tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76408815591925088802024-02-02T15:47:59.764-08:00iwillbuynonewclothesforayearnonewclothesforayearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13236157549892056537noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640881559192508880.post-25375565820025404912007-11-29T15:30:00.000-08:002007-11-29T15:36:34.041-08:00Do shoes count as clothes?Forgive me readers for I have sinned. It has been two weeks since my last clothes purchase and I have shopped.<br />Working in a prison I am told the only way to succeed in crime is to do it big, do it on your own and tell no-one. But thanks to this blog my crime of buying clothes has failed on all counts.<br />The "sin" was a £8.00 pair of flat, black pumps from Tesco. And take 20% off that for their current sale offer. I was egged on by my 10-year-old daughter on our daily after-school top-up shop.<br />My defence? I needed flat, black pumps. Nothing else would do. I had just thrown out my last pair as the holes in the bottom were letting in water.<br />But and it's a big but, do shoes really count as clothes?nonewclothesforayearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13236157549892056537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640881559192508880.post-4793164857234762932007-11-27T04:11:00.001-08:002007-11-27T04:13:38.506-08:00Here's the dress in Rome<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GOSKKAEEt573Mmn-YbgGQIs6GOelg75k6DZwwWPpn8z530V3tAl90SHKlzOrGfx28Yw2zZeGa9k37fT9DhuMF13YV28Eqqj3WBX9gkffYR_Nmj3VtwFGZLkP4iGOYcPwHQG_kTVlnG1H/s1600-h/Rome+and+April+2007+039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GOSKKAEEt573Mmn-YbgGQIs6GOelg75k6DZwwWPpn8z530V3tAl90SHKlzOrGfx28Yw2zZeGa9k37fT9DhuMF13YV28Eqqj3WBX9gkffYR_Nmj3VtwFGZLkP4iGOYcPwHQG_kTVlnG1H/s320/Rome+and+April+2007+039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137492149681867522" border="0" /></a><br />I know I look a bit down on the other pic but believe me I feel much better. Here's the dress in happier times!nonewclothesforayearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13236157549892056537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640881559192508880.post-76811616636346660282007-11-27T03:57:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:10:59.919-08:00Comfort clothes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4j-ojVgx6rRHuAymPWfenG3VPsEficj8-CRImNGIR8OFnL79L5_Cr1YaVdD-0kph2GI0Y3GjAcVhFjFfcnyoUv41rU58YhahZ1BzDIoKmAbSJUQk-kHnNWJ3A9bw6Rl5jHqTStJ1lt58/s1600-h/Blog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4j-ojVgx6rRHuAymPWfenG3VPsEficj8-CRImNGIR8OFnL79L5_Cr1YaVdD-0kph2GI0Y3GjAcVhFjFfcnyoUv41rU58YhahZ1BzDIoKmAbSJUQk-kHnNWJ3A9bw6Rl5jHqTStJ1lt58/s320/Blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137491492551871218" border="0" /></a><br />Do you have comfort clothes? The kind that lift your spirit and warm your soul. Not just in the way they look or feel but the memories they hold.<br />I have a few. And once this experiment is over I plan to buy more.<br />I have had a very difficult and emotionally painful few weeks and at my lowest yesterday I picked myself up with a dress.<br />In recent times I may have just gone out and shopped. Bought something that didn't suit me or would remind me of the sad time I was trying to erase.<br />But this time I dried the tears and opened my wardrobe.<br />It was cold outside and summer clothes aren't exactly the right thing just now. But who cares?<br />I picked my favourite buy of 2007, a red dress from Joe Brown's. I have worn this dress to death. I love its defiant bright red stand against misery and the hippie style helps me forget my cares.<br />The dress was on the Joe Brown's Summer catalogue. I bought it in March and was waiting for the first warm day of the year to wear it. On a glorious unseasonably warm Saturday morning I wore it to watch my two youngest children play football. It made me feel excited about the summer to come. I wore it on a two day trip to Rome, standing in St Peter's Square listening to the Pope, soaking up the history of the Coliseum and the Spanish Steps.<br />And I wore it on the first and last day of our lovely family summer holiday to the South of France.<br />But to winter it up I grabbed my current comfort jeans from Next, a pair of Nike trainers and with a cardigan to wrap out I took the dog out for a long walk. And I felt better than I had for a long time.<br /><br /><br />It reminds me of a lovely song by Mary Chapin Carpenter (lyrics below).