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

Thanks very much! I am now inflicting my love of grey on DD - look at this cute dress dpam dress and so cheap in the sale!

oh no - the postage from dpam comes to nearly as much as my order. Can't really justify that can I? [hopeful]

Ooh -look at the Burns night smileys

Hi all,

these M&S skinny jeans - how skinny are they? Really need some to go in my fly mols. Tired GAP ones on Saturday and I'm a 29 so 28 skin tight and 30 too big around the waist. Trying to resist 7's skinny jeans for now and if these do the trick....

What's the Harry Eastwood cookbook? Am loving the sound of the cake!

that is so annoying about your friend and running this morning tracey - hate missing out on the chance to get out there. I'm skipping at the mo too which is quite good - the dcs get on the trampoline (not the baby!) and bounce while I skip. Burn that blubber!! we're on day 7 of 24. Have always box-setted in the past but bought of itunes this time. Have had to limit to 3 per night ... pre-dcs, we would get through as many as 6 Can't stand Kim. Love Teri, Nina and Chloe. And Bill!! (phwoar)

hells - day 3 is probably the most disappointing, I think. But hey, it's Jack - or should I say, Smack - so it's okay by me . Never got on with The Wire, dh loves it though.

mm is there truly wine at your gym??? May I join??

mrsjuan - I'm not that keen on the floral dress, I hope you don't mind me saying. They're both a bit girlish (the print on the first, the shape on the second) although I definitely prefer the second - nice sleeves and exposed zip but think the skirt would be better if tulip-shaped. I think I'd wear it with black opaques and my patent ankle boots to (excuse my Gokiness of phrase) toughen it up a little. Not keen on the footless tights and slut-shoes look at all.

Thanks for your Aus day wishes - it's on the 26th, so bank hol weekend back home. Lunch was fun - variation on a Bill Grainger recipe for chilli crab lingunie but with prawns instead. Dessert should have been pavlova but was flour-free choc cake with raspberries.

hells - a less sinful cake is the light chocolate cake - much less choc n it. Mimi the book is this one.
Beautifully styled. Gorgeous cakes.

Now can we get back to talking about clothes for us please?? enough with the dcs!!!

dpam used to have a branch at lakeside but i don't think they do any more . tatty, i will go you instructions as to where the best branches are before you go to paris! ds has a dpam dressing gown that is as good as new and he's had it for at least 3 years. onto dd next!

i am still umming and arring over that stripy anglomania dress.

Thanks LTEC - may have to indulge!

Get the dress HC - I love it!

oh please do . I like that stripy dress, it's good colours for you and a good length over leggings

You would have to do clever layering to get lots of wear from it tho

No worries re the warehouse dress. I wasn't sure about it anyway. I've tried it on again and it does something a bit strange around the middle and makes it looks like I've got fat ribs so I think I'll take it back.

I think Harry Eastwood does some recipes in the cook yourself thin book doesn't she? The beetroot cake is really nice anyway even if it's not hers.

which dress HC?

Hello all

blossoming - I like that M&S scarf, might have to get that one

today I was wearing
straight leg jeans (Paul & Joe) tucked into these boots in brown
3/4 length sleeve white scoop neck (gap)
double breasted charcoal grey tweed man's suit style waistcoat (benetton)
grey marl cashmere boyfriend cardy (farhi)
thin, long fine wool leopard print scarf (accessorize)

and this coat, but in navy blue over the top of it all when I went out

Was rather pleased with outfit today - felt more like "me". I think it was the scarf, I think a bit of animal print goes a long way.

I saw that pic of Nicole Ritchie in the Times and the blurb alongside it pretty much sums up my school run uniform too.

mrsjuan - I do like the M&S dress a lot (although I am sworn off black so that would rule it out for me) but the shape looks great. The warehouse one I am not so sure but that's more because it's just not my taste rather than anything wrong with the dress iyswim. I just think it's a bit bland. Sorry, I can't remember, are you SAHM or do you work? What exactly do you want the dresses for?

MM - I quite like POP stuff for my dd's too. Also bought dd2 some great bargains from the stella mccartney for gap range in the sale .
What is your new pram? (In a previous life, I was quite a pram-obssessive and I still look a bit at some of the new models they have brought out since I got ours!)

esher - you sound gorgeous. And I'm very of your red coat.

