Toasties - still loving the knitwear and the chat!

[IlovePond]

I have set up a new Toastie thread, guys.

Reviews incoming….
Received my parcel of new things this morning and have been trying on as not working today. Mostly not a success sadly.

The oat linen shirt is almost perfect - the shade of off-white is good on me (almost impossible!), the shape is lovely (it’s like last year’s asawa check shirt but not quite as oversized), but….the neck is very tight. I could wear it with the top button open, but I want to be able to close it as I prefer how that looks. I don’t think I can move the button without it looking off-centre. I might return and try another one at some point because it is otherwise really good for me and maybe it is just another Toast collar issue.
The indigo side-tie vest is disappointing. It is very stiff, and the side ties are sort of pointless - the opening on the side doesn’t go up very high - and stiff to tie. I went for M - my usual size in Toast lately, but I think it looks a little large. I also don’t love the round neck on me. It’s going back.
The buttoned organic cotton dress is lovely. The fabric has a nice weight, it’s a proper deep navy, lovely big patch pockets. It is quite like the pinafore dress last year that buttoned all the way down and came in navy and maybe green, kind of short, they styled it over trousers. Anyhow, it is far too long on me, ankle length at 5’2”, and a little too a-line for my taste. Would look gorgeous on someone taller though.
The denim smock is far too big in M to really get an idea what it should look like. I might try S at some point, but it didn’t grab me.
The new loopback top (the shorter wider one, there seems to be two new styles) is a much better shape for me than the previous version - shorter and boxier - but I need a L as the M is verrrry short. I tried M and L, slate and brown. The brown is not as nice as I hoped but the slate is great. I would keep it at half the price but I think it will need to go back until the summer sale at £105!
The mittens are perfect! They seem quite small, if you have big hands (I don’t), but I guess they will stretch a bit. I ordered both the navy and the pebble to choose from, but will probably keep both as they will get a lot of wear over the next month or two.
I let the Minako sale trousers hang overnight so the creases would drop out a little, but I think I will be sending them back. I don’t love them as much as the check ones, or the new linen version.
Finally, I think I am also going to return the sale grey alpaca tank. I thought it was a sure fire keeper but having had a good try on, it doesn’t work with a lot of the things I thought it would, and is surprisingly not very versatile in my wardrobe.

@ScottishMouse are you better now and how long did it take? I ask because I had my gallbladder removed yesterday and feeling like I've been hit by a bus. I honestly stupidly probably, thought I would just bounce back today 🙄

Oh no, sorry to hear it @PrincessofWells. It took me the best part of 2 weeks to feel right, so don’t rush yourself. It’s 2.5 weeks now since my surgery and I feel fine, though still a bit tired (I felt knackered and was napping during the day for the first 10 days). I’ll go back to work properly on Monday and that will be more of a test.
Rest as much as you can, take all the painkillers they discharge you with, and expect it to take longer than you thought. (Although I have no idea how old you are, so you may well bounce back quicker than me!).

@ScottishMouse early 60s but very active. Thanks thats useful to know, i was obviously far too optimistic. Pleased you're feeling better, hopefully i'll have a similar recovery time 💐

I was the same @PrincessofWells, I was surprised how long I felt rubbish for. Anaesthetic takes a lot out of your body, even if it is only for a short surgery.

I don’t think ‘influencers’ have any moral qualms at all @OrangeyLemon! It’s all about attention, freebies and money.

A while back I watched a hilarious Korean reality TV game show with influencers. It is well worth watching!

https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81729971

Popping in to say I’ve been promoted to the 1p club! Has this issue resolved naturally by Toast for others or do I really need to contact to initiate?

Grrrrrr !!
I'm sorry not muchbut one of the influencers mentioned gets on my pip.
So much patronising twaddle, boring outfits and that awful smirky face she pulls.
Fed up with this idea of menopausal women as hopeless victims of lifewhat can I sell you
Peri was a bit sticky but I'm full of beans now, working still and cracking on
Men don't get this head tilty advice so the influencers can bugger right off!

I was compelled to look these two up immediately! That’s Not My Age reminds me of Liz Truss, and I can’t take advice from her 😊

@Poplinskirt 😂👏I know exactly how you feel!
My other pet peeve is a foodie post where the person shovels the dish into their mouth at the end….please don’t !
Having said that I have a brain of my own and don’t need help from any 🐯 ‘influencer’ , I do like sensible posts on Instagram.

For example I like @ didyoumakeityourself because I appreciate people who know their craft, and love watching people work though I’ve no desire to knit myself
Recent post on INSTAGRAM talking about the physical properties of wool, and how that explains why agitation when washing is the worst thing.

Oh goodness @OrangeyLemon , I had never made that connection before but now can’t I see it!
I have little time for the influencers, or at least for their influencing, though I do very much like Angharad Jones’ style so follow her and some others as I like looking at others styling of the kinds of clothes I like. No harm in that so long as I am not being drawn into purchasing said clothes.