<br /><br /><br />This Shirt<br /><br />This shirt is old and faded<br />All the color's washed away<br />I've had it now for more damn years<br />Than I can count anyway<br />I wear it beneath my jacket<br />With the collar turned up high<br />So old I should replace it<br />But I'm not about to try<br /><br />This shirt's got silver buttons<br />And a place upon the sleeve<br />Where I used to set my heart up<br />Right there anyone could see<br />This shirt is the one I wore to every boring high school dance<br />Where the boys ignored the girls<br />And we all pretended to like the band<br /><br />This shirt was a pillow for my head<br />On a train through Italy<br />This shirt was a blanket beneath the love<br />We made in Argeles<br />This shirt was lost for three whole days<br />In a town near Buffalo<br />'Till I found the locker key<br />In a downtown Trailways bus depot<br /><br />This shirt was the one I lent you<br />And when you gave it back<br />There was a rip inside the sleeve<br />Where you rolled your cigarettes<br />It was the place I put my heart<br />Now look at where you put a tear<br />I forgave your thoughtlessness<br />But not the boy who put it there<br /><br />This shirt was the place your cat<br />Decided to give birth to five<br />And we stayed up all night watching<br />And we wept when the last one died<br />This shirt is just an old faded piece of cotton<br />Shining like the memories<br />Inside those silver buttons<br /><br />This shirt is a grand old relic<br />With a grand old history<br />I wear it now for Sunday chores<br />Cleaning house and raking leaves<br />I wear it beneath my jacket<br />With the collar turned up high<br />So old I should replace it<br />But I'm not about to try<br /><br /><span class="middle">[ <a href="http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/carpenter-mary-chapin.html">More Carpenter Mary Chapin Lyrics</a></span> ]nonewclothesforayearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13236157549892056537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640881559192508880.post-73486054631664901402007-11-27T03:55:00.000-08:002007-11-27T03:57:36.462-08:00Archive from November 15thIf Clothes could talk<br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">But it is all a learning process and I am hoping this blog will help me finally get to grips with my wardrobe.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">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".<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">And then there are the practical considerations. The prison where I work is very cold and the corridors are very long.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">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!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>nonewclothesforayearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13236157549892056537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640881559192508880.post-84613345266452260082007-11-27T03:54:00.000-08:002007-11-27T03:55:26.050-08:00Archive from Nov 13th<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">I am starting to get excited by this challenge. Usually I wake up in the morning trying hard not to think about what I will wear which is usually determined by what is clean, how much time I have got and a passing nod to the weather, the occasion. Style comes way down the list.<br />Today I am leading a PR Workshop for eight women who have just started their own businesses. It is cold, wet and windy. I will be leading the workshop at a new venue and will be on my feet only part of the time. After that it will home, mealtime and racing the children around their various activities.<br />I settle on a pair of medium high black patent round toed shoes (bought in a sale in 2006 from Wallis and worn once), black and grey speckled wide leg trousers (my final purchase before I started this, from M&Co), a black stretchy vest with square neck from Zara (2004) and a bright fuchsia pink cashmere cardigan (Primark 2007). All topped off with a long dusky pink coat from Boden (bought Sept 2007).<br />I also dig out a black and white necklace, black belt and silver bracelet. Accessories and maintenance are starting to play a bigger part. Yesterday afternoon I took my navy blue Whistles boots (a bargasm! £40 down from £180 last December sales) to the cobblers to b e resoled and reheeled. I opted for the lifetime guarantee which means I can get replacements free. Forever!<br />And last night I spent an hour in front of the television (I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here) detangling my jewellery and was amazed at what I found.<br />Will this enforced creativity have any affect on my confidence and performance today or will I be as mixed up as my wardrobe? I will keep you posted.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="post-footer-linepost-footer-line-1"><span class="post-authorvcard"><span style="font-size: 6pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span></span><span class="item-controlblog-adminpid-1509346930"><span style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><a href="post-edit.g?blogID=8425455912988020456&postID=8593793600503891138" title="Edit Post"><span class="quick-edit-icon2"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; font-size: 4pt; text-decoration: none;"></span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; color: rgb(150, 138, 10); text-decoration: none;"> </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="post-footer-linepost-footer-line-1"><span class="item-controlblog-adminpid-1509346930"><span style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="post-footer-linepost-footer-line-1"><span class="item-controlblog-adminpid-1509346930"><span style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="post-footer-linepost-footer-line-1"><span class="item-controlblog-adminpid-1509346930"><span