Nice affordable clothes that wash well?

[overweightcat]

Over the past few years my weight has been slowly creeping up and I've been generally unhappy with my appearance.I've been mainly buying bits as and when from places like primark, Boohoo, occasional tkmaxx pieces (quite a few of the tkmaxx ones have held up quite well).

Primark/boohoo have been OK for affordability but most things start looking naff after a few washes.

I've finally pulled myself together a few months ago and started loosing weight, so far I've lost nearly 19lbs and have another few to go but fingers crossed I'll hit my goal weight by August/sept.
I'd like to treat myself (birthday coming up in a few months) with a new wardrobe as lots of my things do not fit very well anymore and I need to size down - but I don't have an unlimited budget.

Could I please ask for recommendations of nice affordable clothing brands/shops that wash well and are ideally tumble dry-able?
When I say affordable I mean tops/jumpers no more than £30 each (or less if possible) and jeans I'm happy to pay up to £60 for as I know I will only get a couple of pairs that I'm hoping will last.

this website is good for basics (plain tshirts, comfy hoodies)
www.organiccottonclothing.co.uk/webshop/womens/tee-s/
I haven't tried tumble drying the clothes I have bought from here, the tshirts are 100% cotton if that helps. I tend to air dry them.

this website is good for things like shirts, dresses
tentree.co.uk/

and the fatface jeans have lasted me ages

Congrats on your weight loss!

This is probably not very helpful, but for me the trick is to know where to spend money in terms of my body shape. I am a pear shaped size 10, so I invest a lot more in trousers and jeans, because cheaper ones look crap on my big bum. For me the best trousers are Cos, and jeans Levi’s and Whistles - they are all fairly expensive, but fit me well, and last. I have friends who are more apple shaped and can rock cheaper bottoms, but need to buy more expensive tops because they are busty, or have a tummy.

I tend not to spend a lot on summer clothes, because I don’t live in a warm place (right now 11 degrees!). T-shirts from H&M and Zara are fine, but spend more on knitwear because I tend to buy nice things I can pull out year on year - I vacuum pack them away to store.

Hopefully someone will be along with suggestions of actual shops for you soon. I think there will be heavy reductions thus year on summer stock so you might be able to pick up some bargains!

There are no Tshirts or jumpers that I would tumble dry - I think anything will shrink/go out of shape pretty quickly if tumble dried. Doesn't matter whether cheap or expensive, it'll all look rubbish if you do that.
I would recommend BAM products if you can get them in the sale and I've found Boden tshirts really long lasting - again look in the clearance section.

The only clothes of mine I ever tumble dry are socks, nothing else, whether expensive or cheap, can take regular rumble drying IMO.
Perhaps you could try Ebay for some good quality items at much reduced prices, I've recently had a Whistles dress for less than a fiver, and some unworn Clarkes loafers for the same, some absolute bargains to be had.

I'm another one saying don't tumble dry clothes. Especially not cheap clothes.

I find Next stuff holds up quite well for your budget. I like Dorothy Perkins too, but I don't think they're as good quality.

I'd love to not tumble dry clothes but we live in a tiny old cottage which 1 - barely has space for a clothes horse and 2 - it can and has in the past taken 3 days for a pair of jeans to dry.
A tumble dryer has absolutely saved me in the winter months and it's an essential for me ATM.

Do you have a washing line?
Try not to wash things unless you have to. Jeans last ages without a wash.

I'd try Uniqlo for t-shirts. They wash well and really last ages.
You could always try M&S.

I have a clothing line outside which is useless in the autumn/winter and most of Spring as it's quite humid and damp and things take ages to dry or get rained on.

As soon as weather permits I use it but it's limited.

This is why I do vintage or charity shops. If it still looks good after being worn by someone else, it’s probably safe with me.
Even if it shrinks or bobbles it was never expensive and has helped the environment and charity.
You can buy every shape, style and material. My best clothes including silk dresses, cashmere jumpers and good jeans are second hand. Fir the price of supermarket clothes.

Uniqlo - but I hang them. Even inside

Not clothes advice but I put a rail inside the cupboard that houses my hot water tank and plugged in an oil filled radiator and I dry clothes in there when the weather is bad. Maybe you could do something similar.

Actually, I do have some clothes advice - Morrisons brand Nutmeg has some decently made basics

You could buy a dehumidifier OP. I tumble dry the kids clothes but not my own as they always shrink

Not sure about which shops as I'm currently in borrowed maternity clothes! I've got some pieces from New Look and Next that have held up well for several years. Gap too, though not sure what their prices are like these days.

We use a dehumidifier and dry clothes overnight on hangers. Works brilliantly and stops the house getting damp.

Could you reposition your washing line? I dry clothes outside most of the year, although mid-Nov to end of Jan is unlikely.

I’ve got from Next, New Look and TU at Sainsbury’s hold up pretty well for me. However I don’t tumble dry anything - it’s either hung up outside or inside which may be a factor.

I got some great stuff in the Next sale the other day.

I tumble dry everything! I've never had a problem with shrinking or anything! I tumble jumpers, t-shirts hoodies

Cardigans -primark cotton ones
Tops- h&m. I can tumble and wear them. I only iron for special occasions
Jumpers- m&s for everyday (fine in the tumble dryer). H&M for slightly more fashionable special occasion jumpers . I tend to avoid washing these so much and just air them instead.

I'm slowly getting rid of anything cashmere. They are just too delicate or im too rough and ready

You can tumble dry Boden cotton t shirts for ever and they don’t shrink, pile or lose colour. I’ve always been fine with Next cotton ts too.

I tumble dry M&S, Fat Face and Boden with no issues

Uniqlo is excellent quality. I've had some great jeans from there

I dry clothes on an airer in the bathroom with a dehumidifier on laundry setting. Jumpers and shirts are put on hangers. Like other posters, I hardly ever tumble dry clothes unless they’re old ones for slobbing around the house/gardening, some pants and socks. ( I use the tumble dryer for bedding and towels if I can’t hang them out.)
A dehumidifier is a game changer. Your washing will dry in a fraction of the time and your house will be comfortable and easier to heat because you are not having to warm up all the moisture in the air.

Agree with the humidifier suggestion. Mine is running right now.
If you're going to tumble dry jeans tho, go for ones without stretch as the heat affects the lycra IME (I guess that goes for all clothes).
Monki do good sturdy denim. Or Levi's via eBay.

Congrats on the weight loss.
Years ago when I had time (nothing better to do) I hand washed everything, especially woollens. These days it all goes on a wool or delicate wash or short cool cycle. I find that preserves the fabric and unless you do work where your clothes get really mucky, it’s fine. We line dry on a ‘maiden’ - one of those old fashioned clothes drying frames you hang from the ceiling. We are lucky in having high ceilings though. My DM always dried things on a line in the bathroom. Got in the way a bit though!

The next website has so many brands and price range that it is useful as a one stop shop and certainly the basics are nice and have held up well. I hate the name but fat face have some nice stuff that washes well.

Uniqlo t shirts shrink when tumble dried.
I wear their men’s jeans but I don’t tumble dry jeans.
I feel t shirts should be able to be tumble dried with no ill effect and I’ve done LOTS of experimentation with brands. Boden is expensive to start with, though sales, and you have to chose the styles carefully to avoid Hotchpotchitis, but is indestructible.

I quite like Sainsbury’s TU jeans too.
Also Arket.