Toasties enjoying their sales purchases and hoping for a lovely summer

[ilovecherries]

Hello!

I was a bit embarrassed today and now wondering if I’ve inadvertently broken some sort of dressmaker etiquette. I’ve lost a bit of weight recently, not quite enough to be a comfortable 10/small but enough that my 12/mediums weren’t sitting quite right. So I’ve been taking a bundle to get altered regularly. I’ve used the same dressmaker for a long time, and she has a high street shop with several people working for her. She’s also Ukrainian so while her English is very good, I realise it may just have been a cultural misunderstanding. She’s not cheap but she’s good, I NEVER quibble on price, never ask for a discount, and never tell her a job is urgent - I always just ask what HER timeframe is and say that’s great. Sometimes it’s a week, sometimes a fortnight, doesn’t matter. She does proper alterations, moving side zips and pockets etc, not just trying to pull seams tighter.

Anyway, if you’ve read this far, well done! Today I took in three dresses and three tops and when she was fitting the last one on me she said ‘in future, 3 items only. Your alterations are taking too much time, we are not your personal tailor, too much work here, will take someone all day. You are bringing too much’. So (wimp that I am), I said ok, sorry, didn’t realise, no problem, not in a rush for anything, won’t happen again etc etc. ended up back on pavement feeling a bit tearful and like I’d been really stupid. I AM a bit hypersensitive at the moment because life is a bit shit but have I been inadvertently rude?

@Theteapotsbrokenspout oooh jealous! Cannot wait to hear how it is. What size did you order with new sizing?

@ilovecherries i would have also been tearful at that. How were you to know there was a limit when there’s been no previous communication?

There’s three fitting rooms in the shop as well, and I was the only one using one, so it wasn’t as if I was causing a massive log jam. There isn’t any signage indicating how many garments they will take at a time. But she def said it as if I was being a selfish arse!

@ilovecherries - you haven't done anything wrong.

My experience of Eastern Europeans (family married into) is the way they say things can come across extremely bluntly and sometimes rude to us Brits with our more nuanced way of phrasing things (conversely they probably think 'why doesn't she just get to the point').

She was just saying (in a very blunt and clumsy way) that she isn't able to handle so much work all in one go (though she could have just said she'd take a bit longer). Chalk it up to cultural communication differences (and a bit of a rude dressmaker) Please don't feel stupid.

Also realise her life may also be a bit shit as she may have worries at the moment that I can’t imagine.

@ilovecherries - absolutely. Or simply just general stress as busy like lots on this thread have felt today.

Either way, not good to take out on you - but it really won't be anything personal as you are a good customer. Sounds like she's a skilled dressmaker - hope your altered items turn out fab!

This 100%

@ilovecherries that sounds quite mean of her, also quite rude. After all, you're paying her for the work and surely if she's going to be altering clothing it doesn't actually matter whose clothing it is?!
Do you have the option of finding someone else?

@Whitesandblueskies welcome to the thread! Sizing wise we haven't got the answers I'm afraid!! As you've probably notice from reading the threads, most of us have to chop and change various items, their sizing is so random, even after their new sizing

Blimey @ilovecherries you are too kind, I would have been so shocked I'd never go back there, it's just so odd. Surely a normal response would be to politely say they had a lot of work on and did you mind it taking longer.

@ilovecherries good at tailoring but not so much at business by the sound of it! People bringing in lots of work is a good thing. Keeping someone in work all day a good thing. Perhaps she is under-charging. Agree probably stressed and not thinking straight about how to deal with high demand for her excellent work. Maybe also someone who finds it hard to let people down and so sounds accusatory when doesn't have capacity? In any case not your fault.

Hi @Whitesandblueskies ! You have found your people. I don't think there's a way to deal with the sizing variability except reading reviews and guessing and returning and reordering. Why can't they post garment measurements? Daft.

