Budget: wardrobe overhaul following weight loss

[disparatefishwife]

Good morning stylish and beautiful ladies.
I'm an avid lurker and would love your advice.
I have recently lost 3 stone. I still have a lot of my pre-weight gain clothes but some are dated or tired and my body shape has changed so much after having children that a lot no longer suit me.
So...I need to go shopping!
I am on maternity leave so have no money coming in although I have some savings.
I have come up with £300-£350 being a reasonable amount to spend, I have no idea whether this is reasonable or not?
I've compiled a list of the things I think I need and although I don't want high end designer gear I do want quality classics that will last and will form the base of my wardrobe and that I can build up on and accessorise over time.

Formal: shirt, trousers, jacket/blazer
work shoes

winter coat
denim/leather jacket for every day
daytime & evening sandals
jeans
thin long sleeve tops for layering
vest tops
'dressy' top
raincoat - proper waterproof, taped seams etc this can be a seperate purchase

well I think that's it for now, I'll come back if I can think of anymore.
I really appreciate your guidance.
Oh btw if it helps I'm 5', 8.5 stone, 'curvy' broad shouldered with the dreaded 'mummy tummy'.
I have long dark hair.

jeans

Ooh and a cardie!

And some casual chino-type trousers
casual skirt poss denim
multiway bra

Congratulations on the weight lost.

You could easily spend 300 pounds on just the jackets-coat -- proper raincoat is probably 100; winter coat another 100; blazer could be cheaper buy might be 100. And the leather jacket could be 100.

Quality shoes are also pricey.

Your list looks great and I'm trying to go for quality instead of quantity -- so I would suggest getting jean; shirts & one of the coats you need. For example if you find perfect leather jacket couldn't you use an umbrella. If that is totally impractical perhaps the raincoat is the most important item

Have fun shopping.

What size are you?

I have done the same recently and tbh you won't manage all that you want on your £300-500 budget, barely half of it if you are wanting good quality classics rather than cheap and cheerful.

In the end I bought most of what I wanted fairly cheaply and now, as and when things need replacing I am buying a better quality item to replace it. It means the cost is spread more and I get to try out new styles cheaply before deciding if I want to invest in something more expensive.

What size are you?

I have done the same recently and tbh you won't manage all that you want on your £300-500 budget, barely half of it if you are wanting good quality classics rather than cheap and cheerful.

In the end I bought most of what I wanted fairly cheaply and now, as and when things need replacing I am buying a better quality item to replace it. It means the cost is spread more and I get to try out new styles cheaply before deciding if I want to invest in something more expensive.

Sorry for double post, silly phone has its own mind.

Have you tried Ebay. It can be tough to get things like workshoes as people wear those to death, but strappy sandals for day and evening go for peanuts. ditto for dressy tops and winter coats are a bargain at this time of year. Buy brands that you know suit you (I like lk bennett, hobbs and reiss) and buy colours.

You may be able to bump up your budget by selling some of your bigger sizes on eBay if they're in decent condition?

If I need to buy new clothes I always justify it by selling off some old stuff! or that's what i tell DH

Congratulations on the weight loss - well done. You'll find that budget a bit tight to be honest, but there are a few things you can do to help:

Vest tops - are these for layering? If so then the best ones by far are by Primark. They are £2.50 each, good length and have adjustable straps. They are a very good buy, and do them in a variety of laying colours such as black, grey, white, nude etc.

I have a cropped denim jacket from H&M, from this season - it was about £25 and is a very good cut and a nice light wash for spring/summer.

Dorothy Perkins do very good quality jersey - good for layering tops again. Personally, I think that you can afford to buy cheap for these - they are not too expensive to replace every 2 years, DP's long sleeved tops are about £9 each.

For work pieces it may be worth looking in the LK Bennet sale at the moment. M&S often have some very good patent heals that are very cheap - around £20. Not brilliant for everyday but if you are only wearing a couple of days a week, should be ok.

GAP can be good for blazers - wait for the next 30% event. Zara are very good at jackets/blazers too.

I have these sandals from Topshop - they are so comfortable and bought last year so very good value for money.

I'd be tempted to spend as much as you can on some jeans - they last longer, keep their shape etc. If you were to go to a denim specialist such as Donna Ida, you can find the style you like and then order from Shopbop in the US and pay less.

HTH

Hi thanks all for your replies. I think you're right with regards to my budget, I have always been a charity shopper/ebayer so have been used to clothing myself for pennies!
This time around I'm keen to try stuff in as I've changed shape so much and want to buy things that I low look good and aren't already someone else's shape if that makes sense?
I have sold a literal shedload on eBay and have made £600 but that includes baby and kids stuff so I wanted to keep some of that for their shopping eg decent kids shoes and the like.
I am a size ten but find some tens very tight and most twelves dwarf me!
My style has always been hippy/art studenty. I want to keep the casual creative vibe but really want more grown up items as am pushing 40 and have a reasonably professional job.
I have had 'my colours done' and am a 'warm dark' which I think translates as Autumn to those in the know!

How are you doing on accessories - I think they can really make a huge difference. Recently I've gone from a size 14 to a size 8-10, I have not bought any investment pieces - the chances of regain are high, so atm I'm playing with clothes on the cheaper end - which look much better on a slimmer body, when I have maintained a little longer I'll invest.

How about leaving the winter coat off for now, its June, it is unlikely to be worn for 3 months, and you can save a bit more money up/look for a bargain between now and then.

I'd suggest Sainsburys for longsleeved tops and vests, but I am biased because they are the only "budget" option I've found that are long enough for me.

That leaves you looking for work clothes, jeans, sandals and a jacket.

If you work 5 days a week then your work clothes are those that need the most wear, so get some primark "leisurewear" for the time being and blow your budget on a stylish raincoat, a new work suit, a few work tops and some shoes.

Mrshoarder, that makes perfect sense,after Reading this thread I think that the coats will definitely take up all of my budget. I have a beautiful woollen one from Gap which is hardly worn but now too big, I'm waiting for Autumn to put it on eBay so maybe I'll wait until olive sold it to put towards the new one?
SpringGoddess: I have some amazing accessories but not much confidence in putting a 'look' together!
Midnightinmoscow: those sandals are cool, right up my street!

I'd like to recommend Dressipi - it's a free website where you put in your measurements and it tells you what size you should be in various shops (according to their own "size 12 is xx inch hips" rules). It also suggests clothes that suit your shape, and tells you what sort of things to look out for.

I like it for introducing me to brands that I wouldn't have known existed.

Putting the look together can be done by having a play with your clothes when you have a spare 30 mins - try lots of different things on - mix it up and take your time to notice what makes an immediate visual impact. I find when I do this with new clothes I gain more confident in dressing myself.

Oh springGoddess well done on your weightless too :@) I'm hoping that I won't have regain, I'm back to my normal weight now, ill health prevented exercise and the medication increased appetIte and encouraged weight retention. I'm quite mobile at times now and am no longer on the drugs!
I do try to play around with 'looks' but am so confused I can't tell what looks good or rubbish!
I also feel very shallow and selfish when taking such an interest in my own looks. I never really worried before when I was young and fit but now I'm older and have lost all my confidence I feel a bit lost! When I was bigger and through my pregnancies I was perpetually in black, it has never really suited me but I felt it made me less noticeable.
Trills thanks for the Dressipi link, it looks great I just need to hunt out the tape measure. It looks good fun too!
The vests are mainly because I'm still breast feeding, I find that traditional 'nursing' clothes are just too big and bulky, possibly because I'm so short in the body.

H and m are great for vest tops ( long body/ wide strap, £4.50 I think), and also they do an organic cotton long sleeve top range for £10-15. I have red/ beige/ black/ white and grey I think

Have you ever looked in apricot for dresses? Do a nice range sometimes and reasonable £20-45 ish

Honestly, I cannot praise the Primark vests enough, they are excellent quality.

I think the key to pulling an outfit together is almost like wearing a uniform. (Which I do at work so maybe that's why I think like this). So, when I am with the DC's is pretty much a trousers day, either jeans or chinos. Very casual, and its a oversized T-shirt, usually in white/grey or navy. Big scarf to add a polished edge to the outfit. I really like Warehouse for scarves, good material and lots of it! For a smarter look I'd go for a blouse rather than a tee, but then drop the scarf.

Thanks midnight I do have a lot of scares but invariably they fall off so I'm doing something wrong.
I'll give Primani a try for vests, I'm not a label snob by any means I just haven't had great experiences with their clothes and the shopping experience leaves a lot to be desired especially with a double buggy & bored infants!

*scarves!!!

Forevergreek I have never heard of Apricot, I'm slightly out of the loop when it comes to clothes retail!

Can I add to what spring goddess said about playing with your clothes and add that although very sad i find taking photo's of myself helps. That way you can either flick through them on the camera to make the best outfits stand out or if you have time put them all onto paper so you can look at a variety and see what stands out as good or bad.

and if you don't fancy primark for vests H&M also do cheap ones that last really well. I have one in every colour!

H and m def for vests, sorry to the person who loves primary ones but I brought one before and had to squeeze in and then can hear a piece of thread snap each time ( went in bin! Am size 6-8 so hardly squeezing excess into them!)

Have you considered having your wool GAP coat altered? A good dressmaker could probably size it for you. If you ask around for good recommedation for alteration service. I'm really lucky to have a great dressmaker near me and she did wonders with a Karen Millen dress for my brothers wedding. Like you, I lost weight and got this dress to fit like a glove:-)

I also had to re-stock wardrobe after weight loss, I would suggest get a few basics to get you started. Good jeans a must. As you'll feel great. Then get one or two things each month. Taken me a good year to build up my wardrobe.

You have my sympathy too lugging around a double buggy. No fun with bored twins shopping.

Best of luck.