TOAST

[goldpendant]

Now I never thought I'd say this, not until my mid 40's at least, but I feel like celebrating the wonders of TOAST! I'm not sure I'm game for the wintry stuff but their summer dresses are just perfect. For years I've longed for the undone, easy linen look but usually end up looking like a sack of potatoes... not this summer my friends!

My dad earlier said I looked "outrageously well sorted" in my new orange linen number - I think he meant well put together, and I've just got the navy on sale on JL. Yipppeeeee!

I mostly shop from Toast, Uniqlo, Arket, Me&em, H&M & Cos

&Daughter now sell dresses. I have this. It's the most I've ever spent on a cotton dress but the material is from Italy and is beautiful.

www.and-daughter.com/collections/dresses/products/vivian-tiered-shirt-dress-in-navy-seersucker

That is gorgeous but so out of my price range! I can dream!
What a lovely range. Bet that’ll last and last too. Enjoy!

I’m not so keen on the straight shaped of some of the clothing as I have big shoulders but there are a few things in each collection that are gorgeous.

A Toast shop opened up right next to my work last year. Happy days! I got the most stunning velvet silk jumpsuit in January. In the sale. Like this but in a lovely green gold.
And also the chevron striped shirt. Gorgeous.

I tend to shop a real mixture. Toast, Jigsaw, Boden, H&M if you choose carefully, Hush (choose carefully). I’m a bit of a chameleon and like lots of different styles, probably why I have so much in my wardrobe that doesn’t go together

On that note I could go with some black and/or navy trousers. I love the culottes wide look. Has anyone bought anything recently? Oh and jeans, trying to get away from skinnies. Anyone got a style/shop they recommend? Thanks.

Forgot Brora. I have a few things from there. Again the sale. Gorgeous.

Oh one of those &Daughter dresses is gorgeous - floral one, exactly what I want but a) it's out of stock and b) it's over £300

Beautiful dress @ZaraW, sadly it’s a bit rich for my blood too.

I like Oska, Ischiko, Crea Concept, Sahara, they’re all well cut in good quality fabrics and oversized and a little quirkier than Toast.

It is super expensive it took me a long time to decide if I wanted to spend that much. I was hoping it would be in the sale but all dresses seem to be selling quickly.

That’s a beautiful dress, Zara.

I have a lot of Hush in my wardrobe, but have bought much less if it recently. 3 years ago I lost a serious amount of weight and Hush was very forgiving as I transitioned sizes, so I did accumulate a fair amount. As well as Toast I like CoS and the occasional piece from Kin at JLP. I have the most gorgeous over sized white shirt from Arket, which I wear to death, and the occasional thing (mainly winter wear) from &OtherStories and Jigsaw. They aren’t all new or current season by any means. Apart from my Hush stuff which I did buy new, I scope stuff out in advance, stalk sales, eBay, deepop, dress agencies etc. I do love clothes. After many many years at a size 24, knowing that I can try on most things and that a 12 will fit brings me a lot of joy. Shallow I know but there it is. Probably finding and assessing clothes is a bit of a hobby now .

If I buy a mistake second hand I don’t let it linger, and it never even reaches my wardrobe, it’s re-listed the same day. If it’s the right thing, I’m prepared to have it altered and wash or dry clean it to make it mine. I have a man’s Harris Tweed overcoat that was my dad’s which must be 50 years old. I rescued it from the charity shop, and spent a fair bit having it relined (it had a silk lining that had rotted away over the years) and having it altered. It’s now a very Toast-Esque coat which I love and will never part with.

So - did I mention I love clothes?!?

Oh yes, Brora as well. Will have a look at those other suggestions above. I’ve seen ads for some of them, but haven’t investigated yet.

Brilliant weightloss @ilovecherries it must feel amazing!

@Railingsohno, I also love culottes. They tend to get a bad press for suiting no one, but they work for me. I recently got these obviously they arrived after the heatwave left, so I havn’t worn them much yet. Thought often have culottes too.

I love Toast- I have lots of their pinafores, denim, dungarees, jackets and footwear. Unfortunately, the shirts, tops and dresses usually drown me even in the smallest sizes.
I love Brora and buy a few pieces every year- usually in the sale- to add to my collection. Their linen shirts are also great and last forever, and I like their plainer collaborations with Liberty.
I like John Smedley for more fine merino knitwear and their cotton knits- it's expensive but they do periodic discounts. In recent years I've bought a few lovely fair Isle jumpers from Bosie- again, made in Scotland.

Gloverall are great for coats, though this year's unisex collection is awful!
Like previous posters, I think Seasalt is great for t shirts and corduroy.
I used to love Jigsaw but have bought little there in recent years- they seldom use natural fibres and the designs are too fussy.

If we are recommending Toast-a-likes, then I'd add YMC, or You Must Create to the list. I know for sure that a lot of you will take one look and dismiss it, the styling is aimed at a younger demographic, although at the prices, which are insane full price, everyone I know who wears it are 40+.

In particular, the dresses, trousers and knitwear are amazing. Heavy, great quality cotton on wool, generously sized, last forever. I have the Joan shirt dress in three colours.

