u/OK_GO_27

The Spoke summer sale has gone from 30% off to 50% off.

I feel like you don't have to shop super luxury to get great service. Any recs?

Link here: https://spoke-london.com/collections/sale

Minimalist? Maximalist? Dad? Hipster? Go for it.

Looking for some recommendations for brands based in the UK that aren't the standard High Street options.

Ideally looking for smart casual but formal would be good too. Thanks!

I’ve literally never shopped in a store where the lighting has been more flattering than it is at home, or in real life.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this problem. I work in an office. I will always wear sort of a business shirt and some suit trousers, and I don't like that look when I leave the office.

Have you got any tips/what do you wear to work that will look good afterwards, not like you're on an extended client lunch?

Looking for general advice. What are/aren't you wearing to a first date?

Let's say it's just dinner or drinks somewhere relatively casual.

Mine are, in no particular order... skinny jeans (just awful), trucker hats with logos (looks like you're an 8 year old), polo shirts tucked into chinos (just why?).

What are yours?

Is anyone here shopping online exclusively? If so, what’s your favourite online-only brand?

Context: I hate shopping.

Started tracking this in my phone notes about a year ago. Just a rough log. What I paid, how many times I've worn it. Some results that surprised me:

• £12 Primark tee: wore it 6 times before it went shapeless. £2 per wear.
• £35 SPOKE tee: still going after maybe 40 wears. 87p per wear and falling.
• £90 jacket from Zara: wore it one full season, maybe 20 times. £4.50 per wear. Fine.
• £25 trainers from Sports Direct: wore them into the ground in 3 months. About £1 per wear. Honestly decent value.

The stuff that looks cheap on the receipt isn't always cheap in practice and the expensive stuff isn't always worth it either. The sweet spot seems to be mid-range things you reach for constantly vs trendy stuff that gets shelved after a month.

Anyone else doing this or am I just deeply boring?

Been drawn to the preppy/Ivy aesthetic lately, but every time I try to put it together it either looks like I'm in a Ralph Lauren ad or I'm about to attend a regatta.

Would love to know:

Where are you actually buying preppy looks? (both budget and higher-end)

Are there any pieces that are worth splashing on?

And how do you wear it without it looking like a costume? Is it just cut and physique, or is there something else going on?

Open to any takes. Doesn't have to be strictly American, British equivalents welcome too.

I've seen an increasing amount of knitwear across a bunch of summer collections, and I'm wondering how suitable wool really is as a summer material.

Does someone who knows more than me about this have any insight? I love the look, but I don't want to pull the trigger, sweat through a shirt, and not be able to return it.

Recently I had a revelation. I bought my first pair of boxer shorts that were not made of cotton and I could not believe the difference. Cotton does not breathe that well. Why am I only just finding this out?

What else am I missing out on?

Question’s in the title.

I have one week in Spain coming up, it’s going to be warm. And I’m just not forking out for a checked bag. What would you pack?

I’ll have a couple of nice dinners but mostly walking around, seeing sites going to beaches etc.

I’d prefer to spend the money on new clothes than the cost of buying a checked bag.

Keen to know what everyone’s got planned for their wardrobes this season. Looking for some inspo. No price limit.

Assuming it’s hot where you are in the summer, what do you wear when your office is semiformal?

Feels strange to continue wearing the same clothes I wear in winter. And if you commute on the train like me, you’re just swaying through polyester suits.

But that’s all I have right now. Is linen acceptable?