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Original poster

I have £250 to spend on new wardrobe and I'm lost! HEEEEEEEEELP!

38 replies

Whenisitmysleepytime · 20/06/2011 15:35

dh has given me license to spend for my birthday which is great! i have a budget of £250 ish to revamp/ replace my wardrobe now dd has arrived and i am done with pregnancy/ bf etc.

I tried to shop today with 8wk dd while toddler ds was in nursery.
DISASTER! :(
i bought nothing. i froze like a rabbit in the headlights. i'm lost.

Please help me!

i know i need a bra fitting, but not got round to it so that's job number 1.
what next?

what should i buy so i look half decent/ a bit stylish but i can also chase ds around the park in?

i'm 5foot2, size 12 bottom and 10-12 top. Bra is (i'm guessing) 32DD ish(?) but v saggy so not jordan-like boobs. broad shoulders, short legs and wider hips than before. i have pixie crop brown hair and green eyes and fair skin. i'm a converse/ birkenstocks sort of girl rather than wedges and maxi dresses.

links would be fab!

Big TIA! :)

OP posts:
gapants · 20/06/2011 15:52

Hello,

That is wonderful and what a nice present, but I was thinking that with you only have had your baby 8wks ago, I would venture that your body will still change a lot and unless this money is for a transitional wardrobe, then I would wait for a while yet.

I hope you don't feel like I am raining on your parade, but it took me about 6m to get back to my old body size and the size I wanted. However you may be blessed with fantastic genes and your body has snapped back to how it was before...Envy

On my shopping list FWIW would be
2 pairs of jeans- on straight or skinny leg, one boyfriend/loose
ballet flats in gold
scoop neck t-shirts in colours you like- GAP is good for this
Breton type stripe 3 quarter length top- ZARA is good
bright colour trousers with a tapered leg
1 short sleeve silky blouse-ZARA or WAREHOUSE
1 long sleeved silky blouse- as above
grey boyfriend cardigan

That would blow the budget!, Maybe wait till the sales.

Original poster
Whenisitmysleepytime · 20/06/2011 16:05

thanks for the suggestions!
i'm rather lucky that the teeny bit of bf i managed has helped me get back o more or less what i was. Grin boobs are possibly still shrinking but not much left to deflate iyswim! and i have the wibbly tummy which will need more than time to fix!

i like your suggestions but don't think blouses are either me or practical if they're silk. (sicky dd and sticky ds doesnt go well with silky things i think)

anything else?

OP posts:
AchtungBaby · 20/06/2011 16:29

Hmm, Whenisitmysleeoytime, you sound a bit like me - converse / birkenstocks etc!

I'm in the process of doing this too. I'll have a think / look around, then post some links...

Original poster
Whenisitmysleepytime · 20/06/2011 16:39

oh thanks achtung!! feel so :( / Angry that i used up a nursery day to shop and got nothing to show for it!

OP posts:
faustina · 20/06/2011 17:01

why not try ordering things online instead of trawling round the shops? Gap have their sale at the moment, and their online shop is excellent - very fast delivery and returns. The ASOS sale starts tonight - you might like to have a look there for inspiration too. they do free delivery and returns. I hope you find something!

Original poster
Whenisitmysleepytime · 20/06/2011 17:06

faustina online is good but what to buy is my problem.

maybe i need to try on everything i own and see what i've got...

i feel so lost! Blush

OP posts:
Collision · 20/06/2011 17:32

jeans

capri

3 pack tshirts

cardi

navy skirt

tea dress

navy wedges

All of this can mixed and matched with tops and cardis and jeans etc. I would add jewellry and scarves to brighten up these outfits but that is what I would recommend for now!

DiNammic · 20/06/2011 17:34

not those wedges

DiNammic · 20/06/2011 17:34

id advise all the usual guff but include one" going out top" i liek a silk shell type of thing
and i reccy ( someone did on here to me and i love it) the uniqlo jersey blazers

DiNammic · 20/06/2011 17:35

to go on top with jeans and whatever shop.uniqlo.com/uk/goods/068389

gapants · 20/06/2011 17:38

second not those wedges- yuk!

Collision do you work for Next Grin

The sheer blouse with the jeans is really lovely. I would buy that!

AchtungBaby · 20/06/2011 17:59

Eek, I don't have much time before DS's bath, but:

Definitely check what you already have - I didn't remember having many decent pre-pregnancy clothes, but I then found 3 decent pairs of Oasis garnet jeans that I'm living in at the moment, and 2 pairs of lovely Gap black trousers for when I go back to work.

These are a few things that I've bought recently:

3/4 sleeve jersey blazer or military-ish jacket

short-sleeved shirt

kingfisher print top, needs a pretty vest underneath (I love White Stuff vests)

brown ankle strap sandals, nice, but not too girly

White Stuff also often have nice casual dark grey trousers, otherwise I'd spend my whole life in jeans Grin.

Are these the right kind of things? Let me know what you think Smile.

AchtungBaby · 20/06/2011 19:21

Right, DS is asleep Smile.

shoulder bags, I've had a couple of these.

dark brown satchel, I've just ordered this.

Hmm, things other than bags...

boyfriend cardigan, but probably not in white Grin

I often like White Stuff's relatively plain long-sleeved t-shirts.

black pumps, or these

animula · 20/06/2011 19:32

leggings from M and S would be on my "really useful" list.

I'd look at T K Maxx for bags (as a very recent convert). A lot of horrors but also some real gems, esp the Italian leather bags - though they might blow your budget.

Bags probably way less essential than clothes, though - especially since we are entering the season where magazines give away canvas bags.

gapants · 20/06/2011 19:33

this shirt

or this top

this would be good with your cleavage

nice trousers

Really rate Zara these days as you can tell!
Any of this to your liking?

I would go shopping with a good GF whose style you like and who you know will be honest with you.

animula · 20/06/2011 19:35

The uniqlo jacket that AchtungBaby has linked to is great. I sooo nearly bought it myself but am trying to buy nothing at the moment. It's really versatile, is like a cardigan-but-not (!) and I have seen it on quite a few women now and it looked great on all of them.

animula · 20/06/2011 19:37

Ha - DiNamic linked to it too!! It is the people's choice!!

AchtungBaby · 20/06/2011 20:04

Grin, I can't decide between grey or black though...

AchtungBaby · 20/06/2011 20:05

Oh no, it's not black, it's navy! Grey it is then.

gapants · 20/06/2011 20:27

see I think the Grey marl one will date very quickly where as the navy one wont.
Controversial.

DiNammic · 20/06/2011 20:28

i want the navy in an XL ( warning its TINY) and its out of stock

DiNammic · 20/06/2011 20:28

the gap slim cropped trouser are great too £35

AchtungBaby · 20/06/2011 20:32

Ooh, how tiny? 1 size out?

wideawakenurse · 20/06/2011 20:37

Personally, I would take the time to review everything in your current wardrobe. Decide what is a keeper, what can be e-bayed, what is for charity shops.

Then, I would list outfits for occassions that you are likely to need so:

lunch with friends
day in the park
dinner with DH
family party etc

Think about some key items that could cover a number of these, so for example, skinny jeans would tick the box for a couple of these.

Agree that a blazer is a good idea, can be dressed up by rolling sleeves up, and again can be worn to a variety of occassions. Zara do some very good ones, although this topshop one is lovely.

Agree about a 'going out top' something like this or this or this which has got some good reviews.

You may not get a whole new wardrobe for £250 but you'll get some good basic's that you can add to in time.