When shopping online does work

A recent post on Out of the Bag highlighted the seductive, but oh so flawed practice of Internet shopping. My fingers have been burnt so many times I have all but ceased on what was an often fruitless exercise in anything other than deflated dreams. I like to feel the weight of the fabric, I am very tactile when it comes to buying anything remotely sartorial, I often chide Leyla for walking into a shop and touching everything, only to find I do that too. One particular minefield when buying online has to be shoes. At what point can you be sure they will fit? And yet curiously I have had the most success online with shoes than most other purchases. The trick is to know your brand and stick to it like glue. I lover PF Fliers for pumps as well as Converse, the sizes stay the same making it easier to buy online.

Last summer was saved. really saved by a very basic pair of Fly Flot mules. I was not keen to move on to boots in case they were not sized the same but as luck would have it Pavers have a shop in York and so I could try them on. I then bought these online, only just the right side of orthopedic Blackpool Landlady I know, but with my feet, if the shoe fits....

They are much nicer in the flesh so to speak, they do gape a bit at the top but the shaped curve does not make it so obvious, I must be the only fatfoot who does not have cankles! But what I love is they have just a little height enough to ease the pain in my heel. They were not my first choice but I came late to this party. Not the next though, so later this year when their boots get restocked I will be more on the button.

So with spring ahead I am now tempted by these.

The perfect work shoe to wear with skirts I hope.

I am today wearing a black dress/tunic form COS, (see top piccy) purchased yesterday before meeting Lucy to see Richard II (mmm 3/5) For me it was serendipity, there was only one on the rail in my size, and it was in the sale, (as was the grey cardie I bought on impulse before the bloody sale!) an otherwise itchy combo of wool and angora it's really lovely and not at all itchy, which is more than I can say about their trousers. 5 pairs I tried on, and my normally reliable source dried up.

But back to the grey cardie, yes, I know I said no cardies, but it was lovely, what I really want now is a rich clotted cream jersey top with a scoop neck and 3 buttons down the front, I used to own some old men's flannel undies that had that and I loved them, now I can't find anything silky enough to wear under a jumper which has the desired buttons.

It is on my wish list.