Capsule Wardrobe

Belfastbelle

Has anyone used a stylist?

nikki2804

Dotty P's do good quality 3/4 length cotton tops - 2 for £12

Better quality clothes are a good investment, i.e. I find that Primark stuff never lasts long. I'm still on the hunt for good quality black trousers though.

Kaz2904

I don't know that tshirts last any longer if you spend loads on them. The other items though, go for good quality material which is made well. You will get your money back from it in savings from buying cheap rubbish.
How about buying cotton or linen tops rather than t shirts? They'll last better.
My named stuff I tend to buy in sales or on ebay. Even second hand monsoon lasts longer than new primarni and it's often cheaper.

Jesthar

I'm with Kaz - for anything I want to last a good while I try to buy quality, so trousers and skirts etc. (and underwear, too) tend to be M&S, Debenhams, Next (and, in my case, occasionally Long Tall Sally).

For t-shirts, though, I get whatever style and colours I happen to like when I find them available in reasonable material at a decent proce. Sometimes that's the same big names, but I've also got quite a few Matalan t-shirts, and so far both quality and longevity is very decent considering the price. I don't doubt they'll make the journey into the 'scruffs' section of my wardrobe before some of the more expensive ones, but given I've already had a more than fair amount of wear from most of them, and I'm also happier wearing them on occasions when there's a chance of unintentional damage, so to speak, I'm happy with that.

maman

Belfastbelle wrote: »

Just thinking about moneysaving on workwear for 2011. If the sensible idea is starting off with a capsule wardrobe of basic essentials~ where's the best place to buy them?

T-shirts (taupe - white - black- navy - cream )
black trousers
white shirt
Little Black dress
Accessories

Ive tried M&S, and some of the shops in Debenhams..
is it better to invest and try more expensive brands??

Is that really moneysaving (if they last longer)????

Has anyone used a stylist?

It can definitely be money-saving if you work out the cost per wear. So really good quality classics can be cheap when you think they'll last for years. Similarly a really cheap tee from Matalan (or similar) can be equally MSE even if if you only wear it for one season.

podperson

I'm not keen on Primark but tend to buy basics like t-shirts and black pants from Matalan or George at Asda and then a few smarter items like shirts or dresses from Dorothy Ps etc.

Belfastbelle

I went shopping this morning-
bought a couple of Dorothy Perkins T Shirts (long sleeve - 2x £12),
then some really nice (short sleeve) tops in Next (£12 each),
finally black trousers (29?) in M&S
(saw white shirt in Next but it was a 'round' collar -didnt buy).

all workwear.

I am looking for better quality classic black trousers (not flimsy/flippy going out trousers! - bootleg probably with nice drape) -
tried House of Fraser but there were too many choices, the ones I tried didnt fit that well and I got fed up!

Back to the drawing board..

pavlovs_dog

have you tried h&m?

my local stores are laid out by colour so if you have a specific palette in mind it's much easier to find things that will match. Clothes are usually reasonably priced and wash well

Belfastbelle

.... wheres Trinny and Susannah when you need them??!!:rotfl:

Belfastbelle

Zara have loads of T-Shirts, not sure of the quality though- seem a bit thin.

TheDoolallyDilly

Debenhams have a personal shopper service (it's free) which might help?

I don't know why I'm commenting on here, as I really know very little about fashion - no one will ever mistake me for a fashionista, but when surfing around I found this website, which has photos of a 'capsule' wardrobe made up of very few individual items. The stylist has also used colours which suit her, personally, rather than sticking to black etc (colours traditionally thought of as 'classic' - I look awful in black, because of my colouring). I found it really useful - it's up-to-date without being so incredibly on trend that it will all be out of date next week!

I think for tailored items, like trousers and skirts, paying a bit more means that they will last. Sales are good for getting things cheaper!

Hope it helps someone?!