Anyone interested in a 'what we are buying'wearing' thread for those of us who love clothes but have a New Look/Dorothy Perkins/Primark/HM budget?

[MimikosPanda]

I love following some blogs and I liked lurking on the AW threads but I can never afford the clothes, shoes and bags that are talked about. I love looking at different styles and then have the challenge of trying to find a cheaper look on the cheaper end of the high street. I'd love to hear what others are finding to give me some ideas.
One of the blogs I follow is doesmybumlook40.blogspot.co.uk, I love Kat's style and whilst she has the odd bit from Primark or H&M there is a lot of Toast, Massimo Dutti, Jigsaw, Whistles and these are just too expensive for me.
So, does anyone fancy sharing tips on good finds on the budget highstreet?

[TheEarlyBird]

Another lurker here - champagne taste and lemonade budget :)

[freddiefrog]

Yep, me too!

I actually quite like ferreting about for bargains.

I've got one or two more high end bits that I've bought when they've been signicantly reduced, but the bulk of my wardrobe comes from H&M, New Look, Matalan, TK Max, Top Shop and eBay

Today I'm wearing

H&M skinnies
white vest top from Matalan
Pink fine knitted jumper from TK Max
Brown Caterpillar Mardy boots (bargain from Amazon)

[Corygal]

Yes please! May I sing the praises of TK Maxx as well? Am in Martin Margiela belt, 4 quid from TK, and HM massive cashmere jersey dress (their Margiela range, gor I feel smart, 35 in sale).

I generally won't pay more than a tenner for high street label or 30 for designer - my style is mean chic.

[libertychick]

I am on THAT other thread! But ducking into say this skirt is one of my best recent buys and these shirts are excellent work basics.

[KentuckyFriedChildren]

I have bought a lot recently due to winning £150 gift card on the Warburtons breakfast thread so I will link to some of my purchases-

New Look- these jeans are extremely well fitting for an hourglass like me, they feel soft and comfy and look fab; this dress is very pretty, silky and versatile; the jacket I bought was similar to this but mushroom coloured and with jersey rather than suedette but they don't have it online, it is beautiful; this dress is also pretty and floaty; also bought a few plain colour vest tops and some gladiators for my hols in april.

TK Maxx- this dress is gorgeous on; this dress also looks great on; this looks good with skinnies and a vest or a pencil; wearing this right now with sheer black footless tights and red hush puppy ballet flats; [[http://www.tkmaxx.com/view-all-womenswear/yellow-shrug-cardigan/invt/01618724/&temp=quickBuyDetails&layout=noheaders&bklist=icat,4,shop,1,0385 this shrug looks lovely with the bird print dress from new look.

Have bought off ebay and a couple other places too, but I don't have time to link them all :o

[PerAspera]

Late to the party but can I join?

I'm getting sick of my jeans 'n' slightly fitted t-shirt look, but have no clue where to start looking at fashion stuff.

I'd like to look smart, and would like to be able to get stuff that I can dress up with smart trousers & accessories, or dress down with jeans.

Someone point me at a good blog/website please?

[KentuckyFriedChildren]

Ugh fail! wearing this
this is shrug

[CointreauVersial]

Excellent thread! I do love all the clothes-chat, but am definitely a high street girl.

Wearing today:

Black skinnies from New Look
Longline grey and black striped top from Dotty Ps, via charity shop
Mohair-mix jade green jumper from La Redoute (possibly older than most of my children)
Pink slippersox

Woild love to chat now, but the DDs are baking, so I need to gently supervise.....

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I'm enjoying this thread but am not buying clothes at the moment, I am doing MyFitnessPal and am determined not to buy anything new till I have dropped a dress size. I will bookmark some of the ideas for when the shopping re-commences, I want to lose 3 stone and hoping to go down two sizes so I will definitely need to economise, especially with the first dress size down.

Am currently dressed in M&S skinny jean jeggings, a white long sleeved T from Dotty P's and a very old but reliable Fat Face dress.

[cocolepew]

Loving the New Look dresses you've been linking to. Theres are tweed biker jacket ( its nice, honest ) on Tesco's website I like the look of.

I'm now sitting wrapped in a faux fur throw- we've run out of oil again

[ALittleLemonTwist]

Great thread! I used to shop in the more high end of the high street...reiss, and banana republic being particular favourites. Then redundancies and kids happened and now more likely to be dressed head to toe in supermarket clothing! Don't actually mind as have picked up some great pieces . Have even got some lovely tops in that rarest of fabrics...100% cotton!

I got a lovely marl grey sweatshirt with sequin front from tesco before Christmas which have worn to death and garnered lots if compliments! Have just bought some lovely suede greige flat boots, bit slouchy and cowboy-esq, also from tesco.

