A New Year and a new Toast thread 🎊

[IlovePond]

Welcome to the Toast thread where we talk about what we love, (and what drives us mad 😹), about all things Toast.

As usual, pictures are welcomed, as are comments, questions and info about Toastie topics.

I’m dithering about ordering my dream coat from them. I have five Cabbages coats but ‘the one that got away’ from Winter 2020 is still on my mind. I even had them send me a swatch but chickened out at the last minute. 😬

Ooh, what a trove of swishiness - I'll know who to approach for advice if I ever get close to ordering!

I think I’ve been one of their most obsessed customers for almost 20 years, if I can I’d love to advise 🩷

Relatively speaking, I don’t spend HUGE amounts at Toast. I mean - it feels like a lot and is probably far more than I would ever really need, but I mainly buy at the sample sales and in the actual sales, (although the last few sales have been disappointing).

If/when I lose access to Kindred my spending will reduce further due to losing early sale access and because I won’t buy the odd bit here and there due to objecting to postage!

Intel on the railroad skirt https://www.toa.st/products/railroad-stripe-pleated-cotton-skirt-denim-blue

I decided to order because there are so many reviews and most are positive so I reckon it will sell out. Ordered both S and M so that it reached free EU postage.

Glad I did because although the M is ok and I probably would have kept it, actually the S is better.

You can’t actually use the inner buttons to shrink the waist without it looking weird.

Fabric is beautiful, colours brighter than expected, really nice. I don’t need it, but the clever waist shape means it goes with loads of different tops and actually brings some into use.

I think the fabric weight will allow year-round use. Possibly not height of summer, over 30 degrees, but I’d hope to be swanning in something more informal by then anyway.

For size comparison: I’m a toast 10 in skirts, 10/12 in trousers, high street 12. On top 12/14. Waist 73 cm, hips 98 cm.

I’m 172 cm or 5’7.5” and I didn’t think this was too long at all. Long enough to avoid looking like I’m selling a magazine at a railway station, but could be longer. My waist is implausibly high up my body though.

Phew
ive just caught up
About the Kindred thing..it’s very odd
I actually have 2 email addresses..it’s long and complicated but there you go
i always use my main email address for any shopping and definitely with Toast I have always used only this when buying anything..and I buy a lot.
However, I have used my second email address to enter competitions..gives me 2 chances. I’ve still never won anything anyway.
I have had Kindred renewal for both email addresses.

@ShrankLastWinter I wish more reviews put that much info on, it’s so useful. That skirt is lovely, I always say I need less blue in my life as I basically rotate 5 denim TOAST dresses for work but that might have to be added to my favs.

i would probably be a ‘M’ as my waist is a bit bigger.

Delurking to contribute to the general irritation and disquiet about Kindred. I've had it for a few years now - I'm guessing since its inception - but received an email the other day offering a post pass instead 🙄

I have bought less in recent years - borne of a general drive to reduce clothing purchases and because their stock is, increasingly, less appealing. I often think the area in which Toast most excel is in the selling of a lifestyle - styling which conjuring ' authenticity' via an association with practical skills, in a the digital age where so much feels intangible.

Evidently there's a huge markup - buying from smaller stockists of Harley ( who almost certainly produce some of their knitwear) or, say, House of Cheviot for socks, is much cheaper.

I've bought sandals direct from Fracap: for not much additional cost, and they will custom make the style and colour you require. I have also had a modified version of a favourite Toast sweater custom-made, in a few different colours, by Corgi knitwear. With a discount it's not much more expensive and and the fit is perfect.

I still like Toast's collaborations with Solovair and their denim....but will not purchase a post pass now on principle!

( Though do agree about the bed linen being amazing)

Toast bedding - the thick blue stripe eiderdown has to be about 20 years old. I have a striped bolster cover which is now in the rag pile which is probably last century.
I will buy more when I reclaim the kids bedrooms.
I like the newer lightweight throws, this one reminds me of a Persephone book end paper.

Your dog is adorable @TosstTastic

Ooh beautiful bedding (those stripes!) and doggy, hi dog!

so many well written comments since I last looked, I was laughing and strong-nodding and all sorts. The point about the clothes intended to last long term and the antithetical punishment for not needing new clothes…and the retro Tesco value pic hah, actually quite a nostalgic aesthetic for me.

im not quite at the stage of having proper bed linens but when I am ill come here for advice!

@TosstTastic love your wee doggie. Bed linen looks lovely.

In other news- and @mizu I believe this is your local shop - Toast Cheltenham has closed again for a prolonged period!

