Where can I buy good quality, good value womens basics online?
Boden’s quality is really good, particularly for basics. Their sizing is also fairly consistent. I’d also recommend Fenn Wright Manson. They have a flat £20 overseas shipping fee, as does M&S. Per Una is a M&S mark that offers trendier, slightly funkier clothes if you want to add in a touch of something different with your solid, comfy, untrendy M&S standards. Phase Eight and Monsoon don’t ship outside the UK, but you can find lots of new or almost new Phase Eight & Monsoon on ebay. I swear by all of the above for work clothes that don’t feel like corporate drag, but can convincingly take you from work to your life beyond.
As most Australian retail stores are lagging when it comes to online sales, the best place I’ve found to buy clothing is eBay. There’s a surprising number of new items there (search for “NWT” or “NWOT”), and you’ll often pay well under retail. Most sellers will also provide you with an item’s bust/hip/waist measurements, if you ask them. Measure a similar piece of clothing you already own for best fit. Downsides: few sellers accept returns, so you’ll probably end up re-eBaying the odd item you buy and decide you don’t like. You may also have to wait a few weeks to find the good stuff as the site tends to go dead in January. Otherwise, if you can get to a major city — and I appreciate this may not be an option — David Jones and Myer sound right up your style alley. They’re known for their high-end brands, but they also sell separates by Australian designers that are fairly reasonably priced. Their quality is typically a step up from what I remember the Gap being, too.
