Anyone interested in forming a "shop more wisely and less compulsively", "no more expensive mistakes" and "make the most of what you already own" thread?

[LetThemEatCake]

There seems to have been a digression from the original intention of Penth's very worthy thread so, rather than cause anyone any offence or detract from what Penth and others were setting out to achieve, would anyone like to do a thread in a similar vein? Discussing potential purchases (advising each other for/ against in sensible fashion!!) and talking about how we're wearing existing pieces etc

Am off to Sunday lunch with friends but will check back in later.

Wearing purple Tam Tam dress, grey opaques, grey slouch suede boots, charcoal travelwrap for discreet bfing. Pretty exited about the sunshine so nearly cracked out the new OP sunnies but am saving for summer proper

have a good day all

tis really nice LTEC - Love the fact that it rolls up!

this is ds's summer bag

Just realised that the bint on the Bobbi Brown counter has given me face tonic as opposed to the oil cleanser that I requested...

Grrr

The tonic is nice, but not what I wanted. Now I have to decide whether to try and take it back, or just to keep it. Bah

Gorgeous bag for summer.

I have a fair few handbags but tend to use the same three over and over. One is a classic oak Somerset tote, one is a lovely bright blue summery mini Mabel. But the one I keep coming back to is a raspberry Maggie - so shiny, so pink, so lovely!

I need to get out more

Ok,have now diched velour tracksuit for
Boden 'smart' dark jeans
Marks and Soencer white 'perfect' tee
White Stuff grey cardigan,scoop neck,sort of swing style and 3/4 length sleeves
leopard print Accessorize scarf
Grey patent Clarks Mary Jane's
Cram leather biker jacket(that needs cleaning )

Cram = cream,obv!

I'm having a very lazy day today as was up most of last night with DD having nightmares...

I'm wearing brown cords from Sainsburys (they fit my post-natal body), a black jersey shirt from a charity shop - v. comfortable and a long mink cardigan from the White stuff which sort of manages to make this look like an outfit rather than desperation.

I've spent chunks of the day goin through my wardrobe and have realised that basically I either wear jeans plus tshirt/ jumper or black trousers so will really need to be more adventurous. I think this thread will definitely help!

Gorgeous bag LTEC - beautiful colour.

I have promised myself a new grown up bag when I finish bf DS. I'm sort of working on a budget based on the formula I haven't had to buy yet so am very tempted by a Bayswater but would like to wear it on a shoulder - is that possible?

you can definitely wear the Bayswater over your shoulder - I have one in chocolate that I'm selling actually .. although dh keeps putting me off by telling me I'll regret it

all this talk of cashmere dresses, all this talk of Halston ...

OMG

I thin that is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. Thank god it wouldn't fit me!

hi everyone

today i'm at work, so wearing

dark blue wide leg wool trousers (jaegar sale)
pale grey top ( zara)
dark blue asymmetric cardigan ( all saints)
black heels (clarks)
chartreuse wool jacket with 3/4 length sleeves and long leather gloves (tk maxx)

i have also started on a wardrobe clear out and will report back asap

today i bought a pair of grey leather gloves www.monsoon.co.uk/invt/59208589&bklist=icat,5,shop,accessorize,accessorizegloves,leathergloves Accessorise sale but otherwise have been very good

sent back brora sale skirt as was frumpy and trousers which were ok but i didnt love them

LTEC and Geordiminx ... both very nice bags!

Thanks for the welcome LTEC

I made a small purchase today-a brown
shirt in Benetton. It was £15 in the sale & I have it in white & dark green alredy and know it will be useful. I love shirts but have been bfing for 20months and have nor found a shirt to fit til this one so am pleased. Actually my mum bought it for me. Even better .

Today I am wearing thick grey ribbed knitted tights from TKMaxx which had a label on reducing them from £70 to £5 but not saying who made them. On top I'm wearing a grey polo neck with a black and grey polo neck short sleeved mini dress from Benetton pilfered from my mum and a long grey cardigan over the top with flat black over the knee boots. I feel a bit hot. I have new makeup on too which I'm not sure about. I have a passion for beauty products which rivals
my obsession with buying clothes and after tackling the makeup baskets yesterday found 4 of the same eyeshadow set. All unopened. So today I'm sporting lilac and purple eyemake up . I have green hazel eyes and MN and bff hae led me to believe they'll look brighter and less tired with lilac eyemakeup. I am not sure though the freshly threaded eyebrows in a shade of scarlet may not be helping.

I am in love with the black dress Traceybath posted. I think it's beautiful, classic and I'd wear it loads. I like it so much I called dp to ask if we have any weddings, nights out, corporate events etc in the next year I could buy it for. He said no. I might buy it anyway and wear it to Boppin Bunnies on Friday. I'm always overdressed anyway.

What I do need is a jacket for my trip to Paris and to see me through spring. I don't want to spend a fortune but want something that will make me feel
smarter than I currently do.

O.k..so the good news first.. i Didn't buy a Halston today but i kind of bought another dress(having already bought bf friendly one suggested by Ltec on ebay this a.m at about 6 then..went back to ebay in between dcs ballet lesson and playgroup session to snap up crumpet cashmere dress Also pointed out by Ltec..are you seeing a pattern here guys)

Am superexcited about colour and cut even though bfwise wont be able to wear crumpet dress till 2011,At Least,if anything like fb.