One of the items I collected today is wonderful. I have an Olin dress from the JL pandemic sale I’ve never worn as the neck rubbed exactly on a surgical scar on my neck. She dropped the boat neckline into a curve and shortened the sleeves and put faux cuffs on them (they had ended exactly at boob height before and made my chest look vast). Also shaped the waist with some darts. I really loved it (and told her so). I’m delighted with it. I do love that Toast clothes are actually worth altering to make perfect.

@Whitesandblueskies - welcome to the thread!

Yes, sizing is erratic so we often we rely on reviews and each for guidance. POW jacket sizing was mentioned on last thread (by @dudsville?)

Crumbs - 3am-5am is a dedicated read.

@ilovecherries oh that's the dress dudsville commented on in my wardrobe - it's so lovely, definitely worth altering to perfection!

It’s daft how sometimes the littlest of comments can make you feel bad for hours. I shall just enjoy looking at my perfect dress now!

very conscious at the moment of all the dark colours I have and am actively looking to put more colour into my wardrobe.....

Welcome @Whitesandblueskies , this is indeed your tribe by the sound of your dedication to the sale and the thread! Re sizing I've taken to ordering multiple sizes. It's a pain, but it's the only way.

@ilovecherries , that poor lady doesn't know how to run a business. Since she's so good, and is this hasn't happened before, and given her circumstances, I'd struggle but would try to brush it under the carpet. Hope you can keep her on your books! And you'll have that dress i covet!

@mizu , yours looks properly curated, like a shop rail, beautiful! And i love that orange jumper.

Oooh @mizu - I spot the Ikat Navy/Gold Chequerboard Dress that is my 2nd favourite Toast item owned (after the pinafore mentioned upthread). This dress was admired in the Danish Design museum.

You've kicked off the knitwear section too- love the look of the top jumper (can you do a front pic?).

@Stoic123 just for you! Sounds too good to be true but I bought on Depop last year for £37.

@MiracleToast After reading the reviews for the other colours I went for the small, I’m a high street 12 but quite busty with narrow shoulders, so I’ll have to see what the fit is like.

Thank you for the responses on size. I have ordered a 10 and will wait and see.

Have also ordered the Annual postage pass. At least then I wont mind having to keep reordering.

Sending back is another issue. Toast managed to lose one of my return parcels earlier in the year. They eventually found it but it has made me nervous about returning through the PO. I can drive 20 miles to my nearest Store but that feels like a trudge just for returns.

I second what others are saying @ilovecherries . I suspect the directness was cultural and an expresssion of her personal stress. I work with someone who has the same cultural background and is bitingly direct. I wonder if she is trying to ask you to bring things in in smaller drops so that she can manage her workload better?

My colleague is really lovely once you get to know her, but when I am on the wrong end of her tongue I have to remind myself that English is not her first language and that she prides herself in always completing something she has committed to, often staying very late to do so !!

@ilovecherries - I am sorry your dressmaker was so rude to you - appalling behaviour and terrible customer service. I am with @Trinitybean on this one and would try to go elsewhere 😟. It’s not you - it’s her! She’s lucky you are such a nice person and didn’t respond in kind.

@Whitesandblueskies - welcome to the forum. Sizes all over the place in Toastland, unfortunately 😂

I have cracked and ordered the garment dyed tee in chalk as I love my other two so much and it came back in stock. I can’t really be trusted with white tops, so I don’t know if it will suit, but we will see.

I am hoping for more returns tomorrow 🤞

That’s a lovely jumper @mizu and such a bargain!

@mizu - jealous!

Gorgeous.

@ilovecherries I've worked with people whose 1st language isn't English for 27 years and bluntness is very often seen as a positive trait in a lot of countries (straight talking not weaving around) whereas we see it as more of a negative here.

Thank you for the new thread @ilovecherries .

so sorry @AmethystMoonShine 💐

All my refunds have come through. Very painless.

loving the wardrobe pictures.