A/W09 nearly over - which items have you had the most wear out of, and which were a waste of money?

[LetThemEatCake]

good buys for me:
Ash trainers - am so glad I bought two pairs, one black, one silver
Isabella Oliver cable cosy - have worn it to death
North Face parka thingy - has reconciled me, somewhat, to the cold
cashmere wrsitwarmers - warm hands without being slippy on the steering wheel
cashmere Travelwrap - just too lovely for words

waste of money:
long black boots - have hardly worn them, will ebay them in the next few days
DKNY cosy - gorgeous but too flappy, drives me mad, but would love to wear it sans children (say, 2020??)
Boden Henley dress - the buttons didn't come down far enough for bfing, have sold it now.

how about you?

love this thread - love hearing about what other people have bought/plan to buy.
Also, the lengths of some people's lists is making me feel positively abstemious about the size of my own list!!

AJolie - have you got this one Only left in the damson now - not sure how purple it is - looks ok in the main shot, more aubergine but very purple in the thumbnail. Was really hoping cashmere would cure the itch, the H&M one is wool/acrylic mix - am guessing it's the wool content that is making me itch although usually wool no problem for me in jumpers etc ?

Monkey'sm - can you link to your boiled wool coat? Would love to see what has bumped a Maxmara in your affections

forgot 2 other good/bads:

good: stripy ruch front dress in blue/black stripe from Whistles (can't link to stoopid whistles site), have worn loads, am doing so now in fact

bad: these leggings from Oasis - try as I might I seem unable to form an outfit with them

Esher - I was moved to email Whistles this week telling them how utterly crap their website is.

I actually can't use it let alone buy anything on it.

Absolutely appalling I agree, can't see anything properly and impossible to navigate.
but whistles has been a bit rubbish this season imo - everything so dark and dingy and all the nice things available elsewhere (Oasis, french connection) for much less ££££
(apart from my dress natch )

I am toying with the idea of buying nothing next year as I'm sure I have enough to last and probably fasion several new ensembles. It won't work of course. (Am trying reverse psychology on myself, as if I concede defeat already, the peverse part of me will want to make sure it does work.)

I was very bad last year. Very cross with myself at the amount of stuff I had to ditch, mainly impulse purchases. I think I'm better staying away from the shops and considering longer then buying (less) online.

I had hoped to be able to buy a few bits and pieces before 2009 ended, but annoyingly the Toast and Brora sales have not yet started. Maybe sale purchases could be exempt.

Yes- that's the one. Mine is soft white.

Mrs SB - I was thinking of doing January without buying anything - not sure I could do a whole year.

Also waiting for the brora sale as want a round necked cardigan - its not for ages thoug is it . . .

I have my eye on a Brora cardi too Tracey, the cropped one in Rhubarb. (And a hat, wristwarmers and skirt). Think I heard somewhere that their sale started 11 Jan, so yes ages to wait. And what I want probably won't be reduced knowing my luck!

good:
Jigsaw cashmere mix coat from dh for christmas
duo boots - etienne this year but still loving bern from 2 years ago too!
farhi flannel trousers (so good I bought more in the sale)
gap merino tops
M&S cashmere mix tights
phase eight cable wrap dress

bad:
silk top from M&S autograph because it doesn't iron

I think the Brora sale is the 11th or12th of January.

January not a good month to abstain from shopping - lots of lovely sale bargains to be had!
Good month to abstain = February:

1. is short
2. bored of winter clothes by then but still too freezing to consider actually buying any spring attire

Mind you, I was looking at a Brora hat last year, but got a roasting here for even considering buying a hat for £30 (or so, I think, as was in the sale). Astonished me! If it had been the Philip Treacy Fedora I could have accepted my profligacy.

Best buy

Brown Duck Down Puffa Coat from Uniqlo
Black jeggings from Asda
Black/ white striped tunic form NExt
Black Jersy Cardiga form NExt

Worst buy
Black dress from Lipsy washed like a dish rag

Btw, the Brora skirt I am looking at is here.

Yes I know you'll all hate it but I don't care.

Those of you who had duck down coats, did you find that they shed their innards?

I had a most unfortunate incident once involving a red mohair sweater underneath a duck down coat. I had to walk around at work all day with minute particles of duck down stuck to me. It put me off these coats rather, which is a shame as I remember it was the warmest thing ever.

Mrs SB
Have had no prob with shedding.
This coat is so warm , it was supposed to be my 'rugby' coat, but is so warm I have worn it nealr every day since I bought it.
BTW your skirt is cute in a kilty kind of way

My good buys:

Joseph ribbed / velvet drop waist grey dress (bought v recently in the sale but have already worn loads)

Black FitFlop Mukluks

Charcoal DKNY Cozy

Gap grey/black check shirt dress (although looks good only when v skinny!)

H&M side zip washed grey jeggings

Oasis black and white stripe oversized jumper (dress)

Pleased to say that I haven't bought any disasters this season!

Topshop extra long black leggings

That Brora skirt is lovely.

And I wanted all of her wardrobe in The Turn Of The Screw too - totally dig that 1920s governess look.

Worst buy - velvet dress from Toast.

I have a weird tendency to buy things too large sometimes (what am I hoping? that I'm still 9 years old and will grow into them???) and this was already generous - and then i lost weight. Every so often I put it on hopefully and it still looks as though I have gone camping in a gothic-inspired tent. It has a complicated pleat-tucks thing going on which makes me wary of altering it.

Likewise a pair of weird, saggy jeans from M and S Limited Collection. Which are just odd.

Best buys - 2 dresses from M and S, 1 from Topshop and 1 from Joules. The topshop one, in particular, is a complete joy. V. cheap and many, many compliments, followed by gasps when its origin is revealed.

Mrs SB - I rather like that skirt actually

Jaja's - wanted to say I have ordered the all saints dress you linked to on another thread - had never looked at all saints before, was rather taken with it actually, all that gothic folds and deconstructed hems is quite at first but it rather growed on me and the dress you linked to was such a bargain - have you got yours yet? Am rather ridiculously excited about mine.......also bought rather nice scarf in sale too

oh no pleeeeez show me the jumper - I was hovering over so many of the ragged hemmed offerings that in the end I couldn't decide so just got the dress and the scarf as a taster purchase to gauge quality/feel etc.

I ordered an 8 and there wasn't a bigger size left when I ordered so were you originally after a 6?

Just trying to work out if I have unwittingly stolen your bargain , would feel awful if I have after you pointed it out to me.

i hatet he all saints post apocalpytic look
not chic