I shop therefore I am

image from here

There are no reasons to shop when in Cyprus, the choice of clothes shops are pretty poor, so much so that a quick way to make money is to fill a suitcase full of goods from Primark and sell them at a hefty 50% profit.

Then of course hospitals are free of any avenue to part with cash and then the snow and so after 4 weeks I had yet to spend a penny.

Now I would have thought that this would have presented a golden opportunity to stop spending, the cold turkey had been done for me so all I had to do was keep going. I had reorganised my wardrobe I needed very little, so why did I go and spend £100 on Friday? Afterwards I realised I seem to have an almost pathological desire to buy clothes. I do get pleasure from buying books and music, but nothing and I mean nothing gives me the self satisfied karma that a well chosen selection of clothes brings.

Because we were having to take an air bed, sheets and towels to Cyprus my clothes were minimal pared down to 3 tops 5 cardies plus the chunky one and 3 pairs of jeans. After 2 weeks I really missed having a choice, which suggests to me that clothes are not about impressing others but in some strange way make me feel good. To wear a uniform of jeans top and cardie was really beginning to pall and once home the relief of pulling on some different clothes was tangible.

Does this make me shallow?

Why is it that some people care so little about what they wear yet other care so much? I wish I knew and I wish I could just give it up. I have an inkling that if I worked from home more I would shift my focus from clothes to creating a better environment to live in, but for now I am trying hard to cut back, just a little.

What did I buy? Well I had less than a couple of hours before I met Daisy so I tortured myself with a visit to Uniqlo to see if there was anything left of the +J collection. Despite having the display space of half the store very little remained and worse still pile after pile was size S or worse XS.

If that is the case why do they not adjust the quantities they order in each size? Clearly M & L are the most popular and they will never sell the other stuff because girls that small want more bodycon clothes. I had not missed much really, but the chance not to buy would have been nice.

Thwarted I slunk over to Zara the sale was still on and quite frankly it all looked pretty grim. I stood wondering if I had the energy to walk to Covent Garden to COS as I really dislike the Regent Street branch it is just too busy. Then I saw a branch of Massimo Dutti, I have never ever even been in one, I have always been put off by the faux Ralph Lauren shop front and nothing has ever tempted me in, but recently someone whose images on this site I really like mentioned clothes from there on numerous occasions so curious I went in.

Well it was love at first sight. WHY have I not done this before? For my £100 I have now got;

• 2 pairs of trousers, one narrow blue mole skin and a mid grey pair of cords both really well cut and comfortable.
• 1 grey jumper wool and cashmere very thin so easily layered under cardies (so lovely I have it on today)
• 1 very very fine wool mix sleeveless top neither black nor grey, it is THE top I have searched for to wear with skirts as the hem is nipped in.
• 1 heavy slinky mandigan in the most lovely gold colour.

All but the latter were in the sale, and clearly chunky monkeys do not shop there as I had a good selection to choose from in my size. I am now officially a huge fan and will return, well maybe just once a month!