Summer sun and Toastie talk! ☀️

[IlovePond]

Hi,
As promised, here is the new thread.

All are welcome to chat about Toastie topics, (and other related things!)

I was banished from Kindred in January but have been welcomed back today! Who only knows the reasoning- this year all I’ve bought is one full price dress, one reworn shirt and a jumper in the sale 🤷‍♀️

@Theteapotsbrokenspout i love a collarless jacket. I have a short neck and like to wear a scarf almost all year, so I find collars just get in the way for me. When I see a collarless jacket I will always try it as they don’t appear all that often.

So pleased to hear that the people who were chucked off Kindred in January got it back again. Maybe when we did that survey they paid attention to what we said?

@faustina You might be right there. I remember saying I felt like I’d had my wrists slapped!

How do you see the Kindred Membership on the website now? When I go to the Account section, where I used to see it, it now takes me directly to the Shop app, which annoys me! Am I missing something? I had Kindred before but don’t have an email today…

Whilst I am pleased for everyone who has had their kindred renewed or reinstated, this has just made me even more cross!

I’ve bought a bit more than that from Toast this year, but no reinstatement email for me today.

This is bad customer service/PR, because it’s really really making me not want to spend anything with them now on principle

Can’t believe I’d missed there was a new thread for so long. Looking at notifications I was like, why isn’t anyone talking on the toast thread?!

i managed to buy a pair of the black barrel leg corduroys on vinted for a good price. So pleased as I wanted to replace the bitter chocolate ones that tore but they’ve sold out :,(

I saw someone else upthread had spotted the next version of the same trousers. I’m interested if they fit and feel as good. Next hasn’t been on my radar since I was a teenager but I now know their baby grows are superior quality cotton haha. They survive generational hand me downs unlike other brands!

I’ve fallen in love with the new colour of the baya shirt, am curious to try the Carys Cotton Wide Leg Trousers and ooo am very curious about the Sculpted Brushed Cotton Canvas Jacket . The latter reminds me of a brown suede jacket that seinfeld wears except obvs just cotton. Crazy price for what it is though. At 250 you’d except suede…

@RockaLock I felt exactly the same in January - the previous 12 months my Toast spend was about £800 I think, so less than previous years however still not insignificant. My issue is that I’ve been a Toast customer for c.20 years at this point. The Toast clothes I have I live and wear loads - however the designs over the past couple of years are mainly just not what I want to buy so my spend is obviously going to go down.

@ScottishMouse were you aware of the length of your neck before toast explicitly discussed short necks as something to hide? I probably have a short neck and am unaware 🫣 it’s like when an art teacher pointed out my eye shape as being like deflated balloons and nose shape as “having a ball at the end”. I wasn’t aware of my defects before then!

Oh I have been aware of it for a long time @hicat 😆 Polonecks always look weird on me and I generally hate collars on shirts and jackets unless they are the open type of ones that lie flat. I love t he look of a big winter scarf wound around the neck a few times but I feel like I am being choked. I wouldn’t mind another inch of neck.

I haven't had an email today from Toast re Kindred but I have just bought the Baya shirt and was not charged any postage as usual.
Do we all have different Kindred renewal times of the year?

I haven't bought much from Toast this spring/summer season, my arms are not up to exposure at my age so the sleeveless dresses were not tempting. But I like the look of the blue colour way in the Baya shirt.

I'm in the same position and feel exactly as you do! I reported my exasperation in the survey, but obviously to no effect.

@ScottishMouse now you mention it I can’t stand a lot of polonecks unless they’re loose and slouch down. Maybe I have a thick neck 🙃 there’s a muji roll neck with fine black and white stripes that’s really short and not too tight that I have about 5 of—they were my winter uniform when I cycled everywhere in London. Though it seems all their others choke me… I have a few vintage roll necks with baggy collars that I love.

@Gonegrey31 ooh me too with the baya. It’s also never gone on sale I think so mayyybe I’ll treat myself

I don’t like to hear people being upset over kindred. I think toast are making a huge mistake and the discontent is felt by others, I know I feel it. In the survey I said as such that I thought they should not throw people off kindred. Bad feeling travels fast. If kindred is to create brand loyalty then it is damaging that.

