Archive from November 15th

If Clothes could talk

Now I know why I have hardly worn those black patent shoes. They look great but within half an hour my toe was killing me. And I can see why cheap cashmere is exactly that.

But it is all a learning process and I am hoping this blog will help me finally get to grips with my wardrobe.

On a positive front the workshop went well and one of the new businesses I worked with was a Bespoke Shoe Company . A woman who is capable of making shoes that fit and look great. I hope I will have enough cash saved to make a good pair of shoes one of my new purchases next year.

Today's wardobe challenge got me thinking about what our clothes really say about us. Two days a week I work as a writer in residence at a male prison. I work closely with small groups of prisoners and what you wear is definitely an issue.

Although female prison staff do have a uniform many still customise the look. A woman working in a male prison defintely throws up a challenge. Obviously you don't want to attract the wrong type of attention but like it or not what you wear does say a lot about you. There are civilian female staff who deliberately dress down to avoid attention and hardly bother. And the message I feel that says is "I am not bothered".

Yet in an environment where there are a lot of rules and regulations and little control over events (both for staff and prisoners) what you wear does allow you to make a non verbal statement.

As I said, the way I dress for prison is an issue. I want to look smart, professional, creative, approachable, individual and stand out for the right reasons. In a nutshell I want to look as though I have made an effort. Many of the prisoners I work with do make an effort with their appearances. With a very limited wardrobe there are those who make an effort to look smart, clean and tidy. It becomes a reflection on who they are and how they want to be treated.

And then there are the practical considerations. The prison where I work is very cold and the corridors are very long.

Today I decide on a pair of black trousers (Next), black silk camsisole (Tesco) with lace edging and royal blue sweater(Dorothy Perkind) . I choose a pair of square toed mid heel shoes from Next Sale circa 2004 which gives me the extra two inches of height I desperately need at 5ft, are comfortable for walking and certainly NOT F**k Me shoes!