Why so many threads about Toast?

[ambereeree]

What's so good about the clothes? I looked at the website and it's doesn't look anything very special.

directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/toast

Who is this by? Their competitors?

neveradullmoment99

I think it is marketed to them, not a negative in itself at all. Similar with Gudrun Sjoden, who I would have possibly dabbled with if I wasn't puny.

Toast stuff seems very suited to quite tall, larger builds - which is simply a body type rather than a judgement. I often think Toast models are too thin for the clothes, even if tall, the items never look at their best on the website, but look fine on the Toasties thread on here and on ordinary people modelling it on instagram (which, incidentally, do tend to be my age, 40+ )
I wish I suited such styles, especially the large, slouchy coats, but then I still kind of dislike the company/ethics, so swerve by these days.

@neveradullmoment99

directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/toast

Who is this by? Their competitors?

It is a global collective I think, perhaps read about the site - it has been on MN many times, you can check every brand on there for it's score. I think a company has to allow it though.

To imagine it is a competitor is rather bizarre

companies are held to account more nowadays, thank god.

I'm 5' 9" and find their trousers very short. As far as I remember their clothes are based on 5' 6". It would help if they did a tall and petite range. Quality isn't as good as it used to be. Their nightwear is v good. Agree their sizing is ridiculous.

Well as a woman of a certain age , height and bodyweight ( but I think we all gave a certain age height and bodyweight)
.. I wear clothes that make me feel good.. I like my Toast clothes , I also like my other clothes from Hush , H&M, TKmaxx, John Lewis , Mint Velvet etc etc ! Heck, I even like my -sacrilege on MN it seems -Seasalt and M&s leggings.... Im wearing some right now with a hush vest and a Toast jumper ..

I dont have any Primark clothes to like, but thats nothing to do with marketing , ethics, age, body size or class or price point.. its just that there is no Primark in 30 miles of me to shop at ..

And I like Style and Beauty because I like talking about clothes ..

No idea!
Shapeless and quite rough fabrics,
I much prefer the other S&B favourite ME&EM .

I used to buy a lot of Toast clothes but now only tops and knitwear. The dresses are enormous in relation to the size labels and they are so long they drag along the floor on me, no petite sizing. Those sludgy colours suit me very well so I’m a bit sad about that. Their socks are lovely, but very expensive.

I've always assumed all the not-mega-famous, yet strangely very famous on MN brands start off with some product placement.
Toast, Hush, Mint Velvet, Saltwater, Me & Em, Baukjen etc. Further back Liz Earle, The Ordinary, Boden etc.
Some of them go on to become very famous names, but if you look back at when they started to be mentioned here, it's a bit chinny reckon. I remember looking up Liz Earle, Hush, the Ordinary, thinking "never heard of them, but everyone on here seems to love them, better have a look"
It's a smart way of getting a name out to a wide demographic cheaply. I also imagine a lot of the posts dissing certain brands are planted as well.
Tis the way of the world I suppose.

[quote musicforsmorks]they have a dreadful ethics score and the clothes are stupidly large fitting. You can get lucky, but at a price.

The whole artisanal bollox doesn't wash with me, here, I think they have stumbled onto some very, very clever marketing - has a sort of cult fan base with women of certain age and bodyweight (nothing wrong with that of course), although I think they are being duped!

They also have a rather scattered returns legacy, rarely show adequate model photo's and have an increasing rise in customer service complaints. I just don't like their act, not one bit.

Here is a link to their poor ethics and sustainability score directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/toast[/quote]
No just someone who wants to know if it's worth driving to Cambridge to have a look at the shop!

I've always assumed all the not-mega-famous, yet strangely very famous on MN brands start off with some product placement.

I was shopping at Toast over 20 years ago, so I wouldn't say so. Maybe moreso with newer companies.

I’ve never ever heard of Hush or mint velvet before seeing it mentioned on MN.
I’ve seen Me &em in RL , they have their own shop,
Boden only on here , then JL started to sell them,
It reminds a bit of J.crew but still not there yet.

@queenofarles I saw a mint velvet on the highstreet then read about the leggings on mumsnet and bought them.
Boden I buy for my kids as the clothes are quite sweet.

@neveradullmoment99

directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/toast

Who is this by? Their competitors?

https://goodonyou.eco/aboutt_/
https://goodonyou.eco/how-we-ratee_/

Interesting thread.
I used to shop at Toast a lot, this declined over the years as many items (including those previously residing in my wardrobe) just look oversized and dowdy. Also, I was relatively recently made aware of the overt racist roots of the brand, which has left a permanent bad taste

" Jessica Seaton, director of Toast, replied that her 14-year-old company seeks out women or men "with intelligence and something special about them". She added that on "a couple of occasions" people of colour had been found who fitted this description [... ]If we search for a mixed-race or coloured girl … the models are more overtly sexy, vampish and not at all right for the brand." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/16/high-street-brands-blackness-beauty-fashion-advertss_

Was underwhelmed to see a recent article in the Guardian featuring black models in a blatant attempt to distance itself from It’s racist roots https://amp.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/sep/12/raise-a-glass-toast-is-relaunching-menswearr_

The brand has been in corporate hands for years now, so its hard to marry the whimsical / ethical / community led vibe that they like to portray.

