Toasties enjoying the sale and the sunshine!

[IlovePond]

Hi,

Here’s a new thread!

@ScottishMouse - I agree with Stravaig. Love the skirt, and hard to compare because of the optical illusion of the dark colour. They both look great but in different ways - I'm with you all the way in disliking things if they're too fitted (for me)

Thanks ladies. I know what you mean about the dark and light colours looking different anyway. I think the shoulders on the heathery sweater look a bit big, I am more a fan of a raglan sleeve in a sweater, so I may try the smaller size.
But yes, completely agree that psychological comfort is of utmost importance, and that charcoal sweater feels so small to me, so I will likely not wear it unless by some miracle I manage to shift some weight (despite all my efforts, this appears to be an impossibility).

And I totally relate @Stravaig to the day of no brain. Every day feels like that to me these days. I used to be an academic and I marvel at the things I used to be able to write, when I cannot string a sentence together most of the time now.

We could be twins! I so miss my brain and body as they used to be.

Me too @Stravaig! I hope I will at least get my brain back one of these days. My body I have pretty much given up on.

@ScottishMouse that charcoal jumper looks really nice on you so do wear it if you can get used to it! I think those heathery sweaters are good a bit neat.

The archivist floral dress arrived for me in cumin and I like it very much. Will save first wear for a special occasion. It fits on shoulders in a 14 but is rather loose below there, especially round middle, but that makes it very comfortable.

Love the skirt @ScottishMouse - I think both jumpers look nice, but prefer the grey fit with that skirt.

Thanks everyone. It looks like I have gone too big in the heathery sweater. I’ll try a size down, though I’m not sure I can get over the feeling of potential clinging. I’m also eyeing up the grey Donegal cardigan as a potential alternative neutral coloured knit. I find cardigans tricky, but this looks an interesting shape - cropped with a deep v-neck. Worth a try perhaps. I like the colour of the graphite Donegal tank, but tanks I find even trickier. I think I am not a layer-er naturally.

@ShrankLastWinter that sounds like a perfect fit in the cumin dress. It is such a lovely dress, and will work well for a special occasion as well as more every day. Enjoy it.

I love the charcoal jumper on you , please don’t cast it aside!
I do think the grey is a better colour for your new skirt and maybe the Donegal in cardi will give you the ease with a neater fit.

I love this thread! I have found my people.

Has anybody tried this dress https://www.toa.st/products/freya-crinkle-cotton-macro-gingham-dress-olive-black?utm_source=criteo&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=Acquisition-AW23-GBP&utm_id=409643&cto_pld=AXYrXNVrAAAkNk6vhXXIJA? Any thoughts on how you would style it? (I can’t do the Toast socks/shoes thing.)

It is so interesting how we see ourselves vs how others see us. I also sent the jumper photos to my sis in law, who has a great eye, and she said the same - the charcoal one is great, the heathery one too big. I think looking at the photos I can see this myself too, but when they are on me and I look in a mirror I just see all the parts of me I don’t like in the charcoal, and all those bits hidden in the heathery one! Thanks ladies, this has been really helpful.

@Giftish - I saw this dress irl the other day - it’s beautiful. I would probably wear it with tights/woolly tights and ankle boots.

@ScottishMouse
Kindly I really think you need to be nicer to yourself.
Whilst our bodies do change please consider why you are so harsh on yourself.
You look really nice in both pictures, the paler one is too big and too long
Cropped boxy styles that sit just below the waistband at about the hip bone the waistband create the illusion of a flatter tummy and keep the proportions right
Also in the grey jumper photo you are drawing the eye to the necklace rather than expanse of jumper.

Treat yourself like you would your best friend
Compassion and kindness
Truly -it's life changing

Wise words @Poplinskirt ❤️

Thank you @Poplinskirt, this is all very good advice.
I have a good idea why I treat myself this way (much therapy has revealed an awful lot!). But on the other hand, we are all harsher on ourselves than we are to others, are we not?
It is hard when you have had a certain kind of body for 40+ years, and then seemingly overnight it changes in every way - for me this is not just how it looks but how it functions and feels, as I have got a number of health conditions that have appeared in recent years alongside perimenopause. It’s hard not to look at every biscuit or piece of bread that you ate and not give yourself a hard time for it. It’s hard to look around and see, yes, all shapes and sizes, but plenty of middle aged women who are slim, and feel shame at not still being like that. It is shallow, yes, but it is hard to knock on the head.
But I will try. And I will take the charcoal jumper out of the possibly-to-be-sold-or-donated box.

@ScottishMouse I agree too re the charcoal jumper, it’s a keeper with that skirt. And I like things a bit oversized too but am really trying to find things that fit a bit better, I just love an easy throw on slightly oversized dress.

As for shape and mind, good lord it’s hard, isn’t it? I never quite know how I’m going to feel when I wake up. Sometimes I feel quite with it and like I can do anything and there are other times like the last few days where I have an aching body and can’t think straight. My shape is changing too albeit slowly, just thought it would never happen to me 😢

I feel this way too @mizu. It’s total pot luck how I’m going to feel on any given morning when I wake up.
I popped in and tried the smaller size of the heathery sweater on my way home and it did look much better, so I have swapped them. I also tried the grey Donegal cardi, and weirdly, was drawn to that in an even smaller size. I didn’t buy it, but it is definitely on my wishlist. It’s an interesting shape and looks good on.

I’ve just had an email from Toast - they’ve kicked me out of Kindred 😢 (well, my year has finished and they’ve not renewed it for me).

Which I suppose is fair enough, as I’ve not bought much from them this year really, but it still stings a bit!

I've got my eye on that cardigan, love a nice deep cuff .
There's always that niggly voice yelling at me to knit one though!
I'm getting Autumn vibes-woooooooo!
Always drops around this time of year and it was deliciously cool on my aching joints when I opened the doors this morning
Never mind onwards, what doesn't kill you blah blah!

I love that skirt on you @ScottishMouse and it's top of my list.
I really am not sure what I think about the florals-dresses and the tops.
Is it me or are they a teeny bit Joules?

I think it will be love or hate so I think I will venture into a Toast shop to take a look this week.

I cannot fathom how the floral top will fare, the high neck, the wide sleeves do not lend to any type of layer , either under or over.

Very excited to plan my AW wardrobe as always 🍁🍂

Lurker here. I've also had an email saying my "membership of TOAST Kindred has come to an end", and I've actually bought quite a lot throughout the year so I'm feeling rather miffed.

@RockaLock @Boiledeggandtoast I wonder what the criteria is. I’ve bought quite a lot and mine has been renewed. But this last month I’ve returned everything I’ve bought so I was half expecting to be removed from kindred.

@Poplinskirt Joules!! Yes!! I had that very feeling about the floral top when I saw it in store the other day, but I couldn’t think where it reminded of, and Joules is exactly it. I definitely thought it felt slightly off for Toast, slightly cheap looking and feeling. I didn’t look at the dress at all, so can’t say if that was similar.

re Kindred membership, it does seem to be quite random. Mine renews in Jan, and I would be quite PO (as my kids say) if it was removed as I have bought a lot this year. I do return a large percentage of what I order online, and that has never seemed to blacklist me in the past. Last year, I didn’t buy very much all year, and it was renewed, so who knows. It would be nice if they let us know what the criteria are but alas I fear it is another Toast mystery.

@Theteapotsbrokenspout That's really interesting as I haven't returned anything! I also bought things full price as well as in the sale.