30 September - Shopping Moratoriums

Not buying anything for a month was easy. I got instant gratification from pots of paint and brushes and other stuff I needed for the house instead. And have in fact spent considerably more amply than I ever do for myself. But walking past the fashions was easier than I thought. The trick was just not to go in. In fact I lie. There was a lingerie shop that had just closed its doors one evening at 9pm but had screaming banners saying 'All bras £2.50 today'. Of course I had to go in so I loitered till a key carrying manager who was obsioulsy keen to exceed her target for the day, seeing my hungry look, let me in thinking I may by 20 or so of the creatures.
As it happens they were a bit boring so I bought only 2 and resisted the further temptation to buy the matching items. I hardly ever do matching. It never works when you have too much stuff and besides, it seems to me that men admire your portions of body separately. When he's focussing on the tits he doesn't notice the knickers and the other way round. Plus we all know that men don't really register if lace is pure, handcrafted by old widows in Seville quality or ... primark machine made stuff that can't be called lace but is of a lacey pattern design. So I don't bother. If I did I'd have to be purist and as such for example I couldn't/wouldn't mix my fabric. I couldn't wear the plain lycra bra with lacey knickers or the cotton knickers (yes I have some, one has to be practical and we all know that chafing delicate areas under gym pants can be hell) with the silk fest bra.

So apart from this giving in to temptation, which had to be done since for the previous ten minutes I had browsed with a friend and not bought anything in H&M, I bought zilch garments.

But it begs the question though that if you do this long term and don’t update your wardrobe with a bit of this year’s tartan (double yawn about calling this a trend) or the right heeled shoes, or the silly fake fur jerkin, you risk being stuck into being ‘old’. Like those men who don't update their spectacles at least every 5 years. In terms of fashion, not buying anything 'now' , not even a belt, can turn you quickly into a social worker type woman or your old teachers who just wore the same summer dress year in, year out. I'll go a bit longer if I can manage. I have to buy a new bed and dining table for example, but party season is upon us soon. I'll ave to think long and hard what to break the embargo with. Right now, having looked at the norma kamali website (cause a friend may take over all the production of it in Europe), I'd like most of her clean lines and colours stuff. Sort of American Apparel for grown ups. I then remind myself that that's not my style at all, it is simply the american princess modern ralph lauren aspect of it that I like when I wish I was of Danish stock and living in property in New England. That doesn't happen often and besides norma kamali lives in dreamland. The woman has a cafe'/showroom where everything is white. She needs to know that most of the world does not live in rarefied Manhattan Central Park apartments with maids and drycleaners on tap... Silly old cow.