Margaret Howell at high street prices?

[DancingLady]

Went on the MH website and am in love with all the looks - proportions, colours, fabric, lengths etc all very much my style. HOWEVER I can't afford any of it. Where can I get similar clothes (good quality) for less? Have looked at Toast (out of my price range but doable in the sales or on eBay), Arket, Stories. Any places I'm missing?

You can get the vague look but not the finesse on a high street budget. If you're anywhere near London the twice annual sample sale is worth looking out for, prices are very low, size 10-12 has the most luck.

Olive Clothing is worth looking at and Community Clothing has some pieces that could work. Incidentally both British sustainable brands that do these archetypes in natural fabrics so worth looking at more brands with that profile.

John Smedley and Joseph secondhand, Cos has similar pieces too.

Thanks, yes I'm in London but wondering if sample sales will be off this year. I like Community Clothing - not heard of Olive so will take a look. I'm 5' 3" and a curvy 12 so Cos does nothing for me!

I have quite a bit of Margaret Howell.

I get it all from t k Maxx none of it costs more than £50.

Just sign up to the MH newsletter and you'll get the sample sale dates. Maybe with a bit of luck there will be one in the autumn, I think they're always in late September.

@SimplyRadishing

I have quite a bit of Margaret Howell.

I get it all from t k Maxx none of it costs more than £50.

Do you get it from stores or online? I find the TK Maxx website pretty crap and rarely get time to visit the stores.

The Uniqlo +J collection for Margaret Howell-ish shirts at less than £40. I love Toast and I love Margaret Howell, but I rarely pay full price for anything. Margaret Howell has an outlet shop on the outskirts of York city centre (in the McArthur Glen outlet centre) and it is brilliant - basically it’s current season but from the previous year, but because it’s timeless fashion, who the heck cares it’s not catwalk fresh when it’s 70 per cent off?!

If you like Toast, I would recommend that you keep a close eye on the very neatly curated collection on the John Lewis website as it often goes to 70 per cent off full retail prices, even when garments are still full price on Toast. Why not check out the dedicated Toast thread on this board? I think we’re onto thread number 5 now!

Margaret Howell tends to collaborate with other Made in Britain brands such as John Smedley, which also has an outlet shop at its mill in Derbyshire or Solovair (which used to make Dr Martens back when they were quality shoes and boots), plus Japanese (?) labels like Canton Overalls for her denim.

Online is indeed crap.

In store... I mostly go to the Enfield and Brent cross ones.
In the nicest possible way the staff in both dont know what they are doing resulting in tremendously good bargains (like a Celine cashmere cardigan for £40 and Valentino couture ballgown for £60)

Moominmammaatsea thanks for the tips! Will read the Toast thread, was a bit daunted by the number of posts!

SimplyRadishing ah I'm deepest south London but sometimes the Wimbledon branch has good stuff. Or, oddly, Tooting and Lewisham ones.

@DancingLady, do you know about this label of you love the Margaret Howell utilitarian vibe? www.old-town.co.uk/collections/product

And this one www.carriercompany.co.uk/collections/womens

Moominmammaatsea don't know that label at all, but love what they're doing! Great business model too.

I have a lot of Margaret Howell from the York outlet, I love her clothing. It’s very hard wearing, however still expensive at the outlet! I usually go once a year in the sale and get a few pieces that go together. I’ve got better knitwear from elsewhere but her trousers, skirts etc are excellent