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Original poster

Isabella Oliver - is it worth the money?

28 replies

pirateparty · 29/12/2010 14:15

I have a professional exam coming up in which I should look reasonably smart, and should look smart at work too. I am thinking of buying an Isabella Oliver wrap top, but even in the sale it's £58 which seems such a lot for a maternity top to me.

Any experience as to whether it is worth the money? Also - what about the rest of the things they sell?

Thanks!

OP posts:
lucy101 · 29/12/2010 14:17

I am not the biggest fan (was given a lot and got rid of it actually) but I would suggest that you take a look at the dresses rather than the tops as I think these could be smarter for an exam or work etc. You should check them out on ebay too... then if you only wear it a couple of times/don't like it you can just resell (and they have a very good resale value).

SantasMadMissy · 29/12/2010 14:20

I loved the top but I found the wrap dress clung to areas I would prefer not on show!

sue52 · 29/12/2010 14:29

I've bought quite a few items from Isabella Oliver. I think the tops and dresses are expensive for what they are but the coats and jackets are superb value. I bought their blue velvet smoking jacket and crombie coat recently and I can see me wearing them for a long time.a

sleepwhenidie · 29/12/2010 14:39

I had a couple of IO wrap dresses and tops when I was working and pg (banking job, so smart dress required). I wore them to death - in fact wore little else for the last 2-3 months of pg so they were well worth it for me. They also got passed on to friends and worn subsequently but I imagine could be sold on ebay quite easily.

I also had a casual top - the kimono one, which was comfy and very flattering to wear post-birth too, and a mini skirt from there, which was worn with tights and boots loads during pg's 2 and 3 and afterwards for a few months, it made a very welcome change from maternity trousers and again was just soo comfortable.

Skimummy · 29/12/2010 17:23

I am the same as sleepwhenidie - had a capsule work wardrobe from IO and wore it to death. I was ready to throw out the trousers I bought from there in the end because I was so sick of them! I had a couple of their ruched tops which were lovely to wear and got lots of compliments.

It was all excellent value for me but I have a professional client-facing job that requires me to look smart...obviously depends how much you are planning to wear the top.

Scorps · 29/12/2010 17:27

I loved my IO things, and found them all really worth the money. I had a scoop neck top, 2 vests, jeans and the boob tube. Wore them to death and then got nearly all my money back when i sold them on eBay.

Librashavinganotherbiscuit · 29/12/2010 17:29

IO maternity wear really worth the money, good quality and hard wearing. Their non-maternity gear isn't as good.

cornsilkcornedbeefhash · 29/12/2010 17:46

I wanted that Crombie coat but it was hardly reduced Envy

southeastastra · 29/12/2010 17:48

i have the non maternity wrap dress, i reckon you could use that whilst pregnant as well though - gets lots of compliments

i love the crombie coat but was way £££

cornsilkcornedbeefhash · 29/12/2010 17:50

I'm drooling over it again now. Wish I'd ordered it with the 20% discount that was flying around - it's only 15% off in the sale.

southeastastra · 29/12/2010 17:50

it's a lovely cut, which colour do you like?

SparklyMartini · 29/12/2010 17:52

Do they do further reductions eventually, does anyone know?

cornsilkcornedbeefhash · 29/12/2010 17:52

the white is lovely but totally impractical so probably the olive - what about you?

southeastastra · 29/12/2010 17:54

i like all the colours Grin

cornsilkcornedbeefhash · 29/12/2010 17:55

yes me too - would gladly have any!
have ordered a few things in the sale but am really pissed off about the coat - I really wanted it!

DreamingofFour · 29/12/2010 17:55

A cheaper option that worked for me was to wear a normal jacket (black or grey) undone with maternity shirt/trousers or dress underneath. The jacket made me look professional and also seemed to minimize the impact of the bump, whereas I found wrap dresses and tops put more of me on show! Also, big bonus, jacket covered my bum! (definitely got bigger in pregnancy)

SantaIsMyLoveSlave · 29/12/2010 17:57

Personally I would skip the wrap top because they are bloody impossible to tie, but IO in general are worth the money in my opinion -- expensive to begin with but you can wear them to death and they still look good, and then you can sell them on eBay for at least half and often two-thirds of what you paid for them (depends on whether you bought in the sale or not, I suppose).

I recommend the portrait top. It manages to look good on both SIL and me, and we have body types that are about as different as you can get. I have four of them (two from eBay and two bought in the IO sale) and am contemplating another colour in the sale. I wear them all the time. The wrap dresses are fab too but I don't wear them as often.

southeastastra · 29/12/2010 17:58

does seem a stingy amount off am tempted by the red wrap dress

cornsilkcornedbeefhash · 29/12/2010 18:00

the wrap dresses don't lie right across my norks. Very annoying.
might try the black shift dress - would be good for hols I reckon - won't crease. I did order the pink one full price but wasn't 'in love' with it so sent it back. Was nice though.

SantaIsMyLoveSlave · 29/12/2010 18:03

There will be further reductions of unpopular sizes and colours, but unless you are a size 6-8 and aren't fussed what you wear I wouldn't hold your breath.

They had a lightening everything-50%-off sale in the summer which was fantastic (and where I did my IO stocking-up this pregnancy).

cornsilkcornedbeefhash · 29/12/2010 18:12

was that a sale within the sale?

SantaIsMyLoveSlave · 29/12/2010 18:20

No, it was a special 5-day sale with (IIRC) 50% off the first day, 45% off the second, 40% off the third and so forth.

SparklyMartini · 29/12/2010 18:28

Wow, I wish I had known about that -- or was it maternity only?

I am drawn to the cable cosy thing, but it's still too ££ at 15% off.

SantaIsMyLoveSlave · 29/12/2010 18:32

Maternity only, I think.

tingelingle · 29/12/2010 18:38

I thought IO tops were short in the body and didn't wash that well. Haven't bought any this time round and am preferring an H&M / Gap mix. Then again I don't work now but I'm getting lots of compliments on my 'look' this time, none last time in my too short, washed out IO...