Opinions on my birthday gifts from my in laws please...

[corkythecat]

It was my birthday yesterday and my in laws bought me this dress, this scarf and this bag.
Do they hate me????? Or can you convince me they are not hideous.

the dress is not my favourite, but the bag and scarf are all right.
can you give the dress to you mil for christmas?

OMG!!!

I thought they were going to be alright but not everyone's taste. They are actually hideous!

I think she meant well though, its a whole outfit, if she hated you she'd have just bought the scarf.

You are horribly ungrateful...

but they are fairly hideous. I think Next is one of those nice shops where you should be able to exchange without a lot of grief though.

Keep the scarf... you can wear it to their house so you look like you are grateful.

LOVE the bag.

Dress...ooh, nasty. Unless you have the figure and hairstyle of Sharon Gless.

The scarf appears to be a blouse, also Cagney andlacey stylee...do you think you can carry it off?

If they hated you you'd have got nothing, trust me.

Next will surely exchange them to something you do like. That's got to be better than shoving them to the back of your wardrobe and not wearing them.

They remembered that's a great start and its nicer that they tried than brought you a voucher.

bag is vile

Dresss colour of baby poo

exchange

Clearly like my MIL (I love her, but god do I worry when she hands me a present that is soft and thus likely to be clothes....)

Was thinking "not too bad".
Then I saw the bag. OMFG!

The dress looks like a cleaning uniform used by a company who doesn't like their cleaners. The scarf and both awful. Do they actually seem to dislike you, or are they just really bad at buying gifts people would like? My ILs are in the second camp, so I don't take the bad presents personally anymore.

I'm intrigued that your in-laws would buy you clothes. Perhaps my world is a strange place but my OH's Mum would never try to buy me clothes. Did they get advice from someone - your OH perhaps? In which case he probably needs a bit of a talking to. If it was a sister-in-law then she probably doesn't like you as much as she pretends.

I would urge you to get an exchange before you disappear into a camel-coloured 1980s hell.

THAT DRESS! Three words - sack of potatoes.

Thanks everyone, I know they love me really they just think Next is the height of trendy clothing.
SIL has bought me clothes before and they are usually lovely think her pregnancy hormones are playing havoc with her style sense.
Will do a covert trip to Next on Monday when DH is at work so he doesn't realise I have taken it back.
Might keep the scare like Nagoo suggested and wear it occasionally when we pop up to see them.

Next question is what do I swap them for???

lol at 'scare' typo. Very apt

Vouchers and await the sale!

Buy some REALLY sexy undies and show your in-laws the type of girl you really are. Your OH will probably prefer that too.

Oooh didn't spot that Tidey

im lucky if i get a local post office 59p card off mine!!

Can you not exchange any of them?

I have only looked at the dress but assume they thought it was trendy if from Next. If you really hate it ask for the receipt and say it doesn't fit and then when you go back to exchange it you will be so disappointed they don't have your size that you bought something else .

I really like the dress, seriously it reminds me of toast stuff, and I am very impressed you have a mil that remembers your birthday.
I lurk on style and beauty because I struggle to look nice and I will by an entire outfit from the same shop at the same time because it has been put together by them so surely it must be right.

I think your mil has done the same for you and I can imagine the panic and it must be Ok it is from next feeling,
I would do exactly what phipps said as I think your in-laws sound so nice they will be pleased you have picked something you like but that is a good way not to hurt their feelings.

you're lucky, after 17 years i still get chutneys and calenders. This year I got shower gel.

I'm not joking.

I'm sure all very well meant and generous, but I would personally never buy clothes - or perfume - for others unless I was 100% sure it was something they'd like. Perhaps she thought giving a token was too boring, though.

The bag in particular is truly horrific - hard to believe anyone would design such a thing.

Gosh I wish my in laws were that generous.

I actually like the dress, camel is very in now.
THe bag is awful though, but Next will do an excahnge.