Toasties - the countdown to Christmas

[Countmeout]

Just getting a thread ready.

This is true @Netcam and @OrangeyLemon, the online only model for sales that Toast have is definitely a big part of the problem. I have heard them say in the past that they do this so that all their customers get a chance, not just the ones that live near to a shop. But could they not do both? Mind you, I would still probably order things online that weren’t available in store.

I have two suggestions for sale fatigue.
Get a stuff job, nothing like working retail (or museums) to suck all the magic and fun out of physical objects. Being overwhelmed with the logistics of shifting through objects made me quite hands off in my personal life.
My second suggestion is celebrate what we have . I'd like to see more pictures please, I'd prefer it if they weren't Instagram perfect.

I think this is my oldest Toast item a Promenade coat from round about 2005.
I had three of these! This one's from the Llangollen sale shop, the other two would have been sale bargains. I still have the green mossy tweed. The robust waxed chestnut colour one was battered to death by dog walking.
My daughters wear them now, which is rather sweet.

@ScottishMouse I have to shop most sales online as we don’t have many shops here, and I feel bad sending things back or buying something on a whim, but knowing it would be different if I could sale shop in store makes me feel a bit better!

@ScottishMouse, I do agree the online sales model is an issue.

But equally I remember the days before the internet of going clothes shopping in the post Christmas sales and finding it a complete nightmare.

It was always so crowded with everyone trying to find the best bargains, long queues for the changing rooms and usually finding my size wasn't available in anything I actually liked.

At least with the online model all sizes in stock nationwide are available and we can avoid the crowds.

I stopped going clothes shopping in actual shops when DS20 was born and haven't really ever gone back to it. My DS hated ever going shopping with me and I never had much of a chance to go on my own, so I just didn't do it.

I am all up for celebrating what we have though. I really don't need any more clothes and don't want to spend any more time scrolling my phone searching.

These Christmas sales are my last attempt at filling some wardrobe gaps before a no buy 2025.

And also trying to reinvent my style a bit after losing a stone and a half this year, feeling more confident about wearing things I felt didn't fit my body shape before and getting a new job where I actually go to the office sometimes.

I was thinking a new 'Shop From My Wardrobe' thread might be nice.

@TosstTastic 😍 Oh, that makes me nostalgic! I remember the anticipation of those early catalogues: just a few, small collections; beautifully photographed; corners turned and pages annotated; saving and purchase plans made; plus, the generous sales. Someone(s) on eBay has a stash of early Toast and seeing those items again, often with a photo of the original catalogue page included in the listing, always makes me smile.

How lovely that your daughters are wearing them now too!

I also, tentatively, second the suggestion of more photographs, both to celebrate the keepers and underline the returns. I often wish for photos to go with the item names/descriptions, but as I don't remotely do my fair share in terms of buying and sharing experiences thereof - sorry! - I've not felt it's my place to ask.

In Not A Real Sale news, the single item I have painstakingly set aside money for, waiting patiently for the sale of the current winter collection to start, is now out of stock in my size. Grrrr 😡 @Toast.

This is very true @netcam. Does anyone remember Next sales? They were total insanity. I never made it to a Toast store sale when there was such a thing, I imagine they weren’t quite that level of madness though.

I would also love to see more photos, but am bad at sharing mine. Perhaps I will take some pics of my favourite Toast things old and new once I am up and about a bit more, it might help me to get clearer on where my wardrobe gaps are and focus any spending for 2025. Unfortunately, many of my older Toast items don’t fit anymore (bloody menopause), and have been sold on as I cannot bear to look at things in my wardrobe that make me feel bad about my body, but my favourites would be:
• slate cotton linen collarless shirt with pockets on the front
• navy cropped boiled wool cardigan with balloon sleeves
• grey gingham cotton cashmere wide leg trousers/culottes
• japanese navy check shirt dress
• slate cotton linen pinafore
• indigo alix trousers
• orange wool cashmere oversized sweater
• reed ikat wrap jacket (still in the sale….just saying!)
• rowan british wool sweater (this season)
• minako graph check trousers (this season)
• graph check shirt dress

Nooo @Stravaig! what was it? Sign up for an email alert in case it comes back into stock.

@ScottishMouse A warm, cosy jumper - good idea, have just done that, thank you! It needs to go on sale first though :)

Toast seems to be trying to redefine Sale so it means offloading old season stock at normally reduced prices. These items would have been an Archive Sale for original Toast, at 80% off.

We're not having it, Toast! A Sale is of current season stock, and all your competitors start at 35-50% off, and reduce further from there.

That’s a lovely one @Stravaig. Hope it comes back into stock and at sale price!

