IF I BOUGHT EVERYTHING I LOVED, I'D BE LIVING IN A SHOE...

In my head there’s a fashion graveyard. Clothes, shoes, bags that I loved but for whatever reason did not come home with me. I would go and visit them on their hangers or shelves and the sales assistants would roll their eyes. Other, more elusive items would be searched for high and low and the fact they were sold out or unavailable, of course made me covet them all the more.

By the time I tracked down a pair of Marc Jacobs mouse shoes (circa 1998) in the New York store they had been featured in every magazine and their allure was tainted. My mission finally accomplished I walked away and on to the next obsession.

Today I walked into Koh Samui in Covent Garden and there were loads of Balenciaga Lariat and Chloe Paddington bags - all at half price. No waiting list? No snagging the last one just before someone else? Not interested. Over. Next!

'It' items that will only ever give you momentary or at least a season of satisfaction aside, there are other things - yes just pieces of fabric - that have stayed with me, that I've actually pined for a bit. Knowing that if I had purchased them they would be by now like old friends, still worn and loved.
So in the spirit of 'clearing a space so that new stuff can show up' I give you, in no particular order, but certainly spanning the last 12 or so years:

ALL THE THINGS I NEVER DID BUY:

A.P.C University of Nowhere sweatshirt, olive green beach towel, aviators, boy shirt, trench coat
Prada metallic green buckle shoes and the ones with the leather flowers
Ann Demeulemeester tuxedo shirt
Christine Bec leopard print fedora hat
A second pair of Marc Jacobs Mary Janes to replace the ones I trashed
Let’s face it, practically every Marc Jacobs shoe ever.
Cream leather Converse low tops
Black vintage pleated chiffon ‘50s cocktail dress from Beyond Retro
Jane Mayle silk and cashmere dress
Miu Miu burgundy sequinned Mary Janes with cone heel
Jil Sander electric blue draped wool dress
Marc Jacobs mouse shoes
Francesca Amitheatrof pendant ring
Christian Louboutin round toe high pumps
Big suede Marni shoulder bag
Alessandro dell’Acqua black dress with appliquéd flowers from Luisa Via Roma
Tiffany platinum diamond star pendant
YSL smoky sunglasses
Marni corduroy trousers and the other stuff they gave me to wear then made me give back!
Martine Sitbon grey suede round toe pumps with ankle ties
Martin Grant teal cashmere/wool princess coat
Martin Margiela deconstructed Birkin bag
Isabel Marant chain strap bag, ballet pumps with pompoms, Indian cotton dresses
'50s buttons from the haberdashery in the Marais
All the fab '80s couture frocks D tried to give me but I STUPIDLY declined
Gucci mohair wrap coat
The only Missoni scarf I ever saw that was absolutely perfect

I’m sure there are loads more I’ve forgotten. And of course my wardrobe is littered with things I absolutely COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT which now languish under a layer of dust, having been worn once and cruelly discarded. Fashion is fickle. Yesterday’s Helmut Lang is today’s Lanvin is tomorrow’s ebay…