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Gamines! Where do you shop?

22 replies

SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 23/05/2015 08:30

Morning Smile

I need some inspiration, please. My style could probably be best pigeonholed as 'gamine'. I don't fit it 100% (though I'm not sure anyone fits any one 'fashion style' 100% anyway, or should, individuality is good!) but my wardrobe is mostly clean lines, simple shapes and minimum fuss. It's a style that suits my body shape.

Anyway, I mostly shop at;

goat (coats and the odd dress)
Boden (plains only but I find the knitwear good, the bistro crops are ideal and I like some of their flat shoe offerings)
Banana Republic (again, cropped trousers and their drapey Jersey t-shirts are brilliant. Fitted but not tight and a lovely fabric that washes and dries really well)
Hobbs (again, plain stuff only - avoid the 'mother of the bride' stuff and stick to knitwear, some of their nicer tops and the odd coat/jacket. They've had a couple of nice collared t-shirt type tops in recently which are great).
Reiss (like their tailored trousers and jersey tshirts)
Tommy Hilfiger (weirdly, because I always think of it as a teenage brand but actually the cuts are great on me and they do quite a lot of 'grown up' clothes that are just simple and well cut in nice fabrics)
LK Bennett (again, avoiding some of the more mother of the bride/day at the races stuff or anything too 'business formal', I can always find good shoes, a nice coat and well cut trousers here).


My main problem is tops. Tops to go out in, not weekendy/day tops. I don't want sequinned camisoles and I don't want flappy polyester mesh things, so I'm scuppered. I tend to end up in a silk blouse/shirt or something but inspiration would be REALLY good. I like natural fabrics and am not to worried about budget.

Another thing I find is that tops are often maddeningly short. I'm not a giant nor do I have disproportionately short legs (5'7" / 31in ), so goodness knows how genuinely tall / long bodied women get on Confused.

Anyway, enough rambling. If you've read this far, I commend you Star. Now tell me where you shop Grin

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BabCNesbitt · 23/05/2015 09:59

Watching with interest. Insofar as I have any style, it's probably this (HoC typed me as a dramatic gamine, fwiw), but I've had bugger all luck finding anything recently that isn't thin polyester crap, so I'm just wearing a few things over and over again. Uniqlo often looks like it might have the odd decent t-shirt, but I don't live near one and I don't think they do free shipping so until I'm next in London, I'll have to give them a miss!

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NeitherHereOrThere · 23/05/2015 13:30

Gap is good for gamines, but not sure if its any use for going out tops as its pretty casual.

Have you tried Mint Velvet and Phase Eight (like LK Bennet it has a lot of mother of bride stuff but I have picked up a few gems from there)? Next and Boden are other possibilities you could check out.

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SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 23/05/2015 16:50

Thank you neither & bab. For some reason I just can't get on with Gap, their slightly smarter sister brand, Banana Republic suits me better. I find a lot of gap stuff a bit thin.

I do use Boden for basics, I think they're v good if you avoid the empire line, knee length hotpotch nasties. Though I had a few of their summer Breton type t's this year and had to send them back due to transparency issues.

I've looked at P8 & mint velvet but the fabrics all seem to be polyester sweat nightmares and MV have the cheek to charge through the nose for it, ime. I don't mind paying for quality but I won't pay £70 for polyester Shock

I do like Uniqlo, some of their stuff is v good. They did slim/skinny chinos last season which were excellent. Not too tight but really nicely cut. I wish I'd bought more, tbh.

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SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 23/05/2015 16:52

Btw, I am aware of just how unbearably tossy "gamine" sounds. I apologise. I'm just using it as shorthand. I don't refer to myself that way in actual RL Wink

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Bearleigh · 23/05/2015 19:42

Yours sounds like my style. I suggest Uniqlo for their shirts -I have a Uniqlo silk t shirt that a friend in the fashion business thought was from Joseph, and their linen is amazing value. Massimo Dutti have some nice shirts this year, with silk in (I love silk/cotton mixes) I got a beautiful silk top embroidered all over from MD which to me looks like it cost £200 not £50.

I also love Agnes B, Margaret Howell and Joseph.

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Tournesol · 23/05/2015 19:46

If you like Margaret Howell check out Toast, they are a slightly more high street version.

Also Hush do some good gamine stuff.

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SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 24/05/2015 10:49

Thank you for these, really helpful. I'd forgotten about Agnes B. I was OBSESSED in the 90's

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Geneticsbunny · 24/05/2015 11:42

Hello. I am a classic but am meant to wear gamine for everyday stuff and I have no idea where to find stuff so I am going to lurk around here and check stuff out. I find zara and sometimes m and s good for going out style tops for classic which might be good for you too?

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NeitherHereOrThere · 24/05/2015 17:31

Whistles, Hobbs & Jigsaw all had a lot of gamine stuff when I went to town earlier today.

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Bearleigh · 24/05/2015 17:58

Squeezy if you haven't found replacement Breton t shirts you could try Winser:

www.winserlondon.com/whats-new/stripes-are-back.html

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SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 24/05/2015 22:09

Thanks again folks, really helpful.

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Kleptronic · 24/05/2015 22:21

Ok can someone tell me what gamine is please? Smile

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AlfAlf · 24/05/2015 22:28

I have a very stylish friend who dresses as you describe. She buys quite a bit from Cos and Orla Kiely.
I'd love the money to buy clothes like that, but the style doesn't really suit me. I'm intrinsically scruffy and thus can't pull it off.

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ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 24/05/2015 22:39

JCrew have lots of sleeveless shell tops that look kind of gamine-ish to me. Also some 'boy shirts' in strong prints.

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ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 24/05/2015 22:53

A new (to me) label at HoF - Hallhuber - lots of basic jersey tols but long in the body.

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ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 24/05/2015 22:53

Tops not tols

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OnlyLovers · 25/05/2015 18:32

What's HoC? Does it/do they tell you what your 'natural style' is?

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SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 25/05/2015 19:56

House of colour, I think. I think they do styling consultations as well as colour stuff, yes. I've never had one, I'm just going by personal experimentation and experience of things I've tried that suit me.

kleptronic - for "gamine" think sort of Audrey Hepburn style. Simple lines, a bit androgynous.

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Kleptronic · 26/05/2015 11:25

Ah got it, thanks!

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iloveoz · 26/05/2015 13:53

Had my colours done years,ago +it's been great knowing what colours+styles suit I don't suit black near my face +most of my w as wardrobe was black!would highly recommend good luck!

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KissyBoo · 26/05/2015 16:16

I think Jean Seberg during her Breathless days does gamine best.

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SqueezyCheeseWeasel · 26/05/2015 16:29

YY, gorgeous

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