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

Hi everyone
I think I definitely belong on this thread rather than the buy nothing thread - I've already failed miserably at it!

Will try and catch up with the discussion. Btw LTEC I also have that Anna Sui dress - was my best Ebay bargain at only 28 pounds .

right, have to sign off as dh on way home and my for Jack (Bauer) is going to take priority over my love of you lot and your general fabulousness.

HH - I seem to recall that dexter bought a pair of slightly heeled slouch boots that would look good with that dress, can't remember where from though - dexter??

hana - I agree, the site is rubbish. What's with the half-picture per item thing as well??

marsha - definitely! the boots I mentioned earlier on this thread - still have them - they were $250 but a lot to me at the time (uni student)- wore them that night to Jamiroquai concert with the (then) love of my life .. will never part from them. Was quite -poor-- frugal for many years when I came to UK which is why the purchase of my Louboutins in Paris 2008 has nearly a whole album devoted to the subject on my Facebook page ...

Here is the topshop t-shirt.

Marsha - my first designer purchase was a gucci handbag in NY.

I do like my high street bargains but do love love love the feeling of a designer item.

forgot to say LTEC - those are the most gorgeous gorgeous shoes. They have no place in my life but i do love them completely and wish I did have the kind of life they belonged in

which hells? the Choos?

of course

MrsJ would second recommendations for jeans - 7FAM do a higher waisted version in the roxanne which may be good.

Make up like Laura Mercier, Kiehls, Bobbi Brown also a lot cheaper.

I also like Banana Republic.

I wish I had the kind of life they belonged in too - still unworn and in box!!

planning to wear them to friend's 40th ... in April.

welcome silver.

I have to go and watch the final CBB (the last bit). I know that's awful...but I simply must.

Night all

I'm afraid it wasn't me with the slouchy boots. Maybe it was some I linked to for someone else. Can't remember!
mrsjuan - I tried on some 7FAM jeans yesterday and they are low cut. A bit too much for me. They were long too. I have 34" jeans on at the moment but the 7's were longer. However, they were only £58 from £100 and something at the Joseph outlet at Bicester village. They had loads of jeans there. There is also a 7FAM outlet shop there too.

Also if I ever have enough money to buy an expensive handbag, I am going to get one from Tod's - they were lovely but pricy!

Longer than 34" I could make some sort of denim shoe creation at the bottom with all the left over fabric - like a very stylish babygro!

HoorayHenrietta, my White Co long sleeve tees have lasted well.

MrsJuan, if you like Frye boots, they are also cheaper in the US.

Hells, it is a free-for-all at Gymboree in SW15.

Have a good weekend all.

i am loving my pauric pink bag now - the perfect shocking colour & it brightens up black coat. seems to fit my stuff in well & is beautiful soft leather. have successfully hidden it from dp so far .

Hi all,

How are you all tonight? Are you all out enjoying social lives whilst i'm mn-ing and watching Jonathan Ross?

I've finally put a few pics up. Really like the like the top LTEC and weirdly my cleaner comes tues and fri, she was here 5 hours today though as she has been on holiday for a week and what with both the children being ill the place was becoming a hovel. Feels so nice once she's been!

mrsjuan i'm only 5'2 so i feel your pain with jeans, if only we could have the leg lengths of ltec and co it would be much easier!

Tracey i have a few of those Topshop tees, very good for layering.

None of you have found me a red scarf, and i really bloody want one!

Been browsing ebay tonight, found a few decent things, Goat cashmere cardi and See by Chloe dress that i'm bidding on. I've only just got into actually looking on ebay, been selling for a while but now i'm hooked!

I have just been watching Silent Witness. No mad social life here.

BBFF, you are so pretty!

LTEC I love the Phoenix and Oakley < also nosey > but I have to have 'over the body' bags as have a dodgy back/shoulder.

I'm ordering the Oxford and Harley in plum and will see which causes the least pain < old gimmer emoticon >.

I've just got back from a Burns Supper (rock and roll), which was a really nice evening it turns out, but the best thing is that, in the spirit of this thread, I wore a dress from my wardrobe which, considering we were sat down for the whole time, was fine - so I saved a fortune which I now feel entitled to spend on stuff I'll actually wear on a daily basis.

Might head off to Duo in Bath (ooh, big city) tomorrow.

Morning all

Bunting - lovely photos. Your wedding photo looks so happy.

I am indulging in MNing, Florence & the Machine at top volume (at 8:30 ) and a raspberry fool for breakfast while dp and dd are at the park. Am planning an Ebay browse after this. Decided against the cardigan LTEC - I have to stop buying things I'm not sure about.

