Want the jacket….
Classic With a Twist -YSL by deja pseu featuring Yves Saint Laurent
…bought the perfume.
Une femme has finally given up on the Chanel jacket fantasy. Too boxy, too fussy pour moi. (Though I will continue to admire on others and sigh that what-might-have-been-had-I-been-born-with-a-trust-fund-and-different-genes sigh.) But as one door closes, another opens, and I’ve switched my jacket obsession to Yves Saint Laurent, specifically the “le Smoking” style jacket. First, it’s much more within my aesthetic comfort zone and also probably a much better style for my body. Even though the YSL is still out of my price range, it’s far less so than Chanel (including on ebay).
In the meantime, I will assuage and sublimate my YSL-lust with a new fragrance. I’ll own up, I tried it because of the name, “Parisienne.” (How could I not??) But I was surprised to find I really like this fragrance. It’s feminine with an edge. The beginning of the drydown yields a distinctive rose fragrance, but soon after it becomes something slightly more earthy and just a little bit smoky (thanks to sandalwood notes) though the floral remains dominant. This isn’t a sweet floral. It’s a bit powdery, but not too soft.
And if I decide I must have a reasonable facsimile of the “le Smoking” jacket sometime this decade, there’s always this one from J.Crew.
We’ll talk about that Muse bag later…
~
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And the shoes!! Please tell us about the shoes too!!
That perfume sounds lovely.
Northmoon – they’re Fluevogs! If you click on the Polyvore picture above it gives you all of the information about the items and a link to purchase.
Oh yes. Go for a smoking jacket. I have a 3/4 smoking style jacket in my closet…I love it.
Chanel or not, No boxy jackets for me EVER. I love that fitted and elongated “smoking”. It is a figure flatterer.
Great polyvore too.
I think Le Smoking is a much better option – and its what I’ll buy when I win Le Lottery!
That tux jacket is great, and it’s in Petite! Are you ordering it?
I went to the YSL counter the other day to spritz on Rive Gauche, as I was just re-reading Luca Turin’s “Perfumes: The A-Z Guide” He gives Rive Gauche 5 stars, and it makes his “all time great” list. The counter had NO RG and was pushing Parisienne. It’s a spinoff of another of their rose scents, “Paris”. Do they have to remove their classic great fragrances to force the sale of the new one?
I didn’t care for it on me, but may have been influenced by this disgraceful marketing ploy.
Yes, my Chere, this is any always has been THE jacket for us. The Chanel classic, lovely as it is, was definitely made for an haricot vert body. Or maybe black on black in an unbroken line.
So, isn’t that great you don’t have a trust fund?
Like Miss Pseu, Miss J prefers the YSl jacket to Chanel boxiness. We girls with curves must not be boxed in!
I really think you should consider the YSL Muse. It comes in so many colors, leathers, it´s a classic, it has your name written all over it!
Have you seen Travelsmith’s clothes? They have a long riding jacket that is similar to the first picture, comes in eggplant and black if I remember correctly. Lovely wrinkleproof fabric and available in plus sizes, too.
http://www.travelsmith.com/jump.jsp?itemID=14183&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C250%2C349&iProductID=14183&sortBy=0
DP, have you seen this little feature on the Parisienne website? I like Joanna Goddard, so I’ve been following her posts, but there are other bloggers on there as well with suggestions for how to evoke Paris no matter where you are:
http://experienceparisienne.com/blog/author/joanna/
I love the “big” YSL scents Opium, Paris, and Rive Gauche, and have worn them for many years. Almost more than any other fragrance house, Saint Laurent says “PARIS” to me — and oui, in all caps.
DP, I bet you could find a YSL jacket in a brilliant vintage store like “Decades,” don’t you think? Or are their prices too high? I’ve never looked at jackets there.
What I love about those jackets, is most have a velvet or satin collar. So chic.
metscan – oh, yes, am seriously considering a Muse!
LPC – I may have to actually start looking and trying on (I don’t even know if they produce in my US size 10…)
Marsi – I love that, thanks for the link.
Belle – yes, I need to find pieces that nip in at the waist. Thanks!
That’s Not My Age – I’m going to start perusing vintage stores and websites to see if I can find one on consignment. From what I’ve gathered searching on e-bay, the “pre-loved” YSL’s are actually within my price range.
Duchesse – I did order it yesterday (during the one-day 20% off “insider” sale) just to see how it fits. We’ll see…
According to the guy at the YSL boutique, they do still sell Rive Gauche but only at the boutiques, and they don’t have it on display. (Fragrancenet.com has it too.)
tishjett – yes, not being obscenely wealthy has its advantages. 😉
Miss Janey – that’s right, we need to rock those curves!
Sher – Yes, I love the satin collars! I think the J.Crew version has a satin collar; we’ll see.
Couture Allure – I remember the big splash made by YSL and his “le smoking” and pantsuits in the early 70’s. This really is a classic style.
Anonymous – I’ve purchased a few Travelsmith items in the past. That jacket definitely looks wearable.
enc – I’ve been wanting to go to Decades for ages, but on their website all I ever see are size 4’s. I wonder if they stock anything larger?
I agree that the YSL will work much better for you. And so classic!
This is an even better version of the jacket, Deja. I have it and love it.
http://www.travelsmith.com/jump.jsp?itemID=9115&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=9115&reqID=459453446&path=1%2C2%2C253%2C260
I think I might need to break down and get it in chocolate…
I am so grateful to find your blog! I’m in my 40s and my aunt is in her 50s, and both of us feel left out by fashion. I sent her a link to your blog this morning. You’re an oasis in the desert of teen clothes and blogs!
Very fabulous combo, pseu. Love it!
Special – that suede version looks nice, thanks for the link!
I’m so glad you’ve found the blog and enjoy it. I started this blog for that same reason, to explore and have an ongoing conversation about style for those of us “of a certain age.” Thanks for reading and for your comment!
Marieanne – merci beaucoup!
I have worn YSL’s Rive Gauche my entire adult life. I just love it. I think that Paris smells nice, too. I will be anxious to try Parisienne.
I agree with Special’s assessment of your blog… an oasis, indeed!
I’m glad you have found a new and improved jacket fantasy!
Love the YSL (and its knockoffs); I’ve always found that cut both provocative and assertive, which tends to create an interesting mix.
Good luck on the hunt.
Hey! I have those shoes! Truly twisted classics indeed!
You may or may not like boxy, but calling Chanel fussy is totally unwarranted. Call Lagerfeld fussy, if you must, but not Chanel please, that jacket was invented specifically to be the opposite of fussy.
Lindy – thanks so much! I hadn’t seen or smelled Rive Gauche in *ages*, so yesterday went to the YSL boutique and had them spray on the card. I remember it now!
Vix – thanks! I’ve always been drawn to feminine versions of masculine styles, which is one of the reasons this appeals to me.
Karen – yes, I was thinking of you when I included those! 😉
Marie-Christine – vraiment, I’m not dissing Chanel jackets. They are gorgeous, timeless, classic, and I’ll probably always drool over them a bit. But that style of jacket *on me* feels fussy or forced. It’s a style/person mis-match.