Toastie in our winter woolies. Toast #10

[ilovecherries]

Previous thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/4344858-TOAST-fans-looking-forward-to-the-Christmas-velvet-offerings?msgid=112036873

What have you decided to do about the coat @faustina.
Love the Toma @Laska2Meryls.
That dress is beautiful colours @applecatchers36

So I was in an actual Toast shop today first time for 2 years. I am utterly in love with the dogtooth coat. But my bank balance wouldn’t be. I am in love with a lot of other things too. Will be interesting to see what goes into sale proper later.
John Lewis Oxford street was slightly disappointing because it wasn’t merchandised as well. And the selection I thought wasn’t great. They did have the black padded coat which I wanted to see in person, I think it might wear badly being so cottony and black too.

@Countmeout - did they still have toast at the JL in Oxford Street? that's good!

About the coat - I've emailed toast - sent them pics so they can see only a mad person would say it's supposed to look like that. I said if they can fix it, I'd like to keep it, but if not then I asked them to confirm they'll refund the delivery cost and the cost to return it.

It was £4.95 delivery as it was from an actual shop and I assume will cost more to return and I'm not paying that for something which was faulty! Would love them to fix it most though!

@faustina, I would say the Toast Solovair are similar to the dealer Solovair, ie they come up slightly bigger. I am a 5 and buy a 38 but I appreciate the extra space as I have a dodgy left foot that needs a bigger footbed and plus i like to wear boots with walking/ski socks and both the black and the green Doras allow for this.

I also have the Solvair black Monk strap shoes in a 38 which again, are generous.

I wouldn't say any of the solovairs are a whole size bigger but very definitely feel like a 38.5/5.5 when buying the 38/5. I hope that helps.

By the way, the Monk strap shoes are my favourite shoes to wear, so comfy.

Yes @faustina Toast in John Lewis Oxford Street but it was difficult to find it. It was stuck behind something else. They had that abstract dress too which I had thought a possible buy but wasn’t keen on the material although it wasn’t as vicosy (!) as some of the other dresses I have . Fairly good selection of sizes too I thought, better than online.

[quote ToastCosILoveIt]@faustina, I would say the Toast Solovair are similar to the dealer Solovair, ie they come up slightly bigger. I am a 5 and buy a 38 but I appreciate the extra space as I have a dodgy left foot that needs a bigger footbed and plus i like to wear boots with walking/ski socks and both the black and the green Doras allow for this.

I also have the Solvair black Monk strap shoes in a 38 which again, are generous.

I wouldn't say any of the solovairs are a whole size bigger but very definitely feel like a 38.5/5.5 when buying the 38/5. I hope that helps.

By the way, the Monk strap shoes are my favourite shoes to wear, so comfy.[/quote]
My DD1 (13) has the Monk Straps as her school shoes! They are a million miles better, in my opinion, than Dr Martens, which, bar a handful of styles, are now made in the Far East and are not the indestructible shoes of my youth. I’ve inherited the Solovair Mary Janes she wore for an entire academic year last year and still look good as new (DD falls into the vulnerable category due to disabilities so pretty much attended all year).

I also have the Solovair Dora shoes in black and snapped up a pair of the Derby style in brown when we visited the Llandeilo Toast outlet shop in the summer; I’ve yet to break them in!

@ToastCosILoveIt and @SmaugMum - thank you!

Is there any difference in the actual style as well as the sizing?

re Dr Martens - there was some huge cockup in the noughties/nineties? Can't remember when - when the Royal Mail changed its name and had thousands and thousands of shoes made by DM with the official insignia - then the name changed AGAIN and so all the shoes were made redundant - a huge waste of money, but fabulous if you had sons as they made the most amazing school shoes. No need to wait hours in shoe shops to try on hideously expensive Start-rites - I just ordered the next size up each time it was needed! The insignia was really small and you could only really see it if you knew it was there. They were really cheap, in in return you got fantastic quality, made for postmen/women. I was very impressed to hear that DS1 who is in his 30s now, still wears his last pair to work! That is a long lasting shoe!

Re the style, the Doras are essentially a Chelsea boot. I used to have DM Chelsea boots but the inner liner disintegrated which perhaps speaks to the movement of manufacturing overseas and the dip in quality. DMs used to get made in the Northampton Solovair factory. Styling wise I don't think there is much in it, but quality wise there is.

