I've never found a substitute for East, the new version is much more fussy, like Monsoon. I used to buy Seasalt but don't like their styles much now.
The thing I find hard to find is a waterproof winter coat, not "puffy", and long enough to actually keep me dry. So many of them end mid-thigh rather than knee length or over. I had high hopes for an M&S "waterproof" coat which I bought last autumn, but it proved not to be waterproof in the recent heavy rain.
I sometimes bought M&S tops from Per Una, now gone. They sometimes have nice trousers too, but this year they seem to be too short, too wide or just dull colours. They don't even have the simple linen shirts which I've always worn oversized as overshirts.
I've bought absolutely no clothes this year, relying on my elderly simple East summer dresses.
I think that the most difficult thing is buying dressy clothes, I've bought Cerruti and Armani in the sales as their shapes are properly proportioned in large sizes, but so many seasons they don't have anything that I like. I think that I'll just be recycling.
