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 did @OftenOrange. I didn’t love the colour, but also the back didn’t work for me, they slipped more than the ones with the strap at the back.

@ScottishMouse Yes of course, tomorrow in daylight .

@Theteapotsbrokenspout - I remember your pics and the back and forth with Toast. No way were they ‘meant’ to change from green to brown - it was more likely a problem with the dyeing process.

I like the look of the boots, but my feet need so much support nowadays, and shoes with a heel, so not for me, unfortunately

@OftenOrange I’ve got that kaftan embroidered dress and love it. Can’t remember the size but it is a little snug under the arms - when I’ve worn to work, I have to quick wash it when I get home 😁

@Scotiasdarling , I have the cotton linen neat jacket, a very recent buy. I have had my eye on the slate one for many months and in the summer I tried the parchment one on in a 10 in the Marylebone store as they didn’t have the slate version and they didn’t have a 12, my high street size. It fitted me but was very snug and I wouldn’t have bought it.

I was hoping it would go into the autumn or Christmas sale but it is obviously a jacket that sells well so it hasn’t, and last week I cracked and bought the slate one in a 12. It is lovely, not too big (although would take the sleeves up by half an inch if I was being fussy).

I hope that helps on the sizing. I am a 32e chest so not a wide back but fuller in the bust. It buttons up and looks lovely, will probably wear it like that, not open as a jacket.

Just sent all my Reworn order back to Toast. I was on the fence about the tunic but as I found myself not even wanting to touch it again - it felt and smelled so grubby - it would have been daft to keep it!

I was also a bit miffed by Toast’s response to my email - it was very much a standard ‘brush off’ reply with no indication that my complaint had been taken seriously.

Do we think there might be a mini sale soon?

It’s feeling spring-like up here today, so I ditched my winter coat and Blundstones for the Uniqlo soutien coat I bought last year (anyone else have this? I really like how easy it is to wear with everything) and some ecru hi-tops. I did a bit of a wardrobe sort and edit last night and discovered a wee grey cashmere snood that I hadn’t worn in a few years (since I discovered triangle shaped scarves) and put that on too and I’m loving it.
My wardrobe sort (& Clara Infante’s IG/Substack post from the other day - anyone see it?) prompted me to do an inventory of what I have in my wardrobe, try on and photograph a lot of outfits, and decide where the gaps really are. I am going to try hard to stick to buying for these gaps rather than mindlessly adding more similar items to what I already have. Of course I will not be completely rigid if I see something lovely, but I feel my shopping/browsing/feeling of needing x or y has been getting a little out of control (this happens when there is difficult stuff going on in my life I want to avoid, and there has been A LOT of that lately). I’m still looking forward to what the next drop brings of course!

Well done for having a sort out @ScottishMouse - your cashmere snood sounds lovely.

I hope things get better for you soon x

I must tackle my wardrobe at some point. I need to accept that there are so many things that I am just not wearing- either because I can’t fit into them 😿 or am ‘saving for best’ 🙀 or because I am too lazy to hand wash them 🙀🙀🙀

That’s about 90% of my wardrobe, unfortunately- action is needed…

There was some of that in my wardrobe too @IlovePond. Not too much this time, as I did have a clear out not long ago. This was less a clear out and more an inventory. But I always find a clear out or organisation of some sort makes me feel good. Almost as good as buying something new, which is a bit odd.

I agree @ScottishMouse - I must get cracking with mine - I am just overwhelmed with ‘stuff’ at the moment and need to be brave and get on with sorting it all out!

@ScottishMouse Here are the boots, next to for comparison black and olive .

@mizu I tried the kaftan dress properly and it’s fine, definitely a keeper.
Yesterday I tried it over a nightdress so it felt snug, but really it’s fine.
I love the brightening effect of the pale embroidery which makes it more flattering and also the clever shaping at the back.
You mentioned washing, does it fade or shrink at all?

I shall join the culling, I’ve another black Toast dress, the long one with planets , so one in one out!

Thanks @OftenOrange, that is a disappointing colour change. I actually emailed Toast earlier and asked if I could still return the sandals, as I was only just outside the return window and they said that was fine.

@ScottishMouse I should add that the boots were never as olive green as those shoes .
I’m expecting the sandals soon and shall probably keep them, I find. Fracap get the balance between perfect style and comfort just right .

I’ve just got my boots and sandals out to check. I thought my boots were olive, but they are dark green. Still look green to me though. My sandals have faded a lot.

@MsDastardley the sandals look better more brown than olive to me in that photo now. Still lovely, just more brown.
I’m sending mine back. I tried them on with a bunch of things yesterday and compared with other sandals I have and felt I preferred the other sandals in about 90% of cases. I would also likely reach for trainers in the spring and only wear sandals on hot days, but then wouldn’t want such closed in ones. I like the look of them with socks on others but not on me for some reason.

