You have £1-2K to spend on an ENTIRE new wardrobe…….

[Dunnocantthinkofone]

I’m hot and bored.
I am also in possession of an appalling collection of worn out, ill fitting junk that passes as my wardrobe.
Having always fantasised about throwing the entire lot out and starting again Trinny and Susannah style (oops showing my age!) I’d love to hear what you’d buy for a very casual, sporty life.
More importantly, where from? Natural fabrics ideally (meno flushes) and decent quality for the cost. High street prices though - I could spend £1-2K max but that would need to cover everything…..so no £100+ jumpers please!

Hmm maybe. I do have other clothes though. Which I haven’t worn for literally years as they don’t fit my lifestyle
But when I try them on I quite like them and convince myself an occasion will present itself.

Scour the TK Maxx website and a few local stores, £2k could get you a wardrobe worth £3-4k+ in there of very good quality pieces.

Something I read on here is to buy outfits for actual events, mixed with the odd random pieces that catch your eye, rather than just a heap of items that don’t go with anything else.
So say you’re often going out for a pub lunch then look for something you’d actually wear to that, then try to have something smart suitable for eg a funeral, day-to-day clothes for school run/ supermarket but maybe one step up in quality/ price than what you’ve previously bought.
It can help with buying what you need, obviously depending on your own lifestyle.

I’m a dress person - next (love and roses, apricot, friends like these brands)

bras/knickers/jeans- m and s
jumpers/cardigans - Uniqlo (the merino wool is lovely and keeps its shape!)
shoes - Hoka trainers, Vivaia for work, Birkenstocks for sandals, John Lewis boots (they all last for ages)

for casual I wear leggings (sweaty betty or m&s) and T-shirts (the set from next)

rather than just a heap of items that don't go with anything else.

Who on earth chooses that as their process? 😲 It would be wardrobe madness. Surely everyone chooses clothes that will work for their lives and with their existing wardrobes?

I'm not going to go through what I'd buy for myself cos we have different lifestyles and probably different tastes. But talking generally, there's no way I'd try and replace my whole wardrobe at once unless I'd literally lost everything but the clothes on my back. Because I'd make a lot of panic, 'that'll do' buys and probably end up with a wardrobe that wasn't much better than the one I threw out.

Also Trinny and Susannah's show was early 2000s which was arguably the golden era for the UK high street - prices were low, quality was still pretty good and 2K could get you a long way. It's nothing like that now and, while I think there are still bargains to be had, it can take a lot of digging plus a big slice of luck to find them.

So I'd treat it as a medium term project, meaning I'd expect it to take at the very least 2 years and preferably 5.

I'd start with 3 lists:
First, the cheap and cheerful - stuff I'd be happy to buy in supermarkets, H&M, Uniqlo etc and that I'd accept would need replacing fairly regularly. I'd probably include jeans here. (I know some people will disagree but I can't honestly say I've noticed a huge difference in quality between Sainsbury's and high end.) Also a few fashiony things that would by nature have a limited shelf life. (Yes I know, bad, bad me.)

Second list: things I'd pay more for because I've learned the hard way that it's a false economy to try and buy cheaply. I'd include shoes here and also a bad weather, waterproof or at least water resistant coat but you might have other priorities.

The third list would be things I'd happily buy second hand. This would be quite a long list because it's how I buy most of my clothes but it's a random way of shopping and it might take ages to find what I want so I might well have to buy a cheaper version as an interim. For example, I'd include a wool, winter coat here.

My thoughts on Vinted: Yes it can be brilliant. It's also full of crap that you can't return and it's highly addictive. With a limited budget I'd use it, but sparingly.

I love this approach, thank you!

Where do you find these independent stylists? Does anyone have any recommendations?

I’ll need a new winter wardrobe soon too. I’ve already replaced my summer wardrobe and that was hard enough. Winter clothes seem harder, plus I’ll need work wear too. It feels a bit overwhelming.

House of Colour seems worthwhile. I follow some of their consultants using their facebook page/instagram. The lady I went to has now retired. Some stylists/consultants do their work online .My thoughts are some people say on their messages that they felt it was a waste of money .I always get waterproof winter coats from eBay and when I want a smart winter coat I look at more affluent areas charity shops .My main wool winter coat was bought quite a few years ago and at the time was selling for around £200 and I got it for £12 from a local charity shop. I still get complemented about it. It is still going strong and keeps me very warm on cold winter days. My windproof waterproof coats are from various sellers on eBay and tend to be Regatta . I know one poster some time go said for work clothes all she was buying was 5 tops in different colours, 3 pairs of trousers and a skirt. Most people have a blazer just in case it is needed for work occasionally. The poster said she thought that was all that she would need as she could use her tops with any of her trousers and with the skirt. For winter you might need a few jumpers .But for work wear I thought the poster had handled her choices really well. I am aware some people don't want to go to charity shops so that is why eBay is great. One of my waterproof coats was being sold just because the owner had mistakenly bought the wrong size and didn't return it in time. This was a gain for me as I got a regatta coat for a tenner and on a wet day I never get wet. I am sure if you went to see a consultant their advice would be not to buy everything on the one day. You can arrange a shopping day with your consultant but would not need this after your session as you will be given info on styles,colours that suit you. Just recently I was on a day visit and it seemed to be a place where people were stylish. A lady asked us our advice on buying a dress from a charity shop and she told us she was buying it because she valued our info as she thought we were stylish. We did think it suited her. At the time I had jeans on a cotton traders top and my apple green cot which was a fiver in a charity shop .I think you will soon build up an amazing collection of clothes. When I buy clothes even from charity shops I decide if it will useful to the clothes I already own. I am downsizing and have ben able to sort out a lot of clothes that are just being returned to charity shops. All the best with your clothes no matter how you decide on your clothes buying. There is plenty of info on capsule wardrobe planning. I have seen adverts and charity shop buying is so popular stylists say they can take clients to charity shops. I have quite a lot of books from colour me beautiful and I have found they are worthwhile.

