Hat £10, shoes £20,bag £14 all Sainsburys

What is the ideal supermarket buy, our friends wonder? The big three are advertising their fashion offerings like mad and some of the stuff looks rather good. Caveat: Jane and Beryl could not find any of this kit in their local stores. On line only they suspect or bigger London stores? Anyway, here are their nine ways to not look naff in fashion among the fruit (and veg... and loo roll...)

GO UP A SIZE
Stripy jumpsuit £25 Tesco, pumps TK Maxx Converse £29
 Casting chickens and Toilet Duck to one side, they are in Tesco's clothing aisle. Beryl rather likes this Durrell-esque jumpsuit, but might perhaps buy a larger size, just for some more fabric. This is always a good ruse with inexpensive clothing, as skimpy is a bit of a giveaway. Until she remembers that more eco and fashion conscious H&M do a fine jumpsuit for similar money.

BEWARE CHEAP POLYESTER

White blouse £12, wide trousers £16
Jane's issue with supermarket kit is the fabric doesn't quite come up to the mark - usually it's the dreaded polyester, Jane's current bete noire. This is true of the blouse Jane is sporting, but not so much of the trews which have quite a good handle, not too slimy.

Trousers £16, top £14 Tesco 
Ditto this ensemble: feels quite good and Jane likes the ditsy tiger print.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Jumpsuit £28, shoes £14 Tesco


Jane and Beryl do like to be a bit of a trendy Wendy when they can get way with it and so a fatigue style jump-suit is on their radar. Beryl overheard a shopper in Tesco saying that this jumpsuit is 'classy looking', and Jane and Beryl have to agree with the lady and her Mum in aisle six. In fact, they prefer it to the £185 (Bellerose) one that Jane tried on a couple of weeks ago. Shall we play spot the difference. Well, hello... £157 to spend elsewhere for starters.  

GO FOR CLASSICS... 

Shower proof coat £29 Tesco
Jane is looking a bit pleased with herself and really she has good reason to. This little jacket for all of £29 has much to recommend it and our duo cannot for the life of them see what an expensive version has over this, with the added bonus that if you leave it on the bus (or in the boat) it's not such a disaster.

Tu for Sainsburys £20
...OR A CHEAP FASHION FIX


Stripy trousers £20, white top both Sainsburys 
As we know, our fashionistas are dead keen on a wide-legged trouser this season, but are also wise enough to  realise that come next year when we are all into skinnies again, these will look old fashioned and will be out of their favour. This version attracted Jane, and only fell down on their fabric (see above), but for a one-hit wonder, they would have done the job and are in a great colour.

DO NOT WEAR TOP TO TOE SUPERMARKET

Checked Jacket £20, T-shirt £4, linen trousers £14,
necklace £7.50, pumps £9

Shirt, linen blend, £12.50
trousers £14

Here in deepest darkest Asda, where the changing rooms are dingy at best and like the back of a warehouse at worst, Jane is resplendent in top to toe Asda's finest. This is NOT the way to do it, dear friends, not that you would anyway. There are some OK items amongst this lot (the black top is an excellent A line shape and the shirt a beautiful blue), but en masse the effect is horribly dowdy.




Oh, dear, and this is more Rhyl than Riviera, why is it that nothing ever fits our Beryl in Sainsburys. 
PS. Those are bust darts not nipples!

TEAM SUPERMARKET KIT WITH MORE EXPENSIVE ACCESSORIES
Dress £25 Asda
Well, this is a surprise. Asda has invested heavily in checks for spring, not to mention yellow, and it would be churlish to not at least try them on.

 The sizing in Asda is generous to a fault. If you see Beryl with her hands on her waist you can bet your bottom dollar she is trying to hide something.  In this case her usual size 12 in a frock is too big. Beryl's heart skips a beat with joy, thank you, Asda. Jane and Beryl think that this dress has a hint of the designer and could be transformed by adding a more expensive belt and ankle boots. Which is rather the knack with supermarket kit, lob in the odd bit with garments of a better provenance, rather than wear head to toe supermarket. 

PICK YOUR STAPLES 

Asda checked coat £30, linen trousers £14,T-shirt £4

With this coat, Beryl is now in dodgy territory. Great tailoring, cut, and fabrication cost money, and
frankly a WOACA (woman of a certain age) deserves a better coat than her daughter can afford. T-shirts (two for £6), pumps (£9) and
 knickers (three for £7) are brilliant things to buy from a supermarket, outer-wear and bras not so much.  





GET THE LOOK FOR LESS



These £14 Tesco flat shoes with sling-backs are a beautiful shape and the equivalent would cost £85 in Jigsaw. Jane and Beryl keep staring at them trying to pick fault but cannot find any. Beryl will wear these with her Hobbs dress, and ssh, no-one will ever know the difference.




1 comment

  1. The Asda dress is lovely, wish I could wear yellow...

    ReplyDelete

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