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!

Mizu - I’ve been eyeing up that dress too! Can’t be long before they put it some sale on the Toast website. Just keep checking.

fizz thank you for the Margaret Howell article I'm about to read it over my morning coffee. I thought for a moment she was retiring (although I guess that's bound to happen soon).

Well my cross hatch fake wrap green and yellow flowered dress arrived and I'm chronically disappointed. It's beautifully made, fabric is gorgeous, but it gapes horribly over my boobage. It's fine around the shoulders, just too revealing. I could wear a camisole thing underneath but I'm fed up of doing that. I just want something that FITS. Urgh

ummm anyone know when the Margaret Howell sale starts?

That’s such a shame. I hate it when you really love something and there’s something wrong with that you just can’t overlook.

Eddie the sales tend to start later than most e.g. July and January. (She even closes all the shops between Christmas and New Year!) But even her customers may be feeling the pinch so I guess they might be early this year.

I’ve just checked out the MH website and, while I can see the appeal of the quality and the heritage, the clothes leave me cold. I really wanted to like them as well.

However I’m wearing my new Toast dress and it’s really sparking joy so all’s well in my world.

I wouldn't have got it from the website either Alsohuman - I didn't even get it the first time I saw it for real and tried it on. It was only after I'd worn it all day, and it still looked just as sharp 16 hours later, that I was won over. But yeah you do need to like the look too - it's more austere than Toast.

Thanks for the tip about the MH sale @floisme. Although I've now ordered two coats and three pairs of trousers and sent them all back...so perhaps it's not to be!
The trousers were fine around the waist there was just too much fabric for someone with short legs like me, for the silhouette to be balanced. I'm still eyeing up some Barathea trousers... so maybe if the go on sale
Their refund process is annoyingly slow. Clearly the average MH customer is much more insouciant about such matters than I!
I have found some black trousers in Plumo this week... which are possible MH substitutes. Lots of their stuff is quite Toast-esque. Lots is just bizarre!

EddieLizard that is what the reviews said. Same thing happens with a Toast dress I bought last year, I have to put a vest top underneath, which is annoying. My size 12 crosshatch dress was supposed to be delivered yesterday but didn’t arrive, the ten is meant to be coming tomorrow, I am expecting them to gape on me too though, I don’t hold out much hope of either fitting.

That’s a shame. My crosshatch dress fits well over the bust but I went for a bigger size to ensure that I didn’t have to wear a cami.

Thank you @Floisme. I'll be watching!

@SirVixofVixHall good luck. I hope one fits you.

I will report back on the crosshatch dress too. Mine should be arriving tomorrow. I’ve ordered my usual size

There are definite benefits to having a non-sleeping toddler as I couldn’t believe my eyes when I sneaked a look at the JL site at 6.30am to discover the sale had gone live. I also bought the Ikat skirt, the Ivar Japanese indigo jacket (I’ve been coveting this for months but I simply couldn’t justify the full or even Toast sale price) and a Japanese indigo shirt (I admit, I have a weakness for beautiful selvedge denim and Japanese indigo dyed fabric), which is still currently full price at Toast.

Best of all, I bought a trove of Moleskine sketch books for my eldest daughter and a pair of Geox Frozen hi-top shoes for the youngest whose feet have clearly been the biggest winners from ALL the food she has consumed during lockdown. She is overjoyed by the thought that she is going to own shoes with Elsa’s face on them!

Anyone else think JL has decided not to stock Toast any more?

I said this up thread, am convinced of it now

Also quite annoyed as I just ordered the Jamie trousers before they got reduced again!

@Zinnia, John Lewis operates a never knowingly undersold guarantee (well, it certainly did pre-lockdown), so you can contact Customer Services and explain that you purchased your trousers very recently and at a higher price and you will automatically be refunded the difference between the price you paid and the last price.

Thanks @Moominmammaatsea but presume that doesn't apply to their own sales? I ordered the trousers at JL on Friday night before they reduced them again today. C'est la vie, they were still half price (and cheaper than Toast's own sale). I shall miss Toast at JL.

Hi, yes, it applies to own-brand merchandise, too.

Shame if John Lewis is stopping stocking Toast as their free delivery over £50 and free returns is much more helpful . Especially the free returns bit.

@SirVixofVixHall look forward to hearing how your cross hatch dress fits. I have a similar style from the Winter and like you sent for the two sizes but ended up keeping the smaller as the larger had too much material in the skirt . Mind you I was happy to put a cami under it.

I wouldn't imagine JL is stopping sticking Toast? They often have pretty good reductions.

Weelll they only have two Toast things in stock at the moment and just one at full price, and as they reduced all the current season stock that is still at full price on Toast's own site, I'm not sure what they've got to sell now?

Thanks for the tip @Moominmammaatsea I'll give it a go!

Big disappointment this morning, I ordered the Freya skirt in navy and it’s turned up creased and screwed up like an old rag. Tried it on and it’s fine on the right hand side but puckers our on the hip on my left, so it’s going back. It’s very annoying to receive a £110 skirt creased and in need of a serious pressing. I am very environmentally aware but I don’t see why they can use recycled paper to wrap around the clothes, other shops often wrap clothes in tissue when they send them to stop this happening.

On the plus side at least I don’t feel guilty about buying the Lydia jumpsuit, like other people up thread we’re saying, I have mentally spent the money

Let us know how you get on Zinnia, might try similar as I’ve annoyingly ordered things that went cheaper a few days after.

@Almahart

I wouldn't imagine JL is stopping sticking Toast? They often have pretty good reductions.

I can’t see any other reason for such drastic reductions, particularly so out of step with Toast itself. It is a shame because their lower free delivery threshold and all free returns policy makes Toast look very mean. I guess the only way to get round it with Toast is to order a full price item at the same time as sale garments and just send it straight back.