I also find that obviously although quality of more budget brands can be inferior, they hold up pretty well if you look after them as you would more expensive clothes...I tend to do most of my washing on 30 degrees.

For jeans, I live in gap legging jeans which are fab (only tend to buy when on offer) and I absolutely love my pale grey ones.

[ALittleLemonTwist]

Oh and my favourite recent buy is a tan leather cross body saddle bag, bit like the zatchel ones. I never normally have success in charity shops but dead chuffed with this!

[Umlauf]

Hi! Marking my place really, this thread is right up my high street. Although as I live overseas its all online shopping from the Uk and a lot of zara (I live in Spain!) I also find eBay a godsend for designers stuff, I just bought some MiH jeans for £21 on there and. Hobbs silk shirt for £5!

Also, I'm pregnant so I can't go crazy buying stuff anyway as I may never fit into it all, but have just got some bravissimo nightwear (also on eBay) for a fraction of the price.

[MimikosPanda]

Well, the gods conspired against me today and I didn't manage to get to a H&M or a Next today, in fact the closest I got to retail therapy was the service station on the motorway where I may have scoffed a Galaxy Ripple

I'm really thrilled that so many have posted on the thread, I'm really looking forward to getting lots of ideas and tip, especially about different shops to try. It seems less of a risk to try a new brand if you have had a recommendation from someone.

LemonTwist Like you, I used to have more disposable income for my clothes, pre-children and income changes, I got used to more expensive brands. I was still buying highstreet but higher end high street. I'd be over the moon if I saw a leather satchel in a charity shop! I keep checking our locals ones out but have found very few finds, I do much better on ebay.
My best ebay find has been a Steve Madden handbag for £3.50 which I love, but I use it everyday and it's starting to look tired so I'll need to look around again soon. I need it to be quite big to carry all the DC things and I hate cheap bags because they go so tatty so quickly, so hoping to get a good ebay find again.

[Roopoo]

Love this thread!
I mainly shop at New Look and Sainsburies. Also have a Next Clearance nearby that had lots of bargains.

I am saving up for Dr Martens ....

[Doshusallie]

I really struggle with h&m work shirts, I have to go 2 sizes up so they don,t gape at the norks.

I have bought this, and this recently.

I also bought a lovely black and cream lace effect dress for work and matching ballet flats from sainsburys last week. And a blue top with pink and white birds on it, also sainsbos.

[Doshusallie]

Today I am wearing next boot cut blue jeans, long sleeved white t-shirt from primary, long sleeved navy and white striped sweater also primark, brown uggs, blue and white bird print scarf from primark.

[TheEarlyBird]

Doshusallie - love that Next denim shirt but is it big enough across the chest? I suffer from the age old problem of needing two sizes bigger round the chest than anywhere else.

[Doshusallie]

Yes. I bought the 12 and it's perfectly fine. Very versatile. I'm not quite wearing denim on denim - have worn it with blue jeans and a red cable knit batwing jumper from new look, and wore it with a black and white striped long vest top from sainsburys, black leggings and black furry boots.

[TheEarlyBird]

Ooh - am very, very tempted. Will treat myself when I ave lost another 3kg :)

[TheEarlyBird]

have not ave - I'm posh, I am!

[MimikosPanda]

Doshusallie I think I've seen that lace effect dress in Sainsburys, it was really nice, they had it one the main display in womenswear. I don't every dress that smartly so I had no need for it but still I was tempted to try it on!

I like the denim shirt you linked to, I saw one in Sainsburys this week and liked it but because I am almost always in jeans I worry about doing 'double denim' and I just don't know if that is acceptable or not. My husband thinks double denim is a crime, so fear I would be sniggered at!

Just had a rummage through to see what I will wear tomorrow and decided that after getting compliments on today's outfit I am going to wear the same tomorrow, just with fresh tights and top.
Also, after wearing them all day I can confirm that the £1.60 Home Bargains opaque tights are fantastic so I'll try to pop in tomorrow to get more clear them out . They are a one size fits all and I'm a size 8-10 and 5ft4 and they are perfect, I think they'd fit up to a 12 really well but might be a bit tight on the waistband beyond a 12.

[Doshusallie]

Mimi the dress is really nice. It's got pleating/gathering over the chest which i like, and the belt is also nice. i got it in a 10, the 12 gaped at the back. I wore it to work with a tight black turtle neck underneath (h&m are fab for these by the way, I bought 6 there last time 2 black, 2 camel, 2 grey, I wear them under all my work dresses as I don,t do bare arms in the office) but would also wear it with a cream lace body I got in primark, and a black lace long sleeved top I've got, also next.