Bucking the Trend

Look! Littlest and I can wear matching wowser leggings!

The other week I amazed myself.  I walked through the ladieswear section of a leading department store, bursting with concessions and sale rails and I didn’t buy a thing.  In fact, I didn’t even stop to look at anything.

Five years ago I would have been drawn in, firstly to the shoe sale and then to my favourite brand names, hoping for a bargain and looking longingly at tops, jeans, jackets and bags. Like many women I have a thing about bags, can’t resist ‘em…..or so I thought.

When I finally reached my destination (Paperchase for a birthday card) I realised that despite being unusually child-free and having the opportunity to browse without negotiating the Maclaren through a maze of rails and women who refuse to step aside, I didn’t even proffer a glance.

I quizzed myself.  Skint?  Yes, but then this is not unusual.  In a hurry?  Nope.  Don’t need anything?  When has that ever been an excuse not to shop?

So what was it?  Then I realised, actually I just wasn’t interested.  For a long time I have found myself looking at ‘fashion’ and thinking ‘I would never wear that’ and moving on.  When I last walked into Topshop I stayed for under a minute, felt about 60 and left.  True, I am not the most adventurous person when it comes to clothes – I have 10 pairs of jeans, 8 denim skirts and countless black tops that used to be lycra-ed to my pre-baby frame and are now the swing version to disguise any waistband escapages.  And I do own a lot of Boden.  However, I have always painstakingly chosen these items to my exact specifications and have always known what the ‘in thing’ is.

BFF and I recently enjoyed a spa day and whilst relaxing in the lounge I mentioned my dept. store experience and the state of my wardrobe.

‘But Sarah, surely you have some key pieces for each season?  Even if it’s just a scarf to accessorise the old stuff?’  I didn’t.

‘BFF, I have no idea what is fashionable anyway’

‘You must do’

‘No, none’

‘But even if you see it in the papers, or on TV you must have some idea?’

‘No, really – I skip over fashion pages because it’s full of stuff I’d never wear and no longer aspire to anyway.  Sometimes I linger over a picture of a shoe or bag (old habits die hard) but do you know what?  I’m just not bothered’

I'm sure I had something like this in the 80...

I was not sure what this said about me – I was once a self-confessed shopaholic – so maybe I’m cured!  Or maybe I need to rev myself up a bit and get with the program?

So this morning, with BFF’s words echoing on my ears, I read Saturday’s Times Magazine and when I got to the fashion pages I hesitated.  Apparently the safari look is in AGAIN, as are bizarrely patterned trousers and gym bags.  I must confess, I took much more interest in the article on Spanx and skipped on to Giles Coren.

Then I finished my tea and went upstairs to get my jeans on.