Toasties onward with Spring in our step to Summer

[Countmeout]

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@ilovecherries -as it's early days in weight change, I would wait one more year and then sell them. Do weed out anything you don't really love now and use money to buy a few inexpensive bits to take you through this summer.

If it was longer term weight change (i.e. this time next year) or things that never really suited, I would get rid.

I am planning a mass eBay sale of clothes prompted by a passage I read: "Keep things you use and discard those you don't. Things are given life by being used. Keeping something because it would be a waste to get rid of it is a kind of torture. Free yourself from the waste argument, and you'll begin to see the value of things".

@ilovecherries I hear you and it feels so frustrating when that happens. I felt very down a few weeks ago when I had to reach for my formal suiting for some work events and none of them except one fitted properly. I have kept them all though as they're quality items which I love and items I need and I shall see if they fit better later this year.

I would definitely keep them and see how they are in a few months and maybe continue a search for a good alterations service, whilst maybe scouting for a good capsule wardrobe in the interim.

@ilovecherries First response: I can't possibly advise until I know which Old Toast items in which sizes might be available for sale 🤣

Real response: weight does seem to fluctuate upwards more often than downward as we get older, so I'd be tempted to keep them until you're absolutely sure you won't ever wear them again. Meantime, maybe you could look for smaller sizes of your favourites on eBay? It's so much easier to buy secondhand when you already know the garment well.

Love that passage @Stoic123 makes so much sense.

@Stoic123 I will bear that quote in mind today when sorting out my clothes for this season .

@Stoic123 great quote, I have some stuff I should also look to get rid off but as its Toast I kind of dont want to..

@ilovecherries I hope that you are well, I would also keep things for a little while to see how things go, but also take the opportunity to maybe purchase a few things on Vinted or ebay .. Thrift often have Toast also

Have you thought of seeing if Toast can alter anything through their renew service? Another idea is perhaps Toast circle if you have an opportunity to visit a store which does it?

Waiting for news of the kindred gift, if anyone receives their order today .....

Mine hasn’t been despatched and the S has now gone out of stock, hope it won’t be cancelled.

@ilovecherries what kind of things are they? If dresses I would see if they would be altered, most Toast dresses seem to follow a relatively simple pattern so I can’t imagine it would be that hard (caveat- I know nothing at all about dressmaking).

Tops/tees I would start tucking in and I think you can get away with a larger top if it’s tucked in. Trousers I would also look to alter. I’ve found a good seamstress and I would trust her to do stuff like that- have you asked locally on Facebook for instance? It will probably cost a lot to get stuff altered but better than re buying a whole wardrobe I guess. I’m also losing weight but probably only 1 stone so I’m assuming everything will still be ok clothes wise

Thank you, @BlackRookInRainyWeather The postman has just been to collect the return so decision made for me. Just as well as your great review would have had been trying it on again, it is lovely.

@ilovecherries - I think if I were you I'd wait for a while. I find if I'm feeling low I don't make sensible decisions. I also find it takes a while to get my head around the change of seasons, if that makes sense?

As others have said, you're lucky now in as much as you know what you like and how it fits, so you could perhaps pick up a couple of your most favourite things on Ebay or Vinted in a smaller size. Maybe do that and then wait for a bit while you get your head round everything else

I hope things look up for you soon xx

Thanks for all the good advice. EBay and vinted are not proving to be my friends but it’s probably wise to pack everything away for a year rather than being rash and finding nothing fits me NEXT year when no doubt I’ll be back to my usual size. I was meant to be no-spending this year too, so that’s going to take a hammering if nothing fits 😀.

I'm sorry you've had a rough time @ilovecherries. Finding out your treasures don't fit must have been quite some icing on that particular shit cake.

If your weight has dropped low then i would definitely wait and see, but if it's dropped to a healthy number that you might consider maintaining even if ill gotten, then i would do something now that's more proactive and positive.

I came across some notion of the quote above when kondo was more prominent and i found it really freeing. For you, having something you could love but can't wear, so close but out of reach, might turn out to be just another layer on that cake. Personally, if ebay isn't working for you, I'd search out the alterations person. My nearest reliable and safe person is a 1.5 hr journey from me. But in your shoes I would make an afternoon of it - take the stuff to them, see what they say, decide if it's worth it, get some nice lunch. You can still opt to keep them stored or to let them sit on ebay.

When i first bought toast things i purchased my high street size in trousers. They were comicly big, but i had lept from skinnies to these so i figured it would take me some getting used to. Then the pandemic hit and I stopped wearing smart trousers and also gained weight and surpassed them, but i refused to buy a bigger size so stuck with the more forgiving dresses. Once i was able to get back into those trousers I realised i just didn't really like them that much! I had built them up in my mind as some form of punishment. I was then able to let them go.

How do you know if you have a kindred gift on the way? I ordered something yesterday afternoon before I saw the posts on here, nothing on my confirmation email about my gift but maybe it says on dispatch email?

@TerrierOrTerror go to email and click view order

@Dee1224 - just wanted to say I finally managed to order the cord jacket you returned. It took a bit of negotiating but I got there in the end. Thank you for letting me know!

I have also ordered some pretty blue socks from the current selection and was quite cross to see they no longer seemed to have the ochre pair in stock.

@faustina I am really pleased that you have managed to get the jacket. I hope you like it.

I thought it was lovely, but it was just a bit too tight on the chest for me 🙃

I am having no luck with chat myself. I tried again yesterday, but no joy. I might try again in a bit!

Has anyone been to the Shepton Mallet shop recently? I am planning on going in a few days, but when I rang yesterday I was told they didn’t have much ‘archive’ or sample stuff in stock.

@Dee1224 - how do you mean you're having no luck? Won't they search for an item or something?

@faustina they are looking, but as everything I have tried asking about is out of stock, (including the Elm dress that wasn’t sold out at the end of the sale), I am not convinced that they are always going into sale returns.

One agent announced she’d found the checked poplin but the dress she offered me was current stock and totally different - the only thing it had in common with the one I was asking about was that it was a dress!

Maybe there really haven’t been any returns of the Elm and the Painted Check Poplin, but given the sizing issues, I would be very surprised if that was the case🤣.

Oh I see - yes they were like that with me and initially seemed to think the items were current stock, then they said it was only low stock so I might not get it, and eventually I persuaded them to place the order. They seemed a bit clueless even though I gave them the actual product codes. I will keep my fingers crossed for you!

Btw: I am not Kindred, so am very jealous of your upcoming free gifts. My sister is, and I have a bet with her that it will be Geoffrey’s dibber - aka the overpriced twig - as she is getting ridiculously excited at the possibility of free socks coming her way!

(Apologies to anyone who has actually got the dibber, as I am sure it’s lovely 🤣)

Thanks @faustina - unfortunately I can’t find the product codes, just the names, which I think is part of the problem 🙃

I returned the Painted Check poplin dress in S or 8 to Shoreditch store an hour ago !

I’ve had hell’s own job of finding Toast trousers that fit and don’t make me look like Artful Dodger ( even the Annie side button jeans have an AD vibe worn with boots but it’s mitigated by the general look)
Shoreditch store is now my favourite as the assistants are so helpful.
By that I mean going above and beyond to help one find something., my other local store used to be OK , but service is very variable now.
Anyway I was offered to try the linen balloon pants in the tiny grey check and they were perfect . Plan to wear with white linen tops or black tees , and lots of silver jewellery .