Anyway, adding mainly because the sales are amazing so don't be put off by the full price. Stocked by lots of independent online boutiques.

I think this would be nice for summer. If it ever goes on sale may consider it. Painter, Guardian journalist with no friends on holiday dress lol

media.matchesfashion.com/videos/products/1331567_video_1.mp4

This probably isn't a helpful alternative as it makes Toast look cheap but I love Margaret Howell.

I like a bit of a mannish look so, if you're mainly into Toast dresses, it may not appeal, but MH clothes hang beautifully on me. It's quite an austere vibe (I believe she started off in menswear) and it didn't look that special the first time I saw it but I took a punt because it was second hand, well priced and I knew the name and was curious. I only realised later how great it feels and how hard wearing it is. I can wear something of hers all day, forget to hang it up and pick it off the floor and put it straight back on the next morning. I once accidentally washed one of her shirts on 70 degrees - it was fine.

I buy it mostly second hand from a dress agency and a market stall and pray they will both survive the shitstorm. Occasionally I save up and buy new or stalk it into the sales, although that doesn't always work cos things can sell out even at full price.

I wear a lot of Toast and also like Brora and a bit of Seasalt, Arket, Uniqlo, Sezane and Cos. I keep seeing adverts for Son de Flor dresses, which look lovely linen, but the company is in Lithuania and I'm not sure about whether the hassle of delivery/returns is worth it - can anyone recommend either way?

Ilovecherries All these perfumes are what my mother and mother-in-law loved but they were in their prime during the 1940s - 1960s. They are all far too heavy for me. I prefer the newer Guerlain's like Little Black Dress and Chanel Mademoiselle and I am definitely an 'old lady' (age 72)! Toast is too expensive for me and most things swamp me even though I'm a size 14. I'll stick with Zara for most of my wardrobe.

After someone posted a link to the Margaret Howell look book on here recently, I became obsessed... by her coats and trousers, in particular.
Eventually, I took the plunge and ordered a trench coat...but it was just too big to justify keeping, at the price. A second, cheaper, MHL coat was a little better but I didn't like the design as much.
I've trousers coming today- I'm 5'3 and size eight ( occasionally six) but ordered a six based on the coats business. I'm anxious that I've spent ages poring over the website but that her stuff will be slightly to big to fit properly!
Especially since I've kind of pre- approved the expenditure in my head.

It might have been me who posted the MH lookbook Lantern - but now you've got me into Gloverall which I hadn't come across before so we're even.

I'm the same height as you, size 8-10 (mostly 10), bought the MH Barbour coat in an 8 last autumn (after much dithering) and it's generous with room for a thick jumper underneath, which was what I wanted. Size 10 trousers are generous on my waist but I like an oversized fit anyway. I've bought size 12 second hand and had them altered. Fingers crossed for you!

Oh M Howell is the dream! I have a v old trench coat from a sample sale that I love and wear year after year - it felt very oversized when I bought it but now looks just fine (that's styles changing not my body!). The quality is really superb, and yes tends to come up big across the range.

My biggest ever shopping regret is not buying a blue Margaret Howell shirt for £60 when I had the chance. Still makes me wince and must have been 8 years ago.

Some excellent suggestions/reminders in this thread, thanks all.

@ZaraW I've been eyeing that beautiful And Daughter dress but suspect the neckline too severe for me and can't justify the price but it's absolutely beautiful. Hope it gives you joy for years.

@Railingsohno Cos is my first port of call for trousers in the culotte mode, got some good ones there earlier this year. What kind of fabric are you after?

Fabulous weight loss @ilovecherries.
That dress is out of my price range too @ZaraW but looks lovely.
I like the look of Margaret Howell too but out of my price range. I’ve looked at a few things on eBay but wasn’t sure of the fit and it’s still not cheap.
I can’t get along with Cos, there’s none here and when I tried a few things in person in London last year nothing seemed right in fit.

My triangle dress has arrived. I’d ordered 10 and 12 and am keeping the 10 as the 12 gaps at the arms. I love it, great dress, great pockets , perfect length. The drawstring waist means it can be worn loose or fitted. The triangles are a definite ochre, I though I had a cardigan to go over it but it’s too yellow.
The Darcy jacket is great too, lovely casual jacket, a nice change from a denim one. I bought the navy this time.

How’s everyone else getting on with any purchases?

Railing, I love culottes as well. I got two pairs of cotton poplin last year from CoS, navy and khaki. They have washed beautifully, still look like new. I also bought these last week. They are a bit marmite, and i deluded myself I look magnificent in them 🤣 www.johnlewis.com/kin-poplin-wide-leg-trousers/natural/p4947457

Count, the triangle dress is lovely. I know a couple of women who have it, and it looks fabulous on. Darcy is also very lovely, love the un-clutteredness of it.

@BikeRunSki they’re nice. I do like Finisterre. I’m looking for something a bit more formal, for work. The jigsaw ones were lovely but I was in between 2 sizes and they were so ridiculously creased that I would have had to have them dry cleaned. No way were those creases coming out with a cool iron 😡