Also excited that this is the first time someone has actually helped me buy stuff i totally love and fits with my existing wardrobe..usually rl shopping expeditions with other people dont work out that well and i end up buying stuff that's their taste and just doesnt feel that me.

just please don't show me anything else for at least 2 days ltec!

totally get that thing too where gravitate towards similar stuff over and over..in my great wardrobe reorganise yesterday found had 3 purple sweater dresses..i love purple but really?and that's when i'm not buying endless,eyewateringly expensive 'one off dresses' for special nights out which are in fact so rare they can be counted on 1 hand over last couple of years..and no,the dresses are not the type that can be 'dressed down' for day

just read your post monkeysmamma..boppin bunnies..i love it!

Oh Tracey, that Halston dress. As my Grandma used to say "Its the last word..." I just love it!

I put the dress in my virtual basket and keep checking on it - its now saying there are only a few left. BUT I do not need it - have nowhere to wear it etc etc.

So instead am going to obsess about denim mini skirts. So at 37 am I too old if worn with thick tights and mid calf low heeled boots?

Tracey - I am 39 and bought a denim mini in the Gap sale and love it. It is not very mini, about mid thigh and I wear it with my Autograph cashmere-mix tights and flattish knee high boots. I'd say go for it.

Was at work today and wore:
black, slightly slouchy waisted satin-ish pencil skirt - M&S Ltd Collection,
black long sleeved thin t-shirt,
bright pink slightly cropped butterfly sleeved cardigan,
bright pink tights. Got five compliments and have vowed to wear colour again tomorrow!

Lovely to hear everyone is wearing so much colour today!

I went to the hairdresser today for The Talk, have decided against going for a chop as face is too moonish, and instead am going to have some extensions added to give me back the hair I had before pregnancy. By chance, they had just had someone cancel for tomorrow, so am going back in in the morning. If it's a success, will post a pic up.

Back to being freezing again here today, so have been very layered up in:

Navy ls tee
Navy knitted A-line tunic
Burnt Orange ribbed belted cardi (ancient Episode buy, warm as toast)
Wright and Teague gold disc necklace
Next jeggings
Tan Frye Campus boots
Mulberry Baywater bag in chocolate

Ooh plum - I love frye boots. They're always on my mental list of things I'd like.

So thinking of getting hair a bit like this but blonde. What do you all think?

So heartened by Janeite - think I will get a denim mini skirt. Anyone seen any nice ones on their travels - bizarely DP seems to have the best one so far.

I think I use clothes as a de-stressing thing - I think about what to wear rather than over-worry stuff that I can't do much about.

Oh and the Halston dress now sold out in my size - so it definitely was not meant to be . Of course I am secretly really coveting the white one that SJP keeps being photographed in . . .

I think you're right Hana - also I'm quite fussy about denim and bet it would feel scratchy.

LOL re DP though.

Why did I get rid of my citizens of humanity skirt I had about 5 years ago - you see this is where my wardrobe clear outs can go wrong.

What about this topshop one or is that too teenage?

What about this one, tracey?

esprit

hello all
Checking in late today as been a good girl and not been sucked into the mn vortex today and have therefore managed to clean kitchen and do some batch cooking

Today was wearing:

mid denim straight leg jeans (old, Paul & Joe sister would LOVE to buy another pair actually but have never been able to track down again)
grey cashmere poloneck (uniqlo) under
corally red/navy lumberjack check shirt (topshop) with sleeves rolled to elbows
short black biker boots (gap)

added black puffa (H&M), grey cashmere fringed scarf (DH) and black oilcloth flowerpot rainhat (JL) for school run!

Didn't massively love my outfit today - felt like I was dressing in someone else's garb/pretending to be someone else all day.

Purchases:

my oasis t-shirt arrived - not tried on yet but am liking , but not wearing till Spring has sprung (March?)

shrunken jacket also arrived - as feared does not fulfil the daytime brief - the tweed has a black lurex/tinsel thread running through it and it is uber shrunken esp in the sleeves so not good to wear stuff under....BUT....I do really like it.I hadn't heard of the label before but apparently its an LA label so maybe that's why I like it - I am v small shouldered and find these LA labels fit me very well (also like Juicy Couture but not the tracksuits, all the other stuff).
So think I am going to keep it - is that allowed? - after additional 40% discount it came in at £201 so pretty bargainous non? Not that that is my reason for buying it though.

So the hunt goes on for the Spring day jacket......might have to start another thread.

Traceybath - I was also toying with idea of denim skirt a while back and I came to the conclusion that black denim was the way to go. This is the one I nearly got - not too short but in no way mumsy. I am not mad keen on blue denim mini-skirts tbh apart from barelegged in summer (ideally with brown endless legs and flat sandals)

Can I admit that the Halston leaves me cold? Have only seen the bits linked to here but.....not doing it for me sorry.

Some fantastic outfits detailed on here btw - really need to dig deep in the 'robe tonight and put something together out of some older stuff. Although I am horribly ruthless on the culling front - not much survives one year to the next tbh

Was thinking of snapping up this to brighten up my new spring jeans and tshirts uniform. Only thing holding me back is that it will be my 4th parcel this week which seems a tad excessive but am too tight to pay full price/next season prices for accessories so maybe worth snapping up now.....is still full price in local shop round corner.