Clothes shopping
I bought myself some new trousers. Actually I have bought quite a few new clothes the past two months. I confess I'm a shop-a-holic. I'm a typical woman in that I will go shopping when I'm feeling low for that rush of buying something new which will temporarily make my blues go away. Also I just love shopping.
The only times I remember going for very long periods of time without buying any new clothes are when I am so so depressed I can barely leave the house, or when I am so so busy doing other things that I don't even think of it. I love it when I'm so busy doing interesting and fun things because that means I'm also too busy to feel depressed.
But for those of you who do.
My favourite shops lately are:
Hobbs, where I haven't bought anything since the winter. They are classy and a bit too stuffy, but some of their stuff is really good! I love their a-line skirts. So cute and flattering.
White Stuff, which I kept on looking at but not buying because they are a bit too expensive for me. But during the sales - and my mother visiting and buying me some stuff for my birthday I managed to snag three items: two tops and a comfy pair of trousers.
Banana Republic. The problem is that I pass Banana Republic on the way to work all the time and they have a really attractive window display. The majority of their clothes is not really my style, but I now and then I find something fun and colourful that is just my thing. They are an american brand which means they have a strange issue with sizes. I am a full size or two smaller there than in almost any other shop. I guess they try to make people feel slimmer than they are? But on the other hand you won't find many clothes bigger than a UK 14 (or should I say 16?) there which means they don't actually cater to larger sizes. It is also the only place I recall seeing a UK size 2! (I should think you'd have to be an anorexic to wear that size!)
Another issue I have with most clothes brands is their leg lengths. They assume all women are tall scandinavian types. I'll have you know that my short size is closer to the world average height. Actually my height is pretty close to the average female height in the US, so their leg lengths are really just wishful thinking.
So I am a bit too short for the normal lines, but a bit too tall for the petite lines. It's always a tough choice deciding with which to go.
Before the summer I bought this most adorable skirt that I've got loads of wear out of so far:
Banana Republic Fern Print Full Skirt - Mythic blue (see more petite skirts)
In this case I went with the normal size and as a result the skirt is longer on me than on this leggy model.
The other day I bought these colourful trousers:
On me they came rather longer than on the model again so I opted for the petite size. But with the petite I have a hell of a lot more ankle showing. You can't win! But the main difference is that I have a lot more curves and a far bigger bottom than the model so they don't look nearly as sleek on me. Actually there is a fair bit of creasing on the back - because damn it I have a bottom, what can I do? I haven't yet decided if the eye-catching pattern is enough to distract from the slight fit issues or if I should return them.
But come on, who apart from a very select few are bean-pole-ish enough to look like this in trousers?
Did you read the tag line? A slimming pair of trousers? That's a lie! I tried those exact trousers on and with my figure they made me look like a whale. Only slimming if you're already tall and slim.
The only trousers I have found that are actually sliming on me are Pepe Jeans' Ruby jeans.
Anyway I wore the trousers yesterday - with the tag still in - as a test drive together with this shirt and these shoes because I can't do sophisticated, but I'm good at kooky.
Nobody called me a crazy person, so I'll count that as a win. Also I believe the loud pattern was a good distraction from my big hips because a couple of people said they liked the trousers.
Ugh, did I bore you to death? Do I come off too girly and clothes obsessed? Truth is that in some things I am rather girly. I know it's fashionable to pretend to be a tomboy, but I never was.
The only times I remember going for very long periods of time without buying any new clothes are when I am so so depressed I can barely leave the house, or when I am so so busy doing other things that I don't even think of it. I love it when I'm so busy doing interesting and fun things because that means I'm also too busy to feel depressed.
But for those of you who do.
My favourite shops lately are:
Hobbs, where I haven't bought anything since the winter. They are classy and a bit too stuffy, but some of their stuff is really good! I love their a-line skirts. So cute and flattering.
White Stuff, which I kept on looking at but not buying because they are a bit too expensive for me. But during the sales - and my mother visiting and buying me some stuff for my birthday I managed to snag three items: two tops and a comfy pair of trousers.
Banana Republic. The problem is that I pass Banana Republic on the way to work all the time and they have a really attractive window display. The majority of their clothes is not really my style, but I now and then I find something fun and colourful that is just my thing. They are an american brand which means they have a strange issue with sizes. I am a full size or two smaller there than in almost any other shop. I guess they try to make people feel slimmer than they are? But on the other hand you won't find many clothes bigger than a UK 14 (or should I say 16?) there which means they don't actually cater to larger sizes. It is also the only place I recall seeing a UK size 2! (I should think you'd have to be an anorexic to wear that size!)
Another issue I have with most clothes brands is their leg lengths. They assume all women are tall scandinavian types. I'll have you know that my short size is closer to the world average height. Actually my height is pretty close to the average female height in the US, so their leg lengths are really just wishful thinking.
So I am a bit too short for the normal lines, but a bit too tall for the petite lines. It's always a tough choice deciding with which to go.
Before the summer I bought this most adorable skirt that I've got loads of wear out of so far:
Banana Republic Fern Print Full Skirt - Mythic blue (see more petite skirts)
In this case I went with the normal size and as a result the skirt is longer on me than on this leggy model.
The other day I bought these colourful trousers:
On me they came rather longer than on the model again so I opted for the petite size. But with the petite I have a hell of a lot more ankle showing. You can't win! But the main difference is that I have a lot more curves and a far bigger bottom than the model so they don't look nearly as sleek on me. Actually there is a fair bit of creasing on the back - because damn it I have a bottom, what can I do? I haven't yet decided if the eye-catching pattern is enough to distract from the slight fit issues or if I should return them.
But come on, who apart from a very select few are bean-pole-ish enough to look like this in trousers?
Did you read the tag line? A slimming pair of trousers? That's a lie! I tried those exact trousers on and with my figure they made me look like a whale. Only slimming if you're already tall and slim.
The only trousers I have found that are actually sliming on me are Pepe Jeans' Ruby jeans.
Anyway I wore the trousers yesterday - with the tag still in - as a test drive together with this shirt and these shoes because I can't do sophisticated, but I'm good at kooky.
Nobody called me a crazy person, so I'll count that as a win. Also I believe the loud pattern was a good distraction from my big hips because a couple of people said they liked the trousers.
Ugh, did I bore you to death? Do I come off too girly and clothes obsessed? Truth is that in some things I am rather girly. I know it's fashionable to pretend to be a tomboy, but I never was.