Avidly surveying the sales... but already starting Wisely to wonder about A/W Wish Lists.

[blue2711]

New thread!

The fake tan is on (with requisite orange patches, naturally) and hair is done. I'm on countdown to Big Night Out, aware that will have to get ready whilst putting 2 DC to bed.

40bum lady is wearing my black suede Zara sandals today. I heartily recommend. She goes out a lot, doesn't she?! . I have a wardrobe full of going out clothes but not enough occasions to wear them all!

bloss is right: coats and warm jackets are the way forward. I am stupid; I have 20 odd blazers and lightweight jackets perfect for May to September but only 1 jacket and 2 coats I like for September to April. Must rectify.

blue I am not surprised you are annoyed. I bought a pair of Blochs in the January MW sale and they are still pristine. Yours must be faulty. It has to be said though I have worn my Primark orange pumps just as much and they are still in as good nick. Are you on Twitter? I think a lot of PRs respond to Twitter very quickly these days so a few tweets of #badcustomerservice at MW might speed things up a bit.

Walked to Piazza di Spagna instead of going running. Hasbeens must have calf-toning properties, particularly when worn for a 6 km leisurely stroll. Zara sale was a disappointment - everything very synthetic, would feel incredibly sweaty and plasticky on. After reading Overdressed high street chain stores just don't feel the same. No purchases.

Instead, street style report from Rome - the most stylish tourists:

1. Mother with a toddler. Simple black featherlight silk kneelength shift dress, black and cream Chanel ballerinas.

1. Tan silk or polyester ruffled kneelength shift dress, looked very Valentino but was probably vintage Zara; pale cream flat leather sandals decorated with a simple leather rose.

1. Indigo cutoffs with a golden top made of paper-like stiff material; black Birkenstocks, deep mahogany tan and an impossibly willowy physique. Off duty model most likely.

1. Cobalt blue and white clingy jersey minidress (or a very long vest), horizontal stripes. Sky-high wedge sandals with an African basket-weave pattern, earth tones, vertical stripes.

Bloss magenta espadrille would easily earn you a slot in the top-5!

MrsCB love your pimped tweaked Mini Gracie! I have a good cobbler downstairs - he greets me every day - a but haven't bothered to shorten the leather strap because I prefer the chain.

Hopefully be patient, it's still early days to shop for AW. If you take the long term perspective, you will save a lot of money if you wait until the end of the year sales with the bulk of your purchases - you will get more bang for your buck . I buy most of my high end stuff from sales and outlets - classics are not very trend dependent and I love getting a beautiful thing 60% or 70% off. If Matches reduces their SS prices further, I will break my shopping ban and purchase a few extra items - this after quickly scanning the windows in the Tridente area. I could find absolutely nothing tempting there, but I have still a few more items in my Matches basket.

Thanks for sympathy suburban and hopefully. It's really bothered me, not the money so much as the rudeness. Hate being ignored so much! I have a twitter account but never use it and have precisely no followers so not sure my bad mouthing would have much effect!

Shame about the dress hopefully. Good that you tried though. Get something new for your big night out!

Blue update your anti-Bloch thread here if you haven't done so yet. If politicians and authors bother to make appearances here, surely this site has some influence on people's behavior and they will lose at least some customers. No Blochs for me thank you - will focus on Lanvins or possibly even Chanels.

I was not happy with My Wardrobe either - I had to pay out of pocket for returning the 7FAMs and they have been slow at processing the refund. Plus their website is ugly, uglier than Zara's. Sorry MW, will take my purchasing power everywhere in the future

Have updated thread and emailed Bloch directly. Perhaps they will give mywardrobe some grief! Am on a mission!

Loved your blog post mrscb. Please can I see you wearing the shorouk necklace? I was a bit unsure but have loved it today. Like wearing it shorter too. Must get my Gracie pimped but dithering over what length to get as want to wear it cross body too.

Thank you dona. I do really love them. They hide my feet so well!
That Chanel bag you pinned earlier is divine. I am seriously considering abandoning the balenciaga and keep saving for something like that.

blue, not surprised you are annoyed. I've never shopped at MW. Think you're right about the website dona!

Is there anything good left in the Matches sale then? Must get over there and have a look!

Pah. There are no dresses in the world. DH has suggested I try on McQ with heels before returning, as I always hate all dresses on me without heels or boots. The challenge will be getting my left foot into a heeled shoe.

Bloss the good thing about the 2.55 is that it will still be chic when I'm 80 - just saw a granny down the street hailing a cab with a golden brown 2.55 on her shoulder She wore a purple sleeveless dress and golden sandals and looked very happy

Matches is good for Summers and Winters right now imo. Many things still outrageously expensive so will wait a bit more - dear Matches salespeople, if you do a -60% or -70% reduction, I'll buy a car(t)load of your stuff.

Thanks for the namechanges on Pin! For a total outsider like me it's now much easier to understand who is who. All of you have pinned lovely, lustworthy things.

Bloss is this or this or this or this too colorful for you? Would go with your espadrilles...

Thanks dona, they are all lovely, but the frill is wrong on the first. The sleeve is wrong on the first and the second, and the neckline on the second. Drop waist on the the third.
Fussy, moi?

Woke up at an ungodly hour to baby crying.
Matches granted my wishes and reduced their prices further - Got what I wanted at -60%.
Ahem, back to shopping ban and back to sleep...

We need to know what you've got dona!

Oh yes! Links please!

Decameron I loved your Burberry coat link (did you see the back- gorgeous) on Pinterest so much I have been looking at their site. They have some amazing winter coats.

Ants am really enjoying all your jewellery pins. Great taste.
Hopefully was was the verdict on the dress? Im sure that clutch you liked was Zara? Or poss River Island? or even Cos?
Reine I lasted til 7pm last night and had a meltdown at DS1 emptying all his playmobile and lego onto the floor and mixing the two up.

Off to see Ice Age 4 later with DS2s and some last minute holiday shopping which may include the stripey Cos jumper with the red sleeves......

Morning all, my wee hours Matches purchases are the three first items are on my pinboard. Two of them are transitional (autumn really starts in late October here), one was just too plain pretty to ignore . Worth taking a look, most reasonable sizes gone but still some relative bargains left.

My mission for this AW - more candy and jewel colors. Haven't pinned much of my existing AW wardrobe but it's an ocean of navy and graphite basics. So this time round looking for a few pieces that inject color.

Dec I too loved the Burberry coat link.

What lovely purchases dona! I love my goat cardigan! Your pinboard is gorgeous!

I think your daughter is owed a gelato for waking you in the night so you could get the Matches order in, Dona! Lovely clothes, particularly like the cardigan.

Glad you got the jeans, Always.

I like the sound of leather leggings. Great for wearing around toddlers!

I'm thinking of saving for the Burberry coat (I love the back too, Ollie), it's expensive but I am careful with my clothes and coats do last. I like coats and jackets, and have a few nice ones. DKNY also do good peacoats every year. Also want the 50/50s, the Vince top I linked to the other day, J Brand Marias in dark denim and plum, and a couple of sweaters. No more summer clothes!

Did you decided to keep the dress, Hopefully? How's your foot?

Bloss, if you need more dresses for your holiday, what about Me & Em? Their sundresses are on sale.

Reine, my dad had me clear out my mother's stuff but she gave me her jewelry in the weeks before. My mum wanted to give it to me herself. The notebook is hidden away from the little monkeys - DD1 would scribble in it and DD2 would rip it!

Bravo Dona! Lovely stuff.

Decam yes that coat is so lovely.

Thanks Bloss. Snow? Blimey!

Well done on your bargains Dona!

Hopefully - I really want that dress to suit you (in fact maybe not, as I quite fancy it, and it is sold out. We must be a similar size, no...? ) Serously, it is eally lovely and can quite see why it might need a heel for anyone but a size 6, 5 ft 10 person! But obviously it isn't cheap, so you have to love it.

Am enjoying the coat talk. Whilst I am just too much of a magpie (embarrassing but true) to be disciplined enough to only buy top quality clothes very occasionally, coats are one of the few things that I can exercise that sort of restraint with. Generally they do last for years - I certainly have two coats that are over 10 years old, and if you pick a classic style then they will always work. I have a long black fitted wool coat with a detachable fake fur collar that DH picked out for me on one of our first joint shopping trips 13 years ago, and it still gets worn every winter. Was quite expensive, but stoold the test of time. Although cost doesn't mean everything - my other long term coat was £10 from Dotty Ps in 2002 - a plain knee length maroon/purple shade; wool mix. Love it.

My, this low carbing malarkey works. Less than 36 hours - boom! 5 lbs gone. From previous experience, about a third of what I loose goes back on when I eat normally, but I only needed to get rid of 5 lbs anyway, so another 24 hours and I should be able to eat fruit and porridge again. Hurray. Have ben enjoying my smoked salmon snacks though!

Right. Must get back to work. Working at home today and hoping to sneak off for a short run and some pilates later - back is bad at the moment and I am avoiding my more strenuous workouts and being sensible. It doesn't come easily to me

Mywardrobe success, hurrah! Goodness, twitter is powerful! Thanks to a brilliant suggestion from decam I tweeted Sarah Curran in the middle of the night when up with DD (these daughters have their uses hey dona?!) and got a reply first thing this morning saying she was looking into it. Then got a call from CS manager at 9.30am apologising and offering either exchange or credit. Am really happy I persevered. Thanks for all the advice.

So, should I swap mine for these or wait and get something for A/W with the credit? I'd never normally go for yellow but do like the lace.

Love, love your purchases dona. Gorgeous colours. I want some colour in my A/W wardrobe too but not sure what or how. I adore Goat and would love some of their dresses if/when I return to work.

Sounds like a great A/W wishlist decam.

I want some forever winter coats ny. I do have a Burberry trench but not sure the colours the most flattering on me. I wonder whether I would dare dye it navy... I'd also love the sleeves shortened, but again, who would I dare entrust with such a job?

Thanks all!
Notyummy congratulations, I'm trying to work from home too... (vacation starts on Sat) find it very difficult as there are a lot of distractions (both children at home, DH comes home for lunch). I love "sneaking off for a run" - will do the same in the evening.

Today's outfit, librarian chic from the archives (pic on my profile). A frilly and a full denim skirt bought in Brazil (very qood quality, unusual for Brazil) and an impulse buy top from the outlets. I'm not 100% comfortable with looking this retro and would like to find a more contemporary way to style the blouse. Cigarette trousers? White jeans? Denim flares? Any ideas appreciated.

(Styling the skirt as a separate would be very easy - add a MJ peplum top or one of my new bright jackets.)

Ladies, I had a Chloe Elsie satchel delivered this morning in a nude/peachy colour. It looks as if would mark if I so much as took it outside. What should I use to protect it do you think? Collonil?