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 have just reordered the Kantha jacket (2 this time to see if the pattern is better). I also ordered the Kitty mules in brown plus the Artichoke cotton workwear jacket. Oops!

@Yorkshirelass04 that’s so funny about the pole dancing wear. I’ve not clicked on the link but it sounds slightly different to bookish, Guardian Reading, spinster Toast wearer

@Railingsohno these guardian reading academics have a sexy side.

@Yorkshirelass04 love it! Glasses off, hair comes down...

I have bought toast since they started out, but I wish they would cut for women who have a bust. I have dresses I love but I always have to wear something underneath, otherwise they gape.
Also the actual clothes are sometimes different from the ones in the pictures, in terms of cut .
Fabrics a huge plus though.

I'm glad it's not just me ilovecherries . Neither of the Margaret Howell coats were suitable. And the trousers ( bought as something of a 'consolation prize' after returning the coats)weren't the right shape.
And now, from a position of really struggling to justify the outlay for either, a few weeks ago...I feel I'm entitled to both
I'll look again at trousers on the MH website. I'd love trousers (preferably black)in a luxurious fabric but in a style that's not overly formal.

In happier news I bought some shoes in the Toast sale and a duplicate of a denim pinafore which I already own and has been really useful.

I have bought toast since they started out, but I wish they would cut for women who have a bust. Unfortunately they are not unusual in that regard. The hourglass shape is not well catered for.

Also the dresses are often shorter in real life, cost cutting of fabric ? I am tallish, but not as tall as the models I don’t think, yet things are often shorter on me than in the pics.
I do buy something every year, but the cuts often don’t work on my body shape. Size 10ish, five foot eight, narrow back, full cup.
I would buy more if it fitted me better. I long to find a brand that works really well for my shape.

I love TOAST but sadly I'm Short and fat so most of it is a no go for me. I do have a few pieces of knitwear though.

Hi @ballroompink - yes, I have that skirt, I like it a lot! Great colours, lots of fabric, nice pockets. I've tried it with a yellow striped Breton top, leather belt and yellow ballet pumps so far and felt like a million bucks. Feels like could be both a summer and winter skirt - in winter will be great with jumper, tights and long boots.

@SirVixofVixHall Toast is designed for a height of 5’6”...... so you probably are taller than the models!
I’m 5’6” and the lengths are spot on for me, so that might explain why they’re a little short on you?

Ooh thank you! Yes I think it would go well with boots in winter. Re: height, I'm 5'7 and I find things spot on for me.

AmethystMoonshine Maybe they make up the samples longer for the models, and then the pattern is cut for a shorter body ?
Arket is longer on me than on the models, and Danish designers are gorgeously long too. I suppose because women there are so much taller than us.
Zara sizing is all over the place so can’t compare that.

@SirVixofVixHall I hadn’t thought of that, maybe they do?
Ha ha... Zara sizing, I’m not sure it can be classed as having a sizing system

Had a peek at the &daughters site. Lovely things.

I love these trousers. Anyone seen anything like these anywhere? They don’t seem to sell trousers.

www.and-daughter.com/collections/shop-all-1/products/innes-classic-cashmere-crewneck-in-camel

Lots of interesting sites to look at. &daughters don’t seem to cater for busts either though. Meadow is amazing like browsing through an early Laura Ashley dress catalogue, not sure my lifestyle has a place for their dresses.I felt I really should have had the Baby’s Healing balm at one point in my life however.

I am happy with Toast lengthwise generally, I am only 5’4” and like things reasonably long. The only thing I’ve had to have shortened was the Lydia dress. Everything else has been fine, the Ume dress even felt could be a few cm longer, don’t know what length it must be on you tall people.

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with your kantha jackets @Railingsohno

[quote Railingsohno]Had a peek at the &daughters site. Lovely things.

I love these trousers. Anyone seen anything like these anywhere? They don’t seem to sell trousers.

www.and-daughter.com/collections/shop-all-1/products/innes-classic-cashmere-crewneck-in-camel[/quote]
Omg. These are the most beautiful trousers. So well styled as well. Drool. I’d never heard of And Daughters before yesterday. Now I want half the site. Not that any of it is in my price range, and I can dream.

I love those trousers too! But not by &daughter, I wonder who makes them? I probably couldn't afford them anyway, sigh...

SirVixofVixHall catalogue models are often 5'6" or less. It makes the clothes appear more generous. I can't imagine a sample item would contain more fabric, that doesn't seem very cost effective.

At 5'8" you are taller than average, for the UK at least, it's 5'4".

Has anyone ever bought anything from Son de Flor? They have some gorgeous stuff!

Some of the samples pictured definitely do have small differences of style and more fabric, it comes up in reviews. There was a dress last year I wanted, in the pics the skirt was fairly full and pleated . In reality there was much less fabric, small gathers rather than pleats- many of the reviews mentioned the difference and the lack of pleats at the back. I think they may make the initial samples and then tweak lengths and fullness when the gradings are done.
I have two Toast silk dresses from last year, the same style in different colours. The model was tall, but the dress was almost ankle length on her and at least four inches shorter on me. One colourway in my dress is two inches shorter than the other, which is annoying in something expensive, but on the plus side the fabric is beautiful and I loved the print enough to buy the second colour.
Since it has been bought out they have managed to keep the ethos much the same though, which is good. More viscose is appearing, but that is true everywhere.

I agree SirVixofVixHall and I'm 5'3 so almost certainly shorter than their models. Skirts and dresses are invariably shorter on me than they appear in the website photographs. And fuller too, as are a lot of their shirts. It's a source of consternation and mystery- I've raised the issue of length in reviews but never received an explanation.
Particularly annoying as a hate my legs and really need things to cover them comprehensively!

I hate my legs too, white as milk and prone to bruises and rashes, so I like length.

Very interesting about lengths - I'm tall (5' 9") and also like my dresses/skirts long, so rarely get them from Toast and pay close attention to the length listing which at least Toast have started doing.

If anyone is interested in my jumpsuit-dyeing experiment, here's the before and after. Am v happy. Used Dylon Jeans Blue which has come out as a lovely deep indigo, you can still just see the original stripes close-up but gives the fabric subtle variation which is much nicer than a very blocky, uniform look which I'd feared. Went over the stitching with one of DD's many sharpies which was a perfect match.

@Zinnia Thanks for sharing your dyeing experiment, has come out really well! Looks great, you must be dead chuffed.