Our cleaner comes once a week for 5 hours - my home must be especially dirty .

Coach bags - I have one that my sister's Japanese ex bought her in a bid to make her "look like a lady" and she hated. It is a bit logo-y for me but I always feel smart when I use it. My day to day bag is my black across the body See by Chloe' one. I really like this tan bag for the summer. I really like the Saskia - the colour is lovely. This was made for me. I showed it to dp and he thinks it is beautiful too. Might make it onto my birthday list .

The first designer 'piece' I owned was a red leather Versace dress. As nice as it sounds .

Right, off for a browse on Ebay. Am feeling a bit bereft that I have no deliveries to look forward to apart from the one from Ocado.

I forgot to post about jeggings - as I said on the other thread Georgina (I think it was you), I love jeggings for under long jumpers and boots but am almost definite they'll be put away come spring summer. I can't imagine wearing them with ballerinas etc. I just don't think they look right and it has to be skinnies with anything that isn't a boot. I have 6 pairs but only wear them with long tops. A few women round here wear them as they would skinnies and it looks very bad.

Just a quick hi! Had nightmare night...poorly DD now - high temp, vomited last night and nasty cold but brightly watching cbeebies so feeling better I hope! Thanks for the note on w.co tees carciofi...will give them a go - but agree that alot of w co stuff rather expensive for what it is.
Yes, LTEC ourr dcs are the same age! They are all really close, and the little one (we have eldest ds and then 2 dd's)will get all of dd1's gorgeous clothes plus her own of course!!I love dressing the dcs as much as dressing me!Off to get dressed!
Have a good weekend....

Hi all, hope your're having a good weekend so far. DH has been working from home which has hindered my MNetting and online shopping.
Those of you after the long sleeve white t-shirt. I bought these in the navy and the white. The fabric is gorgeous, quite sheer, so I bought the £5.00 camisoles to go under. They are elbow length, with a metal fastner thing. They really are lovely. I bought mine a size too big, and they cover my bum.
I was thinking yesterday how hard it is to dress appropriately. In my mother and toddler group, there was a large mother whose jeans were half way down showing so much rolls of fat, and bum cleavage. At the same time there was a 70 year old grandmother with lovely knitwear, beautifully layered that we could all take tips from. Before I had the dcs I had no idea about appropriate clothing for kneeling on the floor, changing nappies etc. Dc1 is now 5, and thanks to this thread I think I'm getting it. Today I wore my skinnies with hunter wellies because we had snow. I definitely need boots for the winter, shoes just don't suit me; remind me too much of the horrors I had to wear in school. By the way monkeysmama, how are you getting on with those brogues? On another note, my cleaner is off sick. She normally comes twice a week. Has missed 3 now. Do you still pay your cleaners? Mine is exceptionally good and I don't want to lose her.

Burning - you are sooo pretty.

Hooray - hope your DD is better.

OurLady - you must live fairly close to me if Bath is near you.

Blossoming - I'd give your cleaner sick pay - good cleaners so hard to find. I use an agency and its very expensive.

Its sunny here but I'm doing laundry etc and the never ending cycle of sorting throug dc's clothes and putting ones they've grown out of into boxes ready for either younger siblings or cousins.

Am going to make my definitive list of things I want for spring summer but so far it includes:

• 2 dresses for day
• 1 dress for going out
• cropped jeans - indigo and white
• full length slim white jeans
• couple of pretty tops
• lightweight jacket
• summer bag
• light jacket to go with above
• sunglasses
• cheapy vest tops in variety of colours

Blimey - its quite a bit when I write it out.

burning - you are indeed. I wish we had at least one ugly person on this thread - everyone is so gorgeous (excluding me)

HH- I feel your pain. I have spent most of this morning getting baby sick out of the car seat. NOt sure if it's the start of travel sickness or a bug...but whatever...not fun. DD is meanwhile full of beans - probably laughing at quite how many car seat crevices she managed to cover.

I like your list tracey - I need to do an audit too. Not sure whether to wait to buy summer stuff because of potential extra weight loss (but assume i'll miss out on nicest stuff) or buy now in a 10 rather than 12 and risk walking around with mutton top?!. Decisions decision

Burning - have you looked on www.mypashmina.co.uk/ for scarves? They do so many different colours (including red) and different sizes. Got several from here and are fab.

My Citizen jeans arrived and are a great fit. Could do with some skinnies too so looking at the Roxanne. Tracy was it you that had them? Do they come up small or big?

Got my Ouska bag back too and it is a brand new one with no dodgy zip! Got my eyes on a tan bayswater too as my chocolate brown is so knackered.