You've reminded me about waistcoats. I always look better if I wear one....must see if I can find mine.

mrsjuan - agree with teh others on the dresses. M&S one does look a good shape.

LTEC - I'll have to try that cake next

Mimi1977 - I have the Indigo slim leg M&S jeans (they're not skinnies, so might not be the same thing?) and I tuck them inside my Mols. Bit of a tight squeeze but I can do it.

HTH

Esher - that sounds like a great outfit. I love those boots.

At home at the moment but going back to work 2 days in April. There's no point dressing up for work though so 'nice' clothes are just for socialising.

Will go with general consensus on Warehouse dress and take it back and perhaps try the m&s one again. I've just shown DH & he says the zip is 'a nice design feature' - get him!

the one you ordered hells! i love the stripes & the draping but fear my tummy will stick out.... tatty, tell me honestly, will it be unflattering??

good god, a cardi that I bought for £20 just sold for £44 on ebay!!

Can I just ask, where do we think jeans are going for SS10?

I have jeans of every type and persuasion but am finding myself ever more drawn towards my most comfortable ones so that means either a wideleg or a boyfriend fit.
Anyone else?

hells - I haven't got the red one, mine's navy. Saw Kelly Osbourne photographed in red one last year though
I actually rather heart Kelly's style, I think she looks great.

I wish I could be arsed to ebay stuff I don't want but am so technically inept it all just seems too hard

Checking in quickly. Brilliant day, am wearing new twenty8 twelve belt and big striped grey and black cashmere cardi - it has a big collar and folded up sleeves - plus older grey plaid shirt dress from Hoxton Boutique and AA leggings and it's a new direction so very happy.

I could do with some sloppy kick ass Belstaff ankle boots... And the introduction of a bandage mini-skirt to the wardrobe. Come on warmer weather- a coat doesn't work with this.

long sleeve vw dress. which i could go & try on later this week at work.

[ponders changing name to hoxtonboutique]

HOXTON - that vw dress is gorge - beautiful colours. I'm usually a bit about anglomania as not sure if you have to be tall to get away with it (I'm not) and I do wonder what the effect of all that material around the bust/middle is really like but this colourway is really making me reconsider.
What would you wear footwearwise?

MARSHA - your outfit sounds lovely. I had a look at the cashmere site you linked to last night and twas lovely but had to restrain myself......Twentyeighttwelve make surprisingly good stuff for a celeb-line don't you think? I usually like quite a lot of the pieces.
Wish I was still in spitting distance of Westbourne Grove , we used to be NW6 so was just around corner (as was Marylebone High St, Hampstead, SJW, Notting Hill.....). Moved to suburbs for the house and schools but the shopping sucks

Kim's been in it quite a lot already so it's not good news for those of us that don't like her.

But I won't say any more as i don't want to spoil it for you! And this isn't a TV thread...

I have been browsing eBay tonight, looking ahead for things for my hols in Sept. But not much there. Boo! Am after nice t-shirt dresses that I can just chuck on over a bikini to hide my wrinkly tum when we're out in public. Any recommendations?

now there's a footwear question, esher (my grandpa had a baby clothes shop in esher, named baby alex in my honour!). maybe leggings/black ballet flats? or i have any number of flat knee length boots. bit dull though. any suggestions? maybe something low key which picks up one of the colours.

googling has also revealed vw flagship store 10 mins from work. i know what i'm doing on wednesday!

Esherm I agree re twenty.. (and thanks!). I was dubious at first as it's s miller, but I like it. I had to rush in and out as dh had dc and was impatient (well nice to traipse after me really) so didn't see much. But I really like the idea of the clothes.

And westbourne grove/ Ledbury rd is incredible isn't it, I could not believe how many amazing shops there were. Would love to go back soon.

Like that vw dress HC. Hoxton Boutique is excellent for cheaper stuff (has Isabel marant which is fab) and go there everytime visit dh for lunch.

it is much smaller inside than it looks out marsha (the shop, not the dress!). my friend has a great tunic from there.