OMG SHOPPING!...

Annoyingly, this blog is listed in a blog directory I didn't ask to be in as being about "Shopping, Shopping and more Shopping!" Um, no it's not. OK, I mention clothes quite a bit, but whatever software they used to trawl my site for keywords would not have found "Shopping!" written about all that much; and certainly not in a capitalized manner. Shopping in London doesn't float my boat that much to be honest. I only really enjoy buying clothes in Paris and I can't really do that much anymore with the current exchange rate.

But today they are actually right because I went shopping, sorry Shopping! - in and around Oxford Street no less. I went to: Uniqlo, Topshop, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Zara, American Apparel, Reiss, French Connection, Muji and Liberty (but only for a browse and a cuppa - their 15% off for cardholders thing wasn't enough when the scarf I fell in love with was £430). You may or may not know that I have a few, um, holes in my wardrobe and since it was my birthday yesterday I decided to do a bit of wardrobe basics replenishment, as cheaply as possible, instead of feeling bitter about having to wear the same three T-shirts in rotation.

First up, Steven Alan at Uniqlo. I had a feeling I might have it all to myself and I did. Pristine rails with every piece in every size available. As I was trying stuff on, a few people drifted through trying on the odd thing but it was in no way designer collaboration mayhem as in days of yore. Probably less to do with the "current climate" than Steven Alan not being heard of here unless you've been Shopping! in New York or were curious after the launch was mentioned in Grazia. But yes, so, all.so.cheap. I mean, everything was roughly £20 and even better had managed to avoid the Uniqlo + me curse whereby everything there is not quite right: the fabric is too heavy, there's topstitching where I don't want it to be, the stripe is too wide etc etc. None of that. Did I mention it was really cheap? This made it hard to choose but in the end I bought the crossback dress (pictured) in black.

And beige. And military green. I couldn't choose. The beige could perhaps be a bit Roger Whittaker, the green a bit Travis Bickle - do you see? Oh no, you can't see actually. The front is button down with two sets of patch pockets. I'm allowing myself to keep two, but definitely the black. I also bought a stripy dress, a stripy shirt and a gingham shirt and still struggled to spend £100. I also tried on a pair of Opening Ceremony mens' khaki trews but the cut didn't work on me.

After that it was all downhill and apart from a new pair of Muji slippers, a straw hat and a bikini top (apparently I'm confident there will be a summer) I didn't get anything else. Liberty is looking AMAZING, or should that be Amazing! at the moment and I saw Ines de la Fressange in the shoe dept who looked exactly as one would expect her too: thin and glossy and surrounded by tanned euro accented men.

But more importantly: beige or green?