three months I got a pair of fishnet, red, and green patterned tights in addition to the 3 black pairs.
Some of the tights are from the Gambettes brand; some were Dim. In addition to the tights, each package has some cards with pictures (think Audrey Hepburn in tights, Catherine Deneuve...) and sometimes there were fashion or practical suggestions or tips. One of the tips I learned was to layer fishnets over a pair of normal nylons (helps with the warmth and to keep the fishnets from digging into your toes or knees).
If you like to wear skirts or dresses in the winter and feel like you only buy boring tights for yourself, the Gambettes box could be a fun experience. I often wear skirts and dresses with tights in the winter because it's easier for tights to dry than pants if I have to bike in the rain, but I also tend towards conservative fashion choices. I had fun wearing kelly green patterned tights with a black skirt and boots.
My other fashion discovery is videdressing.com
Think of it as Amazon market place for quality used clothes. If you've ever tried to look for second-hand clothes on Le Bon Coin, you'll know that it's hard to find what you're looking for: search for Esprit and you fill the brand name clothes, but also "esprit bohème"; sizes aren't always included; the variety of items not very interesting.
Enter Videdressing: the website caters to people who buy brand name, expensive clothing, but want to sell it after a season or two to buy new stuff. Each item is listed under type of clothing, brand, size, color, fabric, season, and even style (classic, retro, trendy, etc). You can easily search for mid-length size M skirts by Carrol, a blue dress in spring/summer collections of Zara, or a beige Tara Jarmon coat.
Many sellers put multiple pictures and measurement details, and it's possible to exchange messages with them to ask questions about items. I've seen buyers trying to negotiate a lower price, but I think I would just buy if I liked something a the price seemed right. Some sellers offer "remise en main propre" but it doesn't seem to be the most popular option.
I got a wonderful Vanessa Bruno beige skirt for 77€ with shipping (original retail 150€). Not being a fashionista I didn't know the brand, so I went to the store in Toulouse to try on some clothes and check sizes before ordering on videdressing. I knew it wasn't my normal kind of store when I saw there was only one or two examples of each piece of the collection. Then I saw the price tag for a skirt I tested (370€!!). Now I regularly search for Vanessa Bruno items and I'm thinking about buying a dress this winter (there are also knit dresses by Céline and Tara Jarmon I've been coveting...).
Videdressing is the great place to look for wardrobe accents by designers when you don't want to spend original retail price. Clothes than can age well, like a suit or a cocktail dress, are often sold by women who can't wear them after a pregnancy or simply because they regularly change their wardrobe. Some of the sellers appear to collect pieces (vide grenier, Le Bon Coin, etc) and then run an online store though Videdressing. Like all online shopping, you probably want to stick with brands you know the sizes. The website states that you have 48 hours to state any problem and either return the item or resell it on the size without a commission taken.
So if you'll excuse me, I need to browse autumn/winter dresses in my size under 100€ currently for sale :-)
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