I do occasionally have a peek at the long running Toast thread(s) and it's pretty obvious that the marketing machine is chugging away. But that's clear over multiple style and beauty threads, as above companies would be foolish not to attempt to engage with their target market when there is ease of access. It's just slightly annoying when people are portrayed as obnoxious for stating the obvious.

@queenofarles

No idea! Shapeless and quite rough fabrics, I much prefer the other S&B favourite ME&EM .

Well said. I wear seasalt [Totally slated on mumsnet] I used to love hush but its polyester did my head in and tbh I really llike more natural materials. Regardless of ethics, their clothes last literally for years and are not fast fashion. That is ethical in itself.

Any clothes I don't want from Toast, I sell on ebay and not shoved on junk pile. They also do Toast circle which you can get tokens for clothes you hand in and purchase something else with it or swap it. Sadly, I can't do this living quite far from a shop.

I'm a recent convert (18 months). Didn't rate them originally but bought a couple of items which I really enjoyed wearing - so started buying more. Fabric quality is generally very good. I like the dresses, jumpers and pinafores - but their trousers don't suit me.

I do like a bit of a sludge palette and the oversized look. It's all about comfort and ease of wearing for me these days - and Toast fits the bill.

I've recent started following the longstanding Toast thread and not felt as much marketing push/manipulation as I have done on some of the other S&B threads (maybe because they'd just be preaching to the converted).

I do occasionally have a peek at the long running Toast thread(s) and it's pretty obvious that the marketing machine is chugging away. But that's clear over multiple style and beauty threads, as above companies would be foolish not to attempt to engage with their target market when there is ease of access. It's just slightly annoying when people are portrayed as obnoxious for stating the obvious.

Obnoxious ?

Haven't been to a store in real life but the aesthetic is beautiful and the clothes, especially the linen, look wonderful. Sadly they're out of my price range and I'm an apple, not the willowy shapes the models are. I still dip into the threads and insta from time to time to admire bits and once picked up a pair of Solovair shoes in the sales.
A few friends in their thirties have gotten some cool bits there and look great in them.

Not a fan of the Toast look so can’t comment on quality etc, but it’s a well-known fact that brands use mumsnet posts as a marketing tool (they’d be mad not to, IMO) so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Toast did this too.

@lemonadeandpop wow that's quite a read. I'll give the shop visit a miss.

@TuftyRusty

I bought a pair of trousers from Toast over the summer - linen ones (think the style was Gabby maybe?) and they were around £100. They were see-through and so flimsy and cheap looking. It really put me off. I know Toast are really popular but I don’t know whether there’s just a bit of hype. Feel the same about Hush - lots of people here seem to love it but the quality doesn’t seem great to me.

Totally agree.some of their stuff is really flimsy and totally overprized.the trousers are a strange cut.normally wear a size 12,but Toast size 12 is huge.the jumpers bobble very quickly.

@Laska2Meryls

I do occasionally have a peek at the long running Toast thread(s) and it's pretty obvious that the marketing machine is chugging away. But that's clear over multiple style and beauty threads, as above companies would be foolish not to attempt to engage with their target market when there is ease of access. It's just slightly annoying when people are portrayed as obnoxious for stating the obvious.

Obnoxious ?

Yes, obnoxious (distasteful / unpleasant).

My comment encompasses all threads where anyone dares to mention that there may be a light touches of marketing wizardry at play.
Any reference to any such conspiratorial nonsense, is normally met with combined levels of horror and dismay in response - always raises a smile.

I think discussions on these threads are / should be informative and taken in a positive spirit.

Having brand specific threads is great for those that have an affinity with the brand, airing an opposing opinion based on taste / ethics etc is absolutely fine too - creates a balance.

"I've always assumed all the not-mega-famous, yet strangely very famous on MN brands start off with some product placement."

I'm not ashamed to say I've been shopping from Boden for the 30 years they've been in existence. Used to be mail order only. I've only been in MN since 2006. It's easy to miss brands if they aren't on your radar.

I have to say that Toast is one of the shops I never, ever find anything suitable for me, but I can see it is reasonable quality.

I'm a recent convert to Toast. The clothes seem very well made and I like the fabrics they use. I'm very selective about what I buy from them though as the styles don't always suit me.