Emerging from the yoghurt and snot years, what should I wear and where can I buy it

[Puffinsandcoffee]

After nearly a decade of growing and mothering young kids, my youngest is now 3. My body is in a shape not dictated by pregnancy and breastfeeding, and my money isn't all going on childcare.

In those 8 years, I've barely bought myself a new pair of knickers. My knickers are a right state.

I want to buy myself some good quality basics, but I have no idea what's good (pre-kids, my budget was Asda clothes mostly).

I'd be so grateful if Mumsnet could give me recommendations - brands/ what shops to look at, and even what might look a bit stylish since I no longer spend all day covered in yoghurt and snot.

In case it's relevant, I'm 5'3", and weigh about 48kg, feet are size 4. So I can buy kids shoes and clothes if that's where the good stuff is.

What I need is:

• pants (cotton only, please)
• winter socks (keep reading about Nordic socks - any good?)
• leggings and tops for exercise
• trousers (ideally cotton? ideally not high-waisted? ideally at least a bit cropped?)

Style wise, I like the idea of skirts and dresses, boho-ish looks, but realistically I spend a lot of time outside chasing after my kids, gardens and beaches and hills. Currently in summer I wear sambas (ancient, bought in the sales from the kids section), wide leg jeans, cropped cotton t-shirts. In winter, fleece lined leggings, Sorel boots (splurge, worth every penny) multiple layers of thermals and fleeces. Almost all blacks and greys - boring boring boring.

I have an office job but it's really informal so anything goes there. Where I live it's pretty much never warm - average highs less than 20 in the summer. How to dress for this lifestyle?

I'd post some pics so you get an idea of my body shape but I don't know how: I'm fairly slim, fairly busty for my size, fairly toned.

Any help with what and where to buy for my new post-early years mothering self would be wonderful!

I read a book called “Why Don’t I Have Anything to Wear” by Andrea Chong. It encourages you to have a proper think about what you want and how to go about building your wardrobe. I also downloaded an app called Whering where you take photos of your clothes and can create outfits on it.

Essentially I found it helpful to make a plan instead of buying loads of random stuff that may or may not go together and not buy lots of the same but slightly different thing!

Thank you for replying ! I'll have a look for the book and the app - sounds like the app especailly would be great for getting me to wear moer of what I currently have.

Should also have said, my budget now stretches beyond Asda, but not infinitely beyond. So, Uniqlo/ Zara/ maybe Oliver Bonas - but not super fancy stuff.

Uniqlo is probably a good place to start. I personally don't rate Oliver Bonas, I think the quality is terrible and Zara and I have never seen eye to eye.
I'd recommend Rapanui, Boody and Earth Wardrobe for cotton and bamboo clothing and underwear. I rate the Cambridge Sock co. for winter socks.

Thank you! I found rapanui today while searching for pants, and bought some stuff as a trial - love that they do bundles and that there isn't 1000 variations on a polyester theme.

Good to know Oliver Bonas quality maybe isn't great. I love how colourful their stuff is, but it's pricey if it's crap quality.

Do you know what your colours are?

Umm... I've read about this on Mumsnet but never really understood it. I have pale skin that tans easily, dark hair, greeny blue eyes. I tend to gravitate towards dark jewel-y colours- bottle green, burgundy, navy. Wouldn't been seen dead in hot pink, because I hate it, but would like to wear more yellows. Is that even an answer to the question??

You sound like a dark autumn based off that. The main thing is you know what suits you 🙂

I will Google dark autumn!! 😂

If you like a Boho sort of look, then throwing something like a one hundred stars duster over a simple black dress / trousers and a top from uniqlo might give you some swishability while still being life practical?

Ninety Percent might also be worth a look at for a couple of basic bits, their fabrics are usually good.

For plain, well designed, excellent quality with impeccable ethical and environmental credentials you could look at:

https://communityclothing.co.uk/

They make wardrobe staples from outerwear to underwear and famously good value socks. Some people love their clothes, others don’t. Take a look.

Thanks for responses!! I haven't heard of any of these so this is brilliant!

I'm now getting adds for stripe and stare underwear. Anyone know if they're any good??

And bamboo - I've never worn it, but @thedevilinablackdress boody seems to be all bamboo? Is it like cotton to feel? Does it wash well?

The kimonos are gorgeous. I've never worn anything like that before, but am imagining...

If I posted some pics of stuff I like, would people be able to suggest how to actually wear it? Eg I like how jumpsuits look, but what shoes? What coat? How to be warm and dry in a jumpsuit for school pick up on a rainy day?

Yes it washes well. Cotton comes in many guises from gauze and poplin to canvas and denim. Bamboo is aka viscose, would say it's closest to a mid cotton jersey.

Viscose is bamboo???

I meant does bamboo underwear feel like cotton underwear (though I'm definitely now imagining wearing denim knickers 😂)

I'm going to end up in a bamboo rabbit hole this evening...

Bamboo is one of the things viscose can be made from. I find Boody underwear as comfortable as cotton.