I would favour Solvair over DMs always.

@ToastCosILoveIt

Re the style, the Doras are essentially a Chelsea boot. I used to have DM Chelsea boots but the inner liner disintegrated which perhaps speaks to the movement of manufacturing overseas and the dip in quality. DMs used to get made in the Northampton Solovair factory. Styling wise I don't think there is much in it, but quality wise there is.

I would favour Solvair over DMs always.

I agree! I have some Made in Thailand Dr Martens ox blood Chelsea boots and the quality is nowhere near that of the Solovair; the latter actually feel so much weightier in comparison and the leather is far superior (the DMs feel and look like coated leather). The only Dr Martens I would consider these days are the Made in England styles, which are still manufactured in Northampton.

With regards to sizing, my Dora boots are roomy but I wear them with a leather half-insole to stop my feet moving about. I’m a size 5 to 5.5, depending on the width of the shoe, as I have wider than average feet, and I opted for the size 5 Dora. I find the Solovair Mary Jane shoes a much neater fit and my DD, who is currently a 5.5 but still growing, has the Monk Straps in a size 6 but she wears them with a half-insole plus heel grips and merino wool school tights.

I have 2 pairs of solovair. Agree about the quality although the DM Church boots are absolutely beautiful quality and very similar to solovairs monkey boots that I have in black. The solovairs are really stiff leather though and press on my ankle. Anyone else have them? I can wear them one day but not the next because I can't tolerate it pressing again on day 2.
I also have the burgundy monkey shoes from a few seasons back on toast. They are huge and really struggle to keep them on at the heel. I have worn them but find the fit isn't great. Its like they are made too shallow for my heels. I just find it difficult to keep them on.

Sorry they press on my ankle bone. So painful to wear 2 days in a trot.

www.toa.st/products/solovair-ava-monkey-boots-black

Boots that hurt my ankle. Hoping they will soften.

uk.nps-solovair.com/collections/womens/products/s7-730-bur-g?variant=28127392104512#image-4

Mine are plainer but I find them hard to keep on. Heel goes up and down. Although size is correct. Could not go smaller. Just have a shallow heel.

Maybe I should try ankle grip things.

Heel grips!

I bought the Solovair Monkey shoes from Toast a couple of years ago, initially in size 6, but they were huge. I returned them for a 5 and they are a great fit.

@neveradullmoment99, I would also recommend a leather half-insole to stop your feet moving around in the boots and hence your heel slipping up and down. A combination of the fall-insole and stick-on leather heel grips works a treat for my DD as the Monk Straps are officially half a size too by but I expect her feet to grow again before the academic year is out.

…half a size too big.

@CocteauTwin

I bought the Solovair Monkey shoes from Toast a couple of years ago, initially in size 6, but they were huge. I returned them for a 5 and they are a great fit.

They are the correct size. I ordered both a 6 then a 5 [Am actually a 6.5] They fit well but I tie the laces and walk the go up and down. I cannot get my heel to grip. I could not have gone smaller. So strange! Maybe will try the insole trick heel grip!

Thanks all - so the Solovair Chelsea/dealer boot is the same style as the Dora?

Hi @neveradullmoment99, I also have both solovair shoes and dm boots (I prefer their boots as it's comfortable from day one, pascal I think it's called, so soft on the ankle bones!). My solovair felt too small in my size and too big a size up. I bought my size and hoped to stretch them in with wear but after a season's wear they still pinched. I used wooden shoe stretchers and they are as a result so incredibly comfortable.

My coat arrived today. I forgot that I did order a size down and I'm glad I did. I'm a strong 14 but my shoulders and bust are narrow. It's a beautiful fit, really interesting colour, so pleased with it, can't wait for spring!

I'll see you all next sale!

Ps, my partner calls solovair "posh dm's"!

Can anyone remember when the sale starts?
Trying to be good and wait unlike last year

Was it just before Christmas?

I have an order email from 22 December 2020 so guessing that was the date last year

Thank you!

Ahem .. i may be booted off here now , but today I sent back my £105 Jute Gabis ( which however I wore them with winter boots looked like jodphurs and bought in favour of these £15 M&S jeggings in caramel instead and I like them so much better ! ..
For wearing with the Elena denim shirt and my Celtic brown derby boots .... So much more 'me' ..