What sort of area are you in - county?

Charity shops in posh cities.

Ive stopped buying on ebay and would never by on vinted due to needing to make sure the fit is right, so many things are cut deceivingly so it looks nice on the hanger and then when you put it on, you end up with tight bits where there should be baggy bits and baggy bits where there should be tight bits and shoulders not in the right place, gapes due to lack of bust darts, sleeves too long, the list is endless.

I found a local stylist at an event in a local boutique, I was on their mailing list so found out about it. I'm thinking of doing the same as you between now and winter. Have previously consulted House of Colour.

Pants, socks, bra, jeans, shorts, T-shirt, jumper.

£1000 isn’t a lot for a whole wardrobe.

Well I’ve made a start. The pipe dream of hurling everything in the bin and starting again is obviously not going to happen in reality. Nice to fantasise though!

As a start I’ve bought six well fitting but cheap t shirts to replace the bobbly misshapen ones in some sensible neutral colours in the full knowledge that they are a short term fix.
then I got two pairs of good hiking trousers and 2 pairs of shorts in a closing down sale nearby. Plus some new hiking boots to replace my battered leaky ones. Which were £8 - rude not to eh?
Total spend so far £220
Ive also ordered a dress which is a wildcard for me. Only £30 but it looked great and very ‘me’ in the shop - just not in my size annoyingly . so if I keep it, that’s £250
Blimey it doesn’t go far does it?! And that’s buying sale bargains/cheap tees for now!
Im hoping to use that as a day to day base and add some stuff around it. Some from my wardrobe hopefully

Mountain Warehouse do a range of comfortable, practical, tidy looking, jersey cotton dresses. They’re not going to set the world on fire glamour wise but they’re perfect for day to day wear. They also do a range of decent ‘basics’.

www.mountainwarehouse.com/womens/dresses-skirts/?_gl=1laez6_upMQ.._gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjw6rfSBhAqEiwA_yocpuo6tlqoJEBrNPLVIm6QNR1c3VIM81_NXVr6RpjnUbtR6s6mi7PIJRoCjQkQAvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAADoKbU8L4ffzoSyI87-80yrxvvxiD

Hasn’t it gone bust?

Charity shops and Vinted

@Gateappreciation It was bought in a pre pack administration deal a month ago.

Yes, though Hush is pretty but poor value I find so would go for Lost Tribes or a couple of reasonably priced ethical brands instead who do quality basics eg community clothing.

I have a Barbour waxed jacket that works with everything. That was about £250.
Penelope Chilvers short boots, they last years, they work with trousers or dresses. They were about the same price I think.
COS chunky cashmere jumpers, a navy one would work with anything I think. That’s another £250.
Navy linen maxi skirt, mine is from COS, was about £70, but I wear it all the time.
Uniqlo barrel trousers, £35, they do good T-shirts as well, my other place for T-shirts is COS.
White shirts, I have lots of them, I pretty much live in them. Mine are Boden and White company, roughly £50-70 each.

Me and Em for dresses, I have a couple I always reach for when I’m going out out. For linen dresses I go to White Company.

I walk the dog, go to work, go to the allotment via the shops, friends for coffee etc, I wear the same thing. Only at the allotment I change my shoes for wellies and I have a Japanese apron I throw on if I do some weeding or watering, if It’s just a stop to pick some courgettes etc, I don’t bother with the apron or wellies.

I have a Le Pliage bag for work and a couple of suede bags from The Free People for everything else.

If I wear say the same linen skirt several times in a week, I change the T-shirt/shirt daily, obviously, but I also put on different beads/bracelets/scarf. I like the scarves in Zara, if I’m too hot, I tie them to my handbag.

Belts can make an outfit! Don’t underestimate the importance of a good belt, even if you ‘don’t need it’. I got mine from Massimo Dutti, Anthropologie and the Free People.

Hope that helps.

£1k doesn’t go far - it adds up so quickly

i I have a different problem in that I need to loose a shed full or 2 of weight

I definitely think accessories can add/make an outfit

Good tees that keep their shape and a good white shirt would be my starting point

have fun

Our local hospice shop has a branch out in one of the villages. People regularly drop off barely worn clothes there and they are good brands, not old and dated etc. Its my new go to now. Do you have anything similar nearby?

Maybe have a trip to an outlet mall. I went to the York one a few weeks ago and got some lovely things from Sweaty Betty (I think it was a pop up, so might not be there for ever), Weird Fish and a smart work dress from Hobbs. I've also got some nice things in Uniqlo recently. In total I spent way less than £1000, likely not much more than half that.

Apart from the Hobbs dress, it sounds like the sort of things you're looking for. There were also some nice things in Mountain Warehouse but by then they were duplicates of what I'd already bought elsewhere so resisted.

Its a fairly low risk way to try out different styles - redonate or sell on if you get something and find it’s not quite right.

Maybe I am lucky in that everything I have got from eBay/vinted has fitted me .I use vinted mainly when I want a dress ,I get a lot of favourable comments. I do like charity shops though as I can try things on. Since I got my coat for a fiver I have had a lot of people say it is great. Luckily it is a lovely colour and it suits me.