My keeping to my wardrobe gap list is going to be harder than I thought. Went to a (non-Toast) shop to make a return on my way home from work and spotted a jumper in a colour I loved. I didn’t purchase, but I feel it calling me!

@OftenOrange no shrinking - I put on a 30 degree 30 mins wash but could probably do an even shorter wash - 10 mins refresh.

@ScottishMouse I wore the sandals loads last year, including hot days. Even though they are quite a closed design I don’t remember them feeling uncomfortable. I know what you mean about socks. I think it looks good on other people but doesn’t look right for me. I am disappointed about the change in colour, I am sure they were still green when I put them away. I’ve put them against a couple of dresses I liked to wear them with and don’t look right. I have a tan pair which I bought direct from Fracap. They don’t seem to have changed but are a different leather.

Your posts about wardrobe gaps make me smile! I do this, but I think they are for gaps in an imaginary life…. I am trying to rein it in this year. Not doing too badly so far. If you love the jumper and can afford it then get it 😁

Here’s a question I’ve been pondering…not specifically Toast related…a bit long to get to the point, sorry!
I really don’t like my clothes to be too close fitting. I think it is partly a sensory thing, but it is also definitely because I hate to be aware of my menopausal body changing (ie weight gain). For example, tops where I can see the fat around my bra are absolutely out. But I think this means that I tend to buy sizes that might be too big in tops/knits that are designed to have a relatively neat fit. Doing my wardrobe audit the other day, I relegated two knits to my too-small-right-now-but-maybe-by-some-miracle-I-will-someday-fit-into-again box, but as I had taken photos of a lot of the outfits I tried, I showed some to my sis and my dd and both of them said these knits looked fine, and maybe even better than some of my baggier knits that I feel more comfortable in.
What are people’s thoughts/feelings on this. If you are carrying more weight than you used to/would like to be, do you avoid neater clothes? Does sizing up in something designed to be neat-ish actually look worse?

The eras of hormonal change are tough on the wardrobe, in photos and avoiding mirrors. And then suddenly you look up and it's ok. Your wardrobe has shifted. Your ribs are never going back but everything else has calmed down.

The weight distribution, not just the amount, is like pregnancy and breast feeding, very different. when that menopausal hormone shift happens, even with all the HRT you change shape.

I think you just have to not take it personally. Find other outlets for hyper focus and gradually a new strong look will emerge. It takes awhile though to stop reaching for the empire line that I rocked in my 20s or the galaxy dresses of my early 40s and find the layered look of me today. And while you are feeling discomforted I would generally buy less because it's unfair to blame the clothes for your inevitably thickening waist until you are feeling more accepting.

@ScottishMouse I know how you feel and I agree also with @TosstTastic However, there are times when a more fitted look rather than baggy can be more flattering.I think it depends on a garment by garment basis. If others irl are saying you look good in something, I would take it!

Thanks @TosstTastic and @IlovePond. The change of shape has been happening gradually for a few years, but I am still fighting acceptance of it. I guess it will come. Sometimes I hit on an outfit that looks good but just as often I think something will look great and then the mirror is very much not in agreement. It’s sometimes hard to tell which it is going to be!
I have been leaning into accessory shopping more in the last couple of years to make outfits look fresh and new, even if I’m wearing something I have worn a hundred times before.
I guess the notion of what is flattering and in what way we want our clothes/look to flatter is also important here. Perhaps it is more flattering for a knit to be worn neater than oversized, but it’s also not “flattering” us if we are feeling self-conscious and tugging at it all day.
It’s just one more thing to readjust to in mid-life, what a ride it is!

@ScottishMouse I feel similar. I used to happily wear a tight top but now I’m too self conscious and older. I went through a phase of really loose tops to hide under but it never looked nice to me. Now I’m trying to keep my weight down and adjust to different fitting clothes. I do know that others don’t see a problem in my body shape and how it looks in clothes. It’s really only me. I am aware that no one is really bothered about the wee or big lumpy bits showing through except me. I could be a lot heavier and I still think no one but me would be bothered. Even a lot thinner and prob only me would be pleased. I also believe there is more to it all than how my clothes look to me or others and there is a pleasing element to include how it feels on. I’ve stopped asking others to comment on how an item looks on me, I’m never sure what the response is based on. Plus I don’t really want my clothes to be based on other peoples standards or taste. I want to be free to choose my own. I now make myself consider the clothes carefully, in context of what it’s for and I leave it at that. Accept that it’s my style and sometimes I want to be quirky, sometimes simple. I don’t want to let others views affect how I feel in my clothes or what I choose to wear. In this respect you could go with what you want. If after a while you get fed up with your items, then you can make changes.