Re clothes

Lesley - for all his faults, OH has never had the nerve to buy me clothes. At least not now. He did try at the start to influence (strongly) what I wore, but I think it was just too much hassle for him. Also I hardly ever buy clothes.

Though there was a wonderful moment when I hadn't bought more than stockings for about three years, and OH upset me. A lot. So I went out and (with my own money) bought £300 worth of clothes (and this is nearly twenty years ago) and none of the items were more than £15, and some a lot less. If you could have seen his stunned expression as item after item got displayed it would warm your cockles. The living room was draped in garments. I think it was then that he abandoned the clothing thing.

I have no fashion sense. My first question about clothing is usually 'is it comfy, and does it cover strategic areas'. I am dreading looking 'out of place' at the school gates, but I can live with the reputation of 'eccentric'. I have been known to buy some stuff out of catalogues because then I know it is vaguely in fashion.

One of the things that I was looking at was smart stuff. OH's work's do is the one time in the year that I go out normally, and I have worn the same outfit for several years, and it was also trotted out at OH's sister's 50th (red carpet theme, was unimpressed) and little bear's christening. It isn't really 'me', the colour just isn't quite right, and I have been wearing it with the same top as all my other tops don't go. So, without any sense of fashion, I am looking for something inexpensive, in basic black (because that goes with everything), vaguely dressy but not frilly, that will do for at least five years for Christmas do's and anything mildly fancy to do with little bear.

I do feel confident in my sense of style, however, which is something.

Darling father could never cope with even a bit of glitter or striped nail polish (quite something in the eighties) but my late mother, for all her faults, took the view that if I had the nerve to walk out of the door looking like that then all power to me. I hope I can take the same stance with little bear.

And yes, my hair was all colours, and in fact I rang the changes right up until little bear was born. I had my hair coloured every six weeks and as a matter of principle never had the same colour twice running, although by this time I was in a more responsible position so had to go for shades of blonde and auburn instead of blue, green and silver - I loved spray on silver!