Make Do and Mend

Edinburghlass_2

Tesco's Florence and Fred do a great trouser for £6 black and navy which I buy for my daughter for school :j

moggins

After the huge clothes shop yesterday I still have four pairs of trousers to take in at the waist, guess I'll have the sewing kit out again tonight

MATH

Please forgive me for I have sinned - Squandered £5 on a pair of denim 'n' cord panel flarred jeans from Ingoldmells Market. Havn't bought any clothes for the last 6 months tho but now I have nothing that isn't bleach splattered to wear with my new jeans so it's off to primark/asda tomorrow:rolleyes:

Sarahsaver

moggins wrote:

We have a really great little stall in the indoor market, I must go and investigate.

Why do they always assume that little girls have podgy bellies? I have a family of whippets!

one thing that really worries me is now they make 'plus sized' clothes for kids :rolleyes: in some of the major mail order catalogues. I did complain about it but i got no response.
I took the jacket into the dry cleaner/tailor, and also a couple of pairs of boots to the shoe repairers today. It's more rewarding and exciting than getting new stuff - getting your old stuff made as good as new:)

culpepper

catznine wrote:

We have the same problem re excess unifom shirts (have just had to bleach a couple that oh left pens in!) Hope they will still be usable! What do you do with the material? I have used some to back cushion covers and in patchwork. I love the idea of recycling stuff like this as it seems such a waste to throw them away.

OH wears em when doing his mucky jobs(decorating and motorbike maintainance).My son used to have one for his Art smock at school years ago, with elastic in the sleeves.Looked like he was wearing a lab coat
My son has even worn some of the shrunken police jumpers in the past.They are woollen and really warm.The cotton shoulder section does go a bit baggy as that doesnt shrink as much.

Lollypops_3

What do you all think about buying expensive clothes (that will last) as opposed to cheaper clothes which won't ? I always find that when I buy something in Primark etc that after a few months the item will be washed out or shrunk and will have to go in the bin anyway...

raeble

Quality is not the same as it was anymore, across the board. Expensive and cheap clothes are made in exactly the same place these days, and I don't see them lasting any longer. An example is my expensive socks always wearing out before the cheaper socks. When I was growing up we always used to fault check every garment we bought - checking the seams, holes etc. I think if you check the garment carefully before you buy it - feel the quality as well, you can't go too far wrong.

Remember that if you buy a cheap £2 top instead of a £20 top you can get through ten of them before you are worse off than if you bought the expensive top. I have bought expensive things which have not lasted the test of time I've had to throw them out after a few months, my cheap things I've had for years. Of course the reverse is also true.

Btw has anyone noticed that New Look has got as expensive as Dorothy Perkins? And hasn't got the same quality?

jazzyjustlaw

raeble wrote:

Quality is not the same as it was anymore, across the board. Expensive and cheap clothes are made in exactly the same place these days, and I don't see them lasting any longer. An example is my expensive socks always wearing out before the cheaper socks. When I was growing up we always used to fault check every garment we bought - checking the seams, holes etc. I think if you check the garment carefully before you buy it - feel the quality as well, you can't go too far wrong.

Remember that if you buy a cheap £2 top instead of a £20 top you can get through ten of them before you are worse off than if you bought the expensive top. I have bought expensive things which have not lasted the test of time I've had to throw them out after a few months, my cheap things I've had for years. Of course the reverse is also true.

Btw has anyone noticed that New Look has got as expensive as Dorothy Perkins? And hasn't got the same quality?

I heard but don't quote me that New Look, Matalan and River Island bought clothes from the same supplier. I think Matalan is a cheap shop and New Look too although as you say is has become more expensive and the clothes I find are not always of good quality. I used to associate River Island as being expensive and I do not although its quality has diminished also.

Being really tall I buy most of my clothes from Next M & S and I like Primark too. I also like local clothes shops that sell things in the sale. I have bought two pairs of identical trousers from a shop and one pair lasted me 12 months and the others four years!!

I know its still only 9th April but my personal challenge of not buying any clothes in April is a success so far. I have not bought anything. I nearly relapsed this afternoon after completing my mock exam at home and it being a disaster I wanted to treat myself. Lol

Smiley_Mum

I have found Lands End stuff is pretty good and also, if anything goes wrong with it at any time, you can send it back for a refund or a replacement at any time. Lifetime, no quibble guarantee. There stuff is pretty good though, I have had no problems with it at all, good quality. YOu can get cheap stuff from their outlet stores, just ring them up. Check out

http://www1.landsend.co.uk/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/LandsEndUK/legbr_Home.d2w/report?mdiv=wl

I picked up a down jacket for £20 odd quid from them and it is fine, no probs with it, original price was over £100, got it from the outlet store. Just call them up and tell them what you are after and they will let you know whether they have it or not, otherwise they will tell you when the next delivery of stuff is coming in. Stuff that has been returned but nine times out of ten nothing up with at all. Give it a go, nothing to lose.

MATH

Most of you seem to advocate using charity shops. I have in the past and am not snobby about second hand but just lately I've balked at spending £5 on something 5 years out of date and already worn when I can swing into primark and get the latest look brand new for the same price or less!

I'm all for moneysaving but you only live once and only have one carcass to live it in so it might as well be well dressed IMO. Was feeling a bit 'last season' and fed up sporting an array of bleach sploshed garments, coupled with the fact I've just bought a pair of flarred low-risers and have not one stitch to put with them!:rolleyes: So left primark this morning having spent £42 and came away with the entire shop. Obviously that is an exageration, I did leave the changing room curtain!;)
Bought three layered look T shirts and 5 long sleeved tops with various trim 'n' print designs.

I've found Primark great for wash 'n' wear and durability, pound-stretcher and matalan are also good. Got some bwise items that I've worn and worn again for over 10 years but then I used to work in the business called 'rag' so always check manufacture, finish, and fabric blends before I buy. George can be a bit hit 'n' miss IMO When it's good it's very, very good and when it's bad it shrinks!:mad: