Can someone explain Toast to me?

[Growingboys]

I'm reading an article in the Telegraph, a man's story about going transgender, and he talked about wearing a Toast skirt.

I have never owned anything from Toast and have seen it in Peter Jones and not understood why people like it. I went on their site today and it all looks awful. It looks aggressively unattractive to me - I don't get it!

Not being disingenuous - please can someone explain the appeal as I am honestly interested.

I’m a tall hourglass, I find something I like from Toast every year, dressing sexy has never been an aim of mine, I think it’s kind of grown up hippy, it’s not all for me but I am excited to see their new stuff come out every season. I love their coats and jackets, their linen aprons, their shoes...they are cut for a 5ft 6. Woman so often I’ll find it’s too short.

I always think that when I finally go off-grid and marry into the Amish, I'll kit my wardrobe out from Toast.

The majority of my wardrobe consists of Toast clothing
I only ever buy in the sale though...and they do have very good sales

I have had some things in the past but I do think the style mostly suits very skinny people (I no longer fit in that bracket!)

I'm with you, OP, I think it all looks hideous. Very droopy.

I think this is one of the ugliest outfits I have ever seen -

www.toa.st/uk/product/womens+skirts/c3naa/grace+large+check+poplin+skirt.htm

But I think almost everything currently in fashion is horrible.

If this thread were in feminism you'd be deleted for misgendering and dead naming.

Anyway I'm not a fan of Toast dresses but I love their trousers - well made, some interesting shapes but very wearable. I like the knitwear too. All very good quality as others have said and, while expensive, it lasts for years and if you hold your nerve, the sales are great. In all the time I've been buying from them (probably 10 years) I've had one dud, quality wise, and that was dealt with quickly and efficiently.

I'm 8-10 and find an 8 is normally a good fit so true to size or even slightly small, but from reviews I think the dress sizing might be more erratic.

Does anyone know if the sizing thing is accurate for Toast? @CatalogueUniverse

I find the reviews very useful. As a rule of thumb I find Toast generous and for trousers and skirts almost always size down. But I'm at the smaller end of my most usual size.

Toast don't follow any mainstream trends. They produce pretty much the same clothes season after season, albeit in different fabrics and materials. So if you follow fashion and like to look current, then it won't be the shop for you. Kudos to them for sticking with this business model and managing to do it online and in stores, it can't be easy nowadays. At a relatively high price point too, a lot of their stuff costs the same as higher end designer brands.

If this thread were in feminism you'd be deleted for misgendering and dead naming. Please explain.

true to size or even slightly small
Sorry I meant try to size or slightly large.

I have ten year old things from them I still wear. I’ve bought coats at the very end of the sale that are incredible bargains for the next winter.

One memorable occasion I went to a sale they did in Wandsworth town hall. I’ve never seen so many excited women. It will obviously never happen again because they had years of stock and most stuff was under £25. I have an incredible silk dressing gown, cardi, silk velvet dress and two pairs of shoes I still prize - and it’s at least 7-8 years ago. If it still fitted I’d wear the bronze and black hand printed silk skirt I bought 11 years ago.

I always see it as a sort of Fat Face but for architects

I’d go one step further & call it Fatface for the Islington set smug with their hyper aware social conscience & Georgian terrace bought for a song in 1997.

It’s a super conforming look that’s ubiquitous around here - cropped gamine haircut, quirky glasses, very comfortable shoes and Toast or Margaret Howell drabness. Preferably accessorised with a Daunt Books or aspirational literary festival bag-for-life.

@dontgobaconmyheart -awesome tip on the podcasts, thanks!

@jcurve oh so perfectly summarised!

www.toa.st/uk/product/womens+sale+tops+and+tees/c7mdi/silk+button+shoulder+top.htm?clr=C7MDI_Olive_sw I love this but it's dry clean only and I'm a messy bugger!

Thank you. That would make sense it was a dress that was described as roughly rather voluminous. I’m very tempted

It's definitely the quality, I struggle to find any other brand that lives up to Toast quality wise! I also can't afford to buy from there when there isn't a sale on but have recently discovered the joys of ebay and, well, now I have no money left.

Max there are lots of discussions on the feminism boards on how trans rights can conflict with women's rights - e.g allowing male born adults (who often have had no surgery)into women only spaces, women's sports etc. The language we can use is curtailed and if you 'musgender' your post is deleted. The rules are explained in full on a pinned note. If you reoffend you can be suspended and banned. A poster who wrote about safeguarding issues was permanently banned this week.

Are they sizing accurate? or running a but small/big? I’m looking at getting few bits but can’t be dealing with returns etc

Thanks @Floisme I am really not very well read on transgender vs feminist issues, I feel I should be but it all gets so bloody angry.

I always read the reviews before I buy which gives an idea of sizing.
Don't want to put you off ordering but, until you get your eye in, it can be hard to avoid some returns as, even if the size is right, it can look very different in real life.

No problem Max - happy to explain more but also don't want to hijack the thread!

I have one of their Victorian asylum dresses

I no longer follow fashion or dress to look attractive. That's probably not a great ad for them is it? But that's what I like about them - they don't really even do a nod towards current trends, they're happy to just do their thing.

If I had to sum Toast up, it would be; post WW2 English aristocracy faintly shocked at lack of servants and having to "do" for themselves and make/repair their own (newly practical) clothes A bit like how the characters in the Sarah Waters novel Night Watch would look.

I find their garments nicely roomy for those asking about size (am a 16 myself)

This thread made me roar! I have loads of Toast clothes and am tall and fat but I love them. They're beautiful, timeless and unusual.
Yes, I live in a Georgian (draughty) terrace bought for a song a million years ago, used to work at a literary festival and also live in DMs or Fly fugly boots! I'm not a pottery teacher but my bestie is and I'm applying to do my masters in Creative Writing. Could I be more of a cliche?
I'm off to do something unexpected now... zoologist? Accountancy? Brexit MP?

@jcurve you are on the money. I'm skulking off to do my pottery

DH calls them “Edwardian Lesbian chic”. A top I once had of theirs was worn by one of the characters in “Tipping the Velvet” .