I think we worked out that Kindred gets renewed (or not) twice a year @Gonegrey31 - mine is in January. It is shitty if anyone's been left out again. Maybe give it til the end of the day? They do sometimes send emaild in batches for other things don't they? Also used to be possible to see when your Post Pass expired, and although I can see the link in 'my account' nothing seems to happen when I click on it

Hi, my Kindred has been renewed. I agree that Toast shouldn’t remove people - it’s just bad form!

@Gonegrey31 @hicat they only seem to put the patterned bayas in the sale. The indigo one and the white stripe one have stayed full price. Interested to know if you ordered your usual toast size in the Baya as I always have to size up one!

Beekeeper22 after losing weight through illness I've been a 6 or XS in most Toast clothes over the past year but I've ordered the size 8 in the Baya as it was not described as "easy fit". I'll post again when I receive it.

Thanks Faustina time will tell! As others have said, very long time loyal customers ought to have this recognised by Toast.

No kindred invite for me . I wonder how they work it out. I’ve just ordered the linen stripe barrel trousers, I tried them at kilver court a few months ago and wish I’d bought them then .

It'd be so interesting to know what Kindred membership depends on.

I was surprised to be let into this 'special club' in January, as I don't think I bought much last year. I wondered if they were more likely to 'reward' newer customers, with the aim of reeling them in more. But if it's something they take away at will, I doubt it's helping with longer term brand loyalty. And surely long term customers are the ones you want to keep happy?!

@triggers34 I asked Toast about kindred in January. I asked how I could be eligible, that I had spent a fair amount but wondered if I had to be a customer for longer as I was a new customer. This was in the response:

“Kindred membership is reviewed annually and is based on many factors. There is no set criteria that we can advise. Invitations will be sent to kindred members annually in July.”

Though I now realise they renew in January too.

I bought a postal pass in December and was invited to kindred 1st of Feb.

I don’t know how it works but I do buy fairly often and I’m in the website often, I write reviews. It could be perhaps because I asked for kindred or bought the pass or because I was a new customer or all of this. Maybe just somehow being on the radar?

My first spend was quite high.

I don’t know.

Kindred is strange. Like ScallopShellWalk I was invited shortly after purchasing a post pass. I'm in my second year now, but I hold no expectation that I'll continue to be a member.
Their policy around it is needlessly opaque.

I’m quite annoyed about kindred too. Sometimes I have it, sometimes I don’t. My purchases to the EU don’t seem to count towards it, despite the outrageous mark up. I only get it when I’m ordering more within the UK. It feels like the scheme as it is currently managed generates more irritation than goodwill. It would cost them very little to consistently give me a free UK post pass and occasional gift, considering almost all my wardrobe is Toast.

I just bought some pas de Calais navy linen balloon trousers in a sale at house of Valerie. They are a size 36 and could fit well or be a bit snug. I really liked the pas de Calais jacket I bought earlier this year in a sale. (Thanks to @ScottishMouse talking about this brand) The quality was really good and it’s a lovely fabric. I’m hoping these trousers may be similar quality and the colour appears gorgeous. I made the mistake of looking at their instagram page this morning and the blues really captured me. But full price is more than I want to pay, thankfully.
I do have a cropped pair of burgundy cos linen trousers I bought a few weeks ago and although great they are thin and only for hot weather. Up here in Scotland just now they work less well, I couldn’t wear them out, I’d be shivering.
I kept being interested in Toasts black linen trousers but I’d have to take them up and I really don’t want to unless in the sale.
So my linen trousers quest is still in motion. I hope it ends with these blue ones.

Interesting , I don’t mind not having Kindred now I’ve bought a pass . My spending has been on an upward trajectory for the last 4 years - perhaps the algorithm shows them that so there’s no need . I’ll stop spending soon - I have so many clothes .
And thanks @ScallopShellWalkfor clarifying Scottish rules with bags - I hadn’t realised .