I wasn’t aware of Angharad Jones before @ScottishMouse but I do like her style. I too like to see how others style their clothes but I want to resist being drawn into other brands. I get overwhelmed with all that’s on offer, and there’s so much Toast stuff I yearn for I can’t cope with hankering after things from other brands too. I know this might sound ridiculous! I have a Kaia cardigan addiction to feed as much as anything, and my Toast wishlist grows ever longer.

I am too loyal to Toast to shop other brands @OrangeyLemon. Or maybe that’s not quite it, I think it is that I can’t be bothered trying to figure out other brands’ sizing and shapes, online ordering process etc. Plus I very rarely see anything on an influencer that I like more than Toast. So I stick to Toast or to other brands only when I see them IRL.
Love the Kaia cardigans, they are such a useful style and shape. I only have one, but am eyeing up the new ember colour.

I love the knitting, gardening and sewing stuff on Insta but I regularly log out for long periods.
Why is every stage of a woman's life monetised ?
The Patriarchy that's why!
Hmmnpff !

@PrincessofWells . I hope you start to feel better soon. My daughter had hers out recently (40’s) by keyhole. She was very tired the week after but not bad after that. The hospital gave her a line for 4 weeks although she has felt she could have possibly been back sooner( she does 12 hour shifts though and I am glad she has been able to have a proper rest) . However by coincidence another friend (70’s) had the same but not keyhole and is not allowed to drive for 6 weeks. She is still tired 3/4 weeks later too. I think there are so many individual factors .

For sock fans can I recommend these. I got them just before Christmas and they are so cosy and warm especially this cold snap.
https://www.toa.st/products/jacquard-wool-socks-orange-multi

Menopause is the new 'thing' to make money from. Those influencers just make me shudder

I do like some Instagrammers though and while I gravitate towards Toast I'm always grateful to see interesting new things especially if from small UK makers.

Brands like Scarlet knitwear who made the little knitted triangle scarves. She's one person in Scotland so I don't know how I'd have found out about her if she hadn't sent/given (?) one of her pieces to an instagrammer called Irish Girl in Glasgow. She does wear a lot of Toast, but other interesting brands too, and vintage and I enjoy seeing what she does with them. Also, she doesn't mention anything to do with the menopause, or supplements, or those odd barrels full of cold water you're meant to plunge yourself into 😱

I also enjoy seeing Mathildawears, Wearsitatkat, styleinthestyx, Jennysuegarcia, Angharadbjones etc. - They all earn their keep on my feed - and then the gardening, photography, art makes it a wonderful little haven for me - and it's quick to scroll through the 'suggestions' (unlike Facebook nowadays)

@ScottishMouse I'm confused by that indigo twill vest, is it actually denim? Also it says it will fade subtly with wash and wear, but it’s dry clean only 🤔 .

I really like that sort of gilet shape, but I’m thinking I’ll give it a miss now.

Oh I hadn’t noticed that it was dry clean only @Theteapotsbrokenspout! What craziness is that? It’s not exactly denim, no, though it is quite stiff and the indigo dye would definitely fade if washed.

Is it the same material as the Alix indigo trousers@ScottishMouse ? Probably dry clean in case there is a light filling maybe? Thanks for the very comprehensive report about your order btw.

@faustina I was once mistaken for IrishGirlInGlasgow in a wee shop here in Edinburgh, which was kind of hilarious. It must be my short grey hair and Irish accent.

@Countmeout i have packed it back up, but pretty sure it’s not that fabric. It seemed sturdier and blue-er.

@ScottishMouse - that is funny. She seems nice. I wouldn't wear some of the things she wears, but she has a great style. I think she might have been wearing the new Toast skirt today - it looked very similar

Thanks, btw, for the the report. Sounds like it's still worth keeping the linen shirt on my Wishlist. I'm glad your mittens hit the spot and bring you joy

I'm really enjoying Didyoumakeityourself on Instagram. She does make a lot of her own clothes (which I find mind-blowingly clever) but also very much advocates shopping your wardrobe and buying secondhand. She often combines her makes with Toast pieces and isn't "influencey".

An intermittent Toastie over the last two years, while I was addicted a few years ago I have really struggled recently with their sizing issues.

However, I have been really lucky with this Sale. I picked up the Short A Line Indigo Coat, the Lilac Cotton Linen Easy Sweater and Gingham Scarf. On top of managing to buy the Orla Donegal in Galaxy just before Christmas, my bank account is empty.

But then I noticed this tonight. I am wondering if anyone has it on a Superking bed? And would photograph it so I can see how well it fits? The reviews are mixed and the dimensions such that I think it might be too small but I would love to see it in situ if anyone was kind enough to show me how it fits.

@AmIPatience i don’t have the velvet quilt, but I have other Toast ones with the same dimensions. I also don’t have a superking bed, only a king. But I can tell you that I use the quilts at the end of the bed, they don’t cover the whole thing as they are not long enough. On a king, they are wide enough to come over the sides by about 25cm on each side. Hope that helps a bit.