Fashion Blues.

Tuesday is food shop day for me and baba. Grandad Mick comes along too, and we go to a nice Sainsburys superstore, do the shop and have lunch in the cafe. Unlike many people, who see the food shop as another chore, I usually really enjoy it for quite a simple reason. For Sainsburys that reason is TU. If the store is Asda the answer is George, and for the occasional trip to Tesco there’s always F&F. Quite simply, supermarkets give you a sneaky chance to pick up a cheap outfit whilst picking up the bread and milk!

But today I had the fashion blues. Sainsburys new range is fantastic – with studded, long-line knitwear that’s both practical (warm), stylish (the studs) and flattering (long enough to cover a big bum!) Tunic style sweaters, feminine tees with lace inserts and fabulous winter coats in rich colours were really enough to make the mouth water long before I had spotted the muffins in the cafe. In addition, there was 25% off all clothing for one week, which meant that the already reasonable prices were even more value. I spotted at least 3 items that I will definitely be buying – a black studded cardi, a china blue tee with lacy bits, and a red and white jersy style dress, but I didn’t buy anything.Why?

The simple answer is the blasted weather. It’s August, I’m looking at Winter coats and it feels so cold I have a view to putting it on when I leave the store. The wind is billowing through my thin cotton top, my feet look stupid in my wedge sandals, and I’ve just seen a women wearing a padded puffa jacket (I know – no excuse for that in any weather, but you see my point.)

The whole beauty of buying clothes for the new season is that you can look forward to wearing them when the weather changes. This is especially true in the Summer. We can buy jumpers, but feel grateful we may not have to wear them for a month, or even two. I’m not quite ready to abandon my summery maxis and wedges yet, but today it felt like they may have seen their day, at least for this Summer.

I never really understand the celebs who want to be so fashion-forward they’re wearing clothes two seasons in advance. It always feels a little bit like opening your Christmas presents in November. It’s nice to enjoy each season while it lasts. But today, looking at the pristine rails of sweaters and cardigans, I felt that maybe this year I might be ‘so next season'(Although the way fashion moves, that’s probably Spring 2011 now).

Returning home I decided to improve my fashion mood with a flick through the new weekly mags. This just annoyed me even more. Apparently, Aussie model Jessica Hart is a new style crush. STYLE CRUSH! PLEASE! She basically looks like some scruffy student from the early 90’s who spends most of the day listening to The Levellers. Think every student fashion cliché. Tie Dye – check, Doc Marten Boots – check, 3 day unwashed scruffy hair – check, khaki parka – check, geek glasses = check. Yet this girl is a new fashion crush. Fashion crushes should surely be aspirational as well as inspirational? We want to wear McQueen couture in our dream world, not sit and knot t-shirts before sticking them in Dylan’s fun colour!

It’s not really Jessica Hart’s fault, she didn’t ask to be described as a fashion crush, and if she wants to dress like see’s seeing the world from a Winnebago then that’s fine by me. But please don’t describe the girl as the new Brigitte Bardot. Bardot looked a dream in gingham, not stretch lycra and converse.

I carried on reading Look and my fashion blues did subside. I fell in love with the Valentino Rose tote, a snip from £1,100. Now thats what I call a fashion crush. Beautiful and perfect, whatever the weather…

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