What a Porker!!

I feel that it is time for a rant!!

I am going to a wedding reception this Saturday night and I discovered I had nothing to wear, as I spend my life in wellies and riding shirts. Hit the shops I thought.

So off i went to Berwick- Upon- Tweed, thinking I was bound to get a lovely dress that would be perfect. Into New Look and all that was on offer was the usual casual wear, all made from the cheapest material and to be honest looked as if it would unravel in the washing machine. Not going to get anything here then, I thought.

Off to Dorothy Perkins, same as the above, not a single thing which could be used for that type of function.

And so it went on and a traipsed into every single clothes shop in the town. In sheer desperation I went into the local designer label shop ( I don't usually go there as I refuse to pay the exuberant prices) I saw this dress, lovely it was, made by Firetrap, and teamed with the right accessories it would be perfect. "What size" said the man. "Well I'm usually a 12/ 14 it depends on the cut". "A large" he says, as he thrusts the £95 dress into my hand. I trotted off into the changing room and slipped it over my head. "Mum can you please zip it up for me?" "Not a hope in hell" she says, "You need at least another 6 inches of material to get it to meet!". My mum is a whiz at sewing and if I had found out about this event sooner she would have made me a dress. She measured my bra against the dress and it was no way a size 12 let alone 14. Outrageous I thought, you pay all that money for the label and you don't even get the cloth to go with it!

My quest for an outfit then took me to Kelso, where I found the most amazing tailors shop. Munroe's near Somerfield (please go a must for bridal/ ball gowns etc). Upon walking in you could tell it was quality, lovely cuts, good fabric and taste! Not some Friday night pulling outfit, but real classy. The problem with this shop is that the dresses were too nice. However if I get a Prince Charming to marry me or even take me to a ball, then I know where to go for a dress.

Eventually I ended up in Galashiels and after traipsing round Next, Tesco, Asda, M&S etc I got something to wear, only in each shop I was a different size, and also I was trying on size 18 clothes when I only officially measure up to a size 12/14. As you can imagine I was mortified with this and vowed to cut out all the labels when I got home, so that no-one could see what a fat porker I had become. I did however really feel down about the job, but when I reflect now, it must be quite horrible for all women to go into shops and have to try on sizes much larger than they would normally wear, a real downer on someones self-esteem.

I do think though that clothes have gone down the swanny in quality terms and that if you pay £20 for a top then you should get a) the right amount of fabric, b) something which is made from decent fabric and not something which will disintegrate in the washing machine.

Well that is it for my rant, and feel much better. My self-esteem is back up as I realise that the its the shops which are a fault, not me.