So many clothes, so many looks, so little time, nowhere to go and not quite enough money. I am talking about the new season dilemma which hits you every year when the new collections start entering the shops. I am referring to the dilemma of deciding what to buy, what look to go for and then breaking it down into finer details of actual want vs actual need. The other dilemma and breakdown you need to look at is of course actual cost vs actual budget. To find enough ‘needs’ to compensate for all ‘wants’ is a pretty simple task but finding enough cash to match the list of wants is slightly harder without letting your children go without food and shelter.

In this materialistic world we are living in you just want so much… you, meaning myself and I am sure millions of other women out there. I would love a complete new wardrobe but I am actually not very good at just buying for the sake of it. In the good old days when I actually earned an income, I was really good at impuls buys and filling my wardrobe with things I only used once or not at all. On the other hand, the neighbourhood charity shop was forever grateful for my yearly donations.
These days, I am more careful with my shopping. No income and no glitzy West end parties to go to I am in less need of high heels, glitzy tops and figure-hugging dresses. With the hills of Devon, not to mention Totnes’ high street, high heels and tight outfits just don’t work, especially when pushing buggy or when playing hide and seek in the park.

This is a pretty exciting time of the year. Out with the old, in with the new. I am furiously scanning all magazines and their catwalk pictures to try to find what look would be mine for the winter. There are just so many gorgeous looks and outfits. The sad truth is that I can’t have it all. But I suppose it makes the choosing a bit more savoured.

I totally love the suited and booted female ‘man-look’ with this season’s high waisted trousers, a crisp white shirt and a fitted waistcoat worn with a jacket and some high heeled boots.
I also love the orgy of really bright colours mixed together like an artist’s paint-pallet. One of those looks which is quite hard to pull off in real life. Works best on the catwalk but could most definitely be done on a smaller scale in the ‘real world’.

Knitwear, knitwear, knitwear! Another fabulous look every winter season craves. This year shows the knitwear being both chunkier, bigger and longer than we have seen it for at least two decades. Girls, if you can’t afford your favourite jumper get your needles out and start knitting yourself. It may not make the same result as the lovely, chunky Farhi cardigan or the ski-print Odd Molly cardi just new in on the website but the feeling of wearing something homemade is really special. Then again, that is another of my things… I love making things, sewing or knitting, but very often they end up at the back of the wardrobe due to miscalculations when trying to create my own designs. At least I am having fun doing it.

So with limited needs and limited funds what is a woman to do? Well, I feel no rush. I am still getting some last minute use out of my summer-dresses before the temperature falls. The October issues of all big glossy magazines have just started to hit the shelves and I will make sure I find enough time to get some more ideas for what my winter will be like.
Need to remember to put in request for increased allowance from husband and come up with a few more ‘needs’ to justify increased expenditure… or take up evening-cleaning job!

Written by Malin Hosie