desperate

Yesterday I headed off to try to break through my shopping wall. It wasn't pleasant. Every shop I entered (and I entered a lot of shops) was filled with clothes but 97% of them fell into one of the following categories:

1) Hideous
2) Would look hideous on me
3) Hideously expensive

Undeterred, I carried the 3 remaining percent into changing room after changing room, where further faults presented themselves. Nothing was quite right. In fact, there were a couple of sweet items which I came across but I could always find some reason not to buy them - one thing I don't need is another jacket, and definitely not in such wintry colours; this top is cute, but it's also very clingy and see-thought; I can barely walk in this skirt. I am sure that this time last year any of these issues would not have stopped me.

Finally I headed into GAP, a shop which has yielded some of my most often worn, comfortable and complimented purchases. GAP loves grey and navy even more than me (I think all my GAP purchases are indeed in those two colours!) and GAP does not follow trendy cuts in their clothes, which is very helpful for me since I have a rather unfashionable body shape. Still, I tried on approximately 10000 dresses and they all made me look either like a witch, a pregnant woman or Amish. The last dress which I tried on was beautiful but too big, due to the kind yet impractical vanity sizing which GAP employs.

A shop assistant had informed me that they didn't have the dress in the size down, and when I checked there were indeed about 6 size 10s and nothing else (I am not exaggerating this time!). So, after a long day, I admitted defeat and decided to go home.

You know what happened, don't you? One last check of the rails as I left the shop uncovered a lone size 8 which I quickly tried on over my clothes. It fit. And with the 30% off voucher I had printed off earlier (get yours here, it's valid 'til 4 May) it was also wonderfully cheap!

My new dress makes me feel a little bit like a character in Desperate Housewives. I love that sort of 50s look since it's so flattering, but I couldn't resist the urge to add some un-housewivey tights to the outfit. I'm wearing it already - I told you I needed new clothes badly!