style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="post-footer-linepost-footer-line-1"><span class="item-controlblog-adminpid-1509346930"><span style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="post-footer-linepost-footer-line-1"><span class="item-controlblog-adminpid-1509346930"><span style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="post-footer-linepost-footer-line-1"><span class="item-controlblog-adminpid-1509346930"><span style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>nonewclothesforayearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13236157549892056537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7640881559192508880.post-82760190298645600862007-11-27T03:50:00.000-08:002007-11-27T03:54:26.970-08:00Update from Nov 12th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIczEpk83Hc2WuAdjRjLHmw-9R-RgIn8G2iKs2yHklZOroWyQtmTEUVDOWC3uqDGATsKyRHGwEsZMRnbdQmc7oIdK6S3VSi1tpnkTwW2mVSpMXS5dpNtIveH6oh8l67vUAy66owbHGoZxj/s1600-h/Train+2000+Pics+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIczEpk83Hc2WuAdjRjLHmw-9R-RgIn8G2iKs2yHklZOroWyQtmTEUVDOWC3uqDGATsKyRHGwEsZMRnbdQmc7oIdK6S3VSi1tpnkTwW2mVSpMXS5dpNtIveH6oh8l67vUAy66owbHGoZxj/s200/Train+2000+Pics+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137487231944313570" border="0" /></a><br /> <p><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" >This blog started life as www.nonewclothesforayear.blogspot.com on Nov 12th. But I forgot the password.</span></b></p><p><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" >It starts again with these files recovered!</span></b></p><p><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" ><br />So here we go.<br />After a false start back in January 2007 when I made a half hearted pledge to stop shopping for new clothes for a year I have decided to give it another go.<br />At 41 years old with four children, a dog, a job and what remains of a social life my wardrobe needs to be adaptable/flexible/magical.<br />Alas, I have made the mistake of assuming the magical aspect will work with each new purchase I make.<br />Sadly, into my fifth decade and I realise it aint going to happen.<br />Instead I decide that I will dress smarter. The first step is to save some cash before buying investing in a brave new wardrobe.<br />I have decided that for one year I will make no more new clothing purchases. The only exception will be hosiery or underwear but only on a replacement basis.<br />No more sneaky additions to the supermarket shop or sidling off to the </span></b><st1:city><st1:place><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" >Sale</span></b></st1:place></st1:city><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" > racks at Whistles and Gap.<br />I am going cold turkey.<br />This weekend I sorted my wardobe and a little magic has already started. After storing some dodgy items in a suitcase, chucking out some deadbeats and lovingly folding the items I bought after a two week dose of (half a stone shedding) flu last winter into a pile on the top shelf of my wardrobe I stepped back.<br />The shoe rack was cleared, the wardrobe dusbusted and I was left with 15 categories of clothes (shoes, boots, jeans, trousers, casual tops, knitwear, shirts, going out tops, skirts, dresses, bags, scarves, jackets, suits and coats).<br />And I have anally applied a number to each item. I want to know what type of clothes I wear the most so I can invest better in November 2008.<br />Back to the magic. Firstly, usually when I sort my wardrobe I become depressed with the clothes that don't fit. After they were swiftly spirited away I decided to try on each of my 21 dresses. And apart from two that I struggled to pull up the zip I found two that actually look much better for the extra pounds I have acquired this year. One is a knee length lace scoop neck shift dress from Next which I bought in 1988 for my future husband's first Works Christmas Do and the second was a midnight blue and black velvet calf length dress (still with the label on) which I bought at the sales last year after it had been slashed by £50 to £19.<br />As Christmas approaches I am starting to feel a little more excited and loving my curvier figure a little more.<br />Secondly, as I dress this morning on the first day of my challenge I start to dress differently.<br />As a dog-walking working part of the time at home mum I want to look stylish yet feel warm and comfortable. Shoes are essential for this. Today instead of working from the middle (jeans or trousers) up I start at the bottom. I select a flat pair of soft brown leather boots (Clarks £65 circa 2006) and then move on to a knee length black velvet needlecord skirt with a green and yellow print (TK Maxx 2004) followed by a black skinny rib polo neck jumper (New Look 2004). For walking the dog I add a mustard Gilet (Primark £5 2007).<br />And reader, it works.<br />My outfit ticks all the boxes and I don't feel depressed at the thought of 365 shoppingfree days to go!</span></b><span style=";font-family:";color:black;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>nonewclothesforayearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13236157549892056537noreply@blogger.com0