If i like Toast and Margaret Howell........(with pics)

[Musicforsnorks]

.....where else could i shop?

I find they run a tad large for me, and i cant afford to shop in either more that once or twice per year.

For reference, i dont like jeans or pants. I love long skirts and short ones. Im 5’4 and small so really suit that fluid, loose, Japanese kind of styles.
Im 45.

Shops i really DON’T like include Arket, Kin, Mint Velvet, Boden, Jigsaw, and most regular high street. I dont like colourful, bold prints or anything too ‘fashiony’, hence why i dislike Arket.

Shops i DO like include COS, some Joules, white company, poetry.
But none of these are comparable to Toast and MH for me.

Here are some pics of My kind of style for winter.....

More inspo pics!

Can you sew op? If so, Google "Vogue pattern Japanese inspired skirt" and lots of Issey Miyake (sp?) styles will come up. They would be fairly easy to make and you have a wealth of incredible fabrics to choose from on line nowadays.

Comptoir des Cotonniers? They tend to do quite drapey shapes and a more muted colour palette than Boden etc.

I also used to have (until I destroyed in the wash) a really nice, slightly slouchy jumper from a brand called Humanoid, which I think may be Dutch. Your pictures reminded me a bit of the clothes I saw there - mind you, this was a few years ago so I don't know what they're up to now.

Interesting ... I like both those shops though they generally don’t like me! I’m a similar height but my style is more structured, and I rather like a degree of difficult fashion in my dressing.

I’ve listed a few sites you might enjoy browsing. All but one are not cheap but they do have sales.

45RPM

Après Paris

Community Clothing

Eggtrading.com (Hopeless website. Terrifying prices. Occasionally lovely accessories.)

Envoy of Belfast

La Garçonne (In the US. They do ship internationally but I find it more useful to seek out some of the individual designers - particularly those based in Europe.)

Lemaire

Raey at Matches.com

Thanks for all of these links. I havent heard of many of them so will have a mooch when i make a cup of tea!

Sadly i dont sew, it isnt something i have ever been able to do well.

X

I am also due to get some winter boots.
I already wear docs, the shoes and 8 hole boots in black but really want some brown flat boots to wear with my longer skirts/dresses in winter.

I love the look of fairfax amd favor reginas in mahogany but not sure they will work well?
I dont like the pheasant shooting tweed style so would prefer to avoid that, bit cant locate a nicer boot.

Opinions? Would these work, do you think, with the outfit styles above?

I've had some similar pieces in your OP from anthropolgie.

None cheap but:
Folk
YMC
APC
Possibly Soeur although they do lots of pattern you may not like

Seasalt? They do a lot of bright bold prints which you don’t like but are a bit like Joules and White Company which you do and they do some plain pieces.

Lands End?

OP I’d have said the sort of looks you’ve shown suggest flat black ankle boots (a little rougher than a chelsea boot but daintier than Doc Martens) - worn with slightly longer black socks.

Wouldn’t be the end of the world to wear those clothes with your proposed tall country boots - but it would be a different ... vibe. English rather than Japanese if you like!

Btw - what do you have against ‘fashion’? The style you prefer is really well done by, for example: Commes des Garçons or Yohji Yamamoto - you don’t get much more fashionable than that.

(Comme without the ‘s’!)

QuaterMiss I assumed the OP meant she doesn't buy into whatever the current mainstream trend is e.g. this summer is lots of 90 rave stuff, satin nightie dresses with t shirts under, oversized blazers, bucket hats, chunky trainers, lavender, mint green etc, floaty dresses with trainers..

Although some of the current trends I would have thought are quite suitable - teva sandals, birkenstocks (always around but the arizona has been heavily promoted this year), cropped wider leg trousers...

I also agree with PP, a chelsea boot, blunstone or lace up ankle boot in black would be more in keeping with Toast, MH etc and a "japanese" aesthetic, than brown riding boots but they are nice.

Try Brora for clothes.

Re boots - try buying them directly from Spain- Valverde del camino - as much less expensive.

Quatermiss - thanks for the thoughts about boots. I do agree, there is something holding me back from the long riding style.
Another poster was right, by ‘fashion’ i meant current trends, ie cold shoulder and so on. I love CDG!

Chasingseagulls - i used to love apc. Another thats possible too expensive unless its a once in a blue moon purchase. I seem to have grown away from them for some reason. I had forgotten about YMC, i will have to check out all of these! Thanks.
I wear birkies in the summer, with converse, sometimes. You seem to understand what im after 😀

Diana Blythe - i like seasalt, although the colours are not me. Been really happy with the quality though.

Have checked some of the links, i really like Comptoir, it does seem i am too early for the winter stuff yet so shall bookmark.

every time i see the perfect long wool coat it is always available in every colour except navy, which i love. 🤨

Oh god i wish i hadnt seen Lemaire and APC today!
lemaire is out, just too expensive unless i begin to earn double my wage.
I really want these by apc though and cannot remotely justify it.........im sure there are good quality yet less expensive similar pairs out there.....

Uniqlo has surprisingly good pieces. I live in Cos but some of their culottes, trousers and tops are very Cos-esque and a third of the price. Modern Rarity in John Lewis also worth a look. Scandi brands like Samsoe & Samsoe also good - some overly patterned but I have some we’ll cut jackets and tops

Bitte Kai Rand - square, Danish wool and linen - as edited by TK Maxx can be good as it's cheaper than the identical edit in Harvey Nicks.

Pleats please, obvs. Black Issey never really goes on sale but the colours do and it lasts for 50 years.

I don't believe in the 'perfect' anything, but that makes clothes more fun.

I think you have to be careful of a lot of this stuff as it can whiff of 90s and 00s without irony if one is over 40. Risk of NW6 art teacher in 1992 high.

Modern jewellery with it, is all I'd say. You also need to be incredibly thin - even stylists don't wear some of it, knowing it's a war they can't win.

Supersimpkin - i see what you mean. I do manage to. Avoid that, i think the key is simplicity. I think a sort of minimalist approach helps.

As a teen, i wore long cheesecloth skirts with docs, tie dyed tights and wide t-shirts, usually with the smiths or stone roses on 😁

Had to get out of the skinny jeans with everything rut.
After wearing dresses and skirts since spring i have realised how comfy and more ‘myself’ i feel without stretchy, clingy fabrics. Luckily i have enough stuff to make the transition, but do need a new wool coat and a pair of boots.

For bad weather i have a long navy didricksons coat. Thankfully it works well with my dresses and skirts, even though you would’t think it.

I suppose i am thin, untoned but willowy . I really wish i had an athletic figure that suited equestrian stuff. I love that tall, stropping, healthy look!

This might be why toast is often just too big for me. It pisses me off, they dont even do my shoe size 😤

Big Margaret Howell fan here although I’m more into the menswear vibe than the dresses and skirts. Agree Toast is as close as I’ve seen on the high street.

Christophe Lemaire is behind the Uniqlo U range. First few seasons were great, a bit disappointing since then but I’ll be looking out for the Autumn collection.

Solovair for shoes and clompy boots? They’ve done ranges for Toast. Pricey but good factory and sale shop if you’re anywhere near Northampton.

I like John Smedley knitwear and I believe they’ve made stuff for Margaret Howell. Also ££ but has an online sales shop.

Agree with previous poster that some Seasalt hits the spot.

Thanks Flo, i always notice your posts and enjoy them!

And I think giving up on clothes you like because they might look better on someone thinner / younger / prettier is no way to live your life.

Thank you