It is my closest shop, but it’s a 40 minute drive, so I went over the other day as I wanted to try on some of the new items, to see a note on the door to say it is closed for the foreseeable. One wasted journey!
I went into the John Lewis to console myself with my free coffee and cake as part of their “ rewards” on the app only to discover the coffee shop had closed due to a power cut.
Not the most successful day out ….

@AFingerofFudge gosh it was open last week I think! A wasted journey indeed! I wonder why? Possible flooding again. That’s a shame as I wanted to pop in this month to try on a few things. Next closest is probably Bath but I hate the journey there.

@AFingerofFudge ooooh that sounds a bit of a disappointment. ☹️ not even a seat and a coffee.

Oh that’s a shame about the Cheltenham branch. It’s my local and the women who work there are lovely. Thank you for the heads up.

on the Kindred note. I still have mine but it feels divisive and gimmicky. Does not look good on Toast at all presents a who’s in and out of the group playground dynamic. Not good enough of Toast.
I have bought probably about 10 full price items every year and buy quite heavily in the sale.
the new collection is not inspiring to me and with a wardrobe full of Toast after 15 years shopping regularly I really don’t have any gaps. I expect I shall lose Kindred next round. I only benefited from free postage and didn’t get the last gift despite an order in that window. Not a lot of benefits.
liberty beauty drop gives free postage, you get the 4 boxes of bits each year and can spend balance on anything. Better for loyalty than kindred I think at the very least for me.

My family and I live down the road in Happy Valley land but we love The Piece Hall, it’s such a cultural icon for our small region. My teen loves Beetlejuice (pink haired goth) and the 10-year-old favours the Society of Alchemists and the Harry Potter shop. I while away hours in the book shop.

To add, I have received a beautiful post card renewing my Kindred membership. I have shopped with Toast since its inception (I still mourn the flared moleskine velvet trousers that I wore till they were bald). Now, I only spend up in the sales, mainly on gowns, pyjamas, Birkenstocks, and the Suki trousers that I live in every day. Last year, I only bought a full-price pair of Flower Mountain trainers.

I had those moleskin velvet trousers too! Ever greedy I recall I had them in a goldish colour and a grey (mole?!) colour.

There is an irony isn't there that Toast champion slow living and clothes that don't wear out but yet penalise you for not spending enough by taking away Kindred (I don't care what they say, it is linked to spend). The main advantage of Kindred is, of course, the early access to the sale, not the free postage which only applies to a handful of things in the clothing section that are under the minimum spend :)

I sent back the mohair round neck cardi this am: it is lovely but at £175 I just won't get the value per wear out of it.

@ToastCosILoveIt good that you made your decision. It must be a strength to send things back that you like, knowing it’s the right decision.
i recently received the reworn but unworn boots in midnight and I'm holding on to them, even though they are dark blue. I hope I don’t regret it as I won’t be buying ankle boots for a while now, till these likely wear out.

All the posts about kindred are very interesting and observations are thought provoking. I would have thought that inviting people into the toast kindred community, as it is called by toast, the invite should remain and people shouldn’t be thrown out. Who throws people out of a community? If the person stops buying then there is no financial loss to toast but that little email every year may encourage them back.

Completely agree @ScallopShellWalk

Speaking of Toast - I have dug out a stripy long-sleeved tee to wear today that I had forgotten I owned 🙈 I have a terrible habit of stuffing my Toast clothes in the cupboard rather than wearing them, due to my hatred of hand-washing. I must do better about wearing my nice things!

I don’t hand wash anything. If something is delicate, I put it in the machine on a cold wool or cold delicate wash. I’ve not had anything go wrong on me so far. I did have one of my most favourite dresses shrink on me by a few centimetres in a 30 degree delicate wash and since then I use the cold wash. Those few centimetres made all the difference. I didn’t enjoy wearing the dress anymore but it delighted someone else on Vinted.

I do need to be braver with the washing machine @OrangeyLemon!

I’m another who always uses the machine. Even my rigby and Peller bras go in, but in bags and without spin.

I’m regretting encouraging you now @IlovePond, in case you have any mishaps! It is nice to enjoy wearing your clothes though, and depending on your machine you maybe able to adjust your spin cycle to a lower speed if nervous!

I think my w/m IS a bit of a beast @OrangeyLemon - but I must give it a go at some point. I will investigate spin cycles!

My sister puts everything in the washing machine but she has had some mishaps. (I think I mentioned on a previous thread, the jumper that came out felted and six inches all over 🙀🙀😹)