Interestingly, looking through my favourites list above, almost half of them were bought on eBay or Vinted, one came from a Toast swap event, and the rest were all bought full price. Not one item on that list was bought in a Toast sale. I think that tells me that the sales are not a success for me generally (apart from homeware, all my Toast quilts and baskets were bought at sale prices).

@Netcam - I am doing a no buy Jan/Feb - followed by a low buy (very limted budget) rest of year. Wider than clothes (all S&B items, books, gadgets, homewares and misc stuff/tat). Primary aim is to wind down a overconsumptive shopping habit rather than to save money - so socialising, experiences and travel are excluded. Is yours just limited to clothes?

@TosstTastic - yes to celebrating more of what we have. I am wearing my softest/most comfortable Toast jumper today. It is the Lofty Jacquard Yoke Sweater in Plum which I bought in last year's March sale. It feels like I'm wearing a hug!

@ScottishMouse That's a useful thing to notice!

I often marvel at how much is available second-hand now, you can assemble an entire wardrobe of gorgeous Toast that way.

@Stoic123 Gosh, those yoke colours are lovely! Better photo than Toast's own :)

@Stoic123, that is a beautiful jumper, love the colours and pattern.

My no buy is limited to clothes, books and shoes. But I don't really buy myself much other than those. I have loads of books waiting to be read. But I do subscribe to the concept of not accumulating too much stuff.

I also really want to start saving a big proportion of my salary into pension, having got my first salaried job this year after being self-employed for 20 years and a single parent for some of that.

My plan is to put £250 a month of spending money for myself into a separate bank account. However, that is mainly for things like buying Xmas/birthday presents for family/friends, going out with friends, spending money when on holiday, miscellaneous things such as new glasses, dentist. It should be enough to cover that and possibly a bit more.

I might find there's something I really want/need to buy with it (eg. my phone breaks) and that's permitted as long as it's not shoes/bags/clothes, but I'm aiming for this to be very low buy.

This is just for things that I buy for me, DH and I have other bank accounts that cover food/bills/house/vehicles/holiday/dog/kids(actually in 2 weeks time they will both officially be adults!).

hello again . . . enjoying this thread ! I am also being very discerning this year and I've found your reviews of what you have bought very useful. Love Brora but still a bit expensive. I've just signed up for the Justine Tabak subscriber sale . . . I think her stuff is good quality and I like the fact that it is all made in UK.

@ScottishMouse I went to a Next sale once - never again - the floor was awash with clothes, people were stripping off everywhere as the fitting rooms were crowded, and I’m sure half of it was bought in specially for the sale. I absolutely hated it and didn’t even buy anything.

My memory too and not one I want repeat experiences of.

But for a long time I never had any money for decent quality clothes and got by with end of season bargains from places like Next.

I've definitely made up for it in recent years.

@LoveFairIsleJumpers just had a look at Justine Tabak, there were a few things I liked. I picked up my last Brora parcel from JL yesterday, a mohair checked midi skirt. Its’s still pricey but I love it. I’m trying not to buy more workwear as will be retiring in a couple of years, but think I would get a lot of wear out of it. It’s excellent quality, and made in Manchester!

I’ve never been to a Next in store sale. I’ve had some really good bargains online though. I’ve bought most of my Didrikson coats from there.

I grew up in 80s Ireland, where Next was the height of sophistication. I remember their sales from maybe early 90s, I definitely haven’t ventured to one anytime recently. People used to queue outside the shop from the wee hours of the morning for it to open!! Bonkers.

I didn't know they sold Didrikson coats, but I think they sell a lot of stuff these days that isn't their own brand.

Actually, I do have a really nice denim jacket from Next. It is a petite fuller bust size and was the only denim jacket I could find that fitted me properly when I was looking. It was very inexpensive too.

Anyway, I tried on my Toast trousers and the John Lewis Brora sale stuff that arrived this morning.

I'm keeping these www.broraonline.com/uk/needlecord-cargo-trousers-black-dt8401km8410?queryID=e2a43c0b9f43d8d0a8ceecadcdc5f09f and this cardigan which is actually really lovely and just what I've been looking for www.broraonline.com/uk/supersoft-lambswool-pocket-cardigan-cedar-flc2427eh8418?queryID=1013d3cf74f23f0d23d875b95e5dda1b.

This was lovely but is going back as the shape doesn't suit me: www.broraonline.com/uk/wool-folk-tank-sorrel-sls2413eh8451?queryID=1bd20de7de10fe4ff3a4a99ddaa3979e.

And these trousers from Toast are also going back, they were much too big overall apart from the waist: www.toa.st/products/panelled-organic-indigo-denim-trousers-indigo.

@Netcam Your keepers are fantastic, they look the perfect combination of stylish and comfy!