With a very important wedding to attend in the next few weeks, the thought of having to buy something suitable for myself as the proud mother of the groom fills me with a mix of excitement and dread. I want to look my best of course, but I need to take in account that the wedding is very, very low-key and definitely not an occasion for hats or even a wee little fascinator. Trousers are at the moment a must due to the poorly leg, and a heel over a few centimetres high will no doubt raise the stakes in the likelihood that I will losing my balance and go flying at some point, and knowing my luck, at the most inopportune time! So, best to play safe and stick to flats.

Fortunately, a little trip to Bath last Saturday to meet my lovely friends I’d met on social media, meant that they took me by the hand, figuratively speaking, and marched me into one of my favourite shops, Phase Eight, and loaded me down with armfuls of lovely tops. They refused to listen to my excuses for not trying them on because what was the point, they wouldn’t suit me,and frog marched me into the changing rooms to try them all on.Ten minutes later the perfect top was bought and I’d even managed to buy a necklace as well. How painless was that!

Buying clothes for myself is a of the bane of my life. In my mind, it’s something that has to be done, especially when the clothes that I do have start falling apart, or, more likely, get too tight to wear. I find it hard to spend money on things to wear as I think of it as an indulgence, a treat or even something a bit frivolous rather than as a necessity and therefore should really only be bought with birthday money, a concept that Mr R finds pretty ridiculous, but then he has no qualms what so ever