£300 and 3 hrs on Regent St - What should a SAHM buy?

[actiongirl1978]

Hello,
I am a new girl so please be kind!
I have managed to sqirrel away enough cash via some canny fleabaying and smart housekeeping accountancy for a bit of a splurge when I go into town to meet my London friends next week.

Anything I buy will have to last for at least a year or more until I can start the squirrelling process all over again.

I am 33, 5ft6 and about a size 12. I am mother to a three yr old and a one yr old so potential for sick and sticky hands etc so ideally no dry clean stuff.

I have skinnies (thanks to whoever on MN recommended the Primark ones), a H&M Breton cotton dress and a ton of sandals and ballet pumps - so obviously things need to co-ordinate. But I have the basics. This trip is for the 'like to haves'.

What would you buy??????

Am thinking skinny cargo pants - but will they go the distance?
Coloured jeans - good or bad idea?
A school run summer dress (am watching that thread with interest!)
T-shirt dresses

A few accessories

My DH told me the other day my taste in cardigans was like his mums. PLEASE help me be stylish and practical but not be out of date too quickly.

By the way - I love style and beauty. I think you all talk about the stuff I think about but few of my mum friends are interested in!

ohhh £300... If it was me I would sod the clothes for the year and head in the direction of bond street and get thee some fab shoes or a bag .

Ok, not what you asked I know..!

Bumping this for you, im not one with good advice re kids so hopefully someone else will x

Have a good day btw. Im a fellow sahm and its nice once in a while to get freedom

How exciting!

I'd head straight to Cos for t-shirt dresses, tops, jeans, etc. Very stylish but very affordable too! Looks way more expensive than it is. Everything is in neutral tones with a few bright colours and prints added in, and all of the pieces work well together. They won't date too much, as it's not a trend led store.

Also check out Hoss Intropia for beautiful special dresses - they do stunning occasion dresses with fab prints and colours. It's expensive, but sometimes they have good things in the sale.
Their stuff will have other people asking where you got your outfit, guaranteed.

Have a lovely shopping trip!

Thank you - I know what you mean and the temptation is bit but I just wreck shoes pushing the pram, can't remember how to walk in heels and get mushed banana over most of my handbags!!!

First proper day shopping and lunch since ds came along so very very excited and have been combing these threads for weeks in anticipation!!!!

I meant the temptation is BIG

Thank you Tigerbear - have never shopped in Cos, it opened once I had moved out of London and stopped getting a salary! Will check it out.

What about Uniqlo?

Their website won't load for me at the moment, but I think they had some jersey jackets in a sort of blazer style. Bit more dressy than a cardi, but you could still bung it in the machine?

I'd buy :

another pair of jeans in a cut that suits you
maybe some metallic lace up pumps/converse type shoes
a great jacket (loving the jersey boyfriend blazers around just now, they smarten up everything)
A couple of blousey/floaty type tops, great with jeans and flats or dress up with heels
Some "dressy" t shirts, I love Gap for these
Denim knee length skirt
2 T shirt dresses, 1 smarter dress

Lucky you, enjoy

Hello I had £300 to spend a few weeks back and got a good selection of things to mix & match over Spring / Summer:

H&M Breton top
Oasis skinny cargos (navy & Khaki) and tan skinny belt
Dressy t-shirt tops from M&S for layering
Basic vest tops for layering in Benetton along with lightweight grey cardigan and gorgeous scarf
7/8 Trousers from Reiss (can be dressed up for evening with high heels)
Denim skirt from Hobbs

Definitely try Benetton - good for basics and has some lovely knitwear for Spring / Summer.

Just thought it might give you some ideas...

Hope you have a lovely day - I also have a 3yr old and nearly 1 yr old so know how much of a treat it is!

Ooh yes, Cos is fab.

I second Uniqlo (though it's right at the bottom near Piccadilly Circus)... especially if you're looking for skinny cargos.

Remember Carnaby Street is parallel with Regent Street and has a few quirky boutique type shops (Dahlia for instance, really lovely and some nice unique things in there at a very reasonable price). There's an Office there too.

Have a fab day

I totally agree OP about designer handbags & shoes = no no with kids...

Just nice to dream I guess

Zara for coloured jeans/chinos/blazers. Massimo Dutti have good classics if you want to channel that "European" look. There is a big Mango near Zara as well. Uniqlo on Oxford st will have the J+ collection.

Banana Republic have a sale, I want one of their bags this one, comes in yellow too
and they do nice knitwear too.

Big Topshop worth a look. I also like Kookai too for things that are slighty different.

cos had FREAKY stuff in it the other week

lol florence
im looking at that too

fishie says its nto in store to poke though

i find top shop UTTERLY depressing
dont do it
its so static in there

tops from esprit

Withagoat - was going to look in the store tonight for it. Might have to be an online order....

Hee hee Withagoat - topshop.... I start to feel like I have the eyes of a thousand anorexic teenagers staring at me as I walk through the door!!

Deffo off to Banana Republic - saw their sale had started, hope there is something left to buy in a week! I got one of their cream trenches in the sale last year and I love the quality.

Yes, Crazybutterflylady, I have uniqlo on my list. I have scanned the website most days for the last few weeks, but am using cast iron willpower to save my money for when I have no children and can therefore TRY THINGS ON in the shop. Like the idea of 2 pairs cargos for £50.

Planestrainsautomobiles - good tip on Bennetton, thanks. I do like the European look, but I find I stray quickly from 'pulled together' to 'middle aged Italian mother in nice beige cashmere cardi and a longchamps bag'. IYSWIM.

Loving the tips - what else has everyone bought?

Kookai have this great looking trench with 30% off.

I'd go for a mooch in Anthropologie and buy something fabulous. Then head for Uniqlo and GAP for some basics.

Agree with Chippy - straight to Anthropologie and hope I came out with more than 5p change!!

LOL - straight upstairs to the sale corner for a rummage.

Zara
Mango
Warehouse

I'd be looking for dresses and lovely pretty (lace, satin, silk vintage type camis) tops to go with jeans.

I might also try and keep a big part of my £300 to buy a gorgeous cashmere cardi. I have a mocha one from Day by Birger and Mikkelson that was £120 but is soft, warm, floaty and gorgeous and makes ANY outfit. I also have one from Vero Moda from ASOS that was £30, black with a sheer lace back. Also goes with and pulls together everything.

I recently dropped £150 on :

Pink skinny mango trousers
Butterfly print mango blouse
Minkpink liberty pattern maxi dress
ASOS gold sandals

Have an AMAZING day.

Hi everyone.

So my day was utterly hijacked by the protest and I decided to steer clear of town. I ended up on the Kings road - which is nice and I had a lovely lunch with my friend but was a wasted shopping trip!!!

So I ended up getting 4 tops and a pair of skinny cargos which don't fit!!
to wear with jeans and denim skirt

Green dress to wear with leggings

And a couple of sale things from Banana Republic which I bought post wine.

How annoying to plan in advance and then have my plans scuppered!

So I need to re-group and work out how much money I have left (after my scary spending on Rose wine at lunchtime....ahem) and then order a load of stuff online!

Think that everyone has a right to protest but very miffed it ruined my well planned trip!!

How annoying for you!
Absolutely love both the stripy t shirt and the dress - and both quite reasonably priced! You must have v silmilar taste to me. If you like that FC tshirt there is a similar blue striped one at topshop for 18 pounds ish i think. I would steer clear of the Oxford street store but shopping online at topshop is still worth it, I think. Great for tshirts and vests and I like their chino/cargo pant affairs this season too.

Let us know what else you buy!

£300 - am so !!!
Love the FC stripe T, have my eye on that myself. Does it come up very big in RL?
If you have some money left (or can manage more clever accountancy!), consider the following

blazer

blouse

summer cardigan

Thanks Meggles, love the blouse esp.

The FC t-shirt is big ish - I will wear it over a fitted white vest as it does slip to the edges of your shoulders. But it will cover a multitude of sins in the tummy dept. Long enough over your jeans/hips, but I wouldn't wear it with leggings as it would be too short.

Blue - glad you like my choices - as they were made in a bit of a rush to meet my friend!

I think I can probably stretch to a pair of jeans - but Gap seemed to have sold out in lots of sizes.

FC did have some lovely stuff. I gave up on them in my mid 20's but all of a sudden they seem to have changed direction and got a bit more grown up. Perhaps it is the lack of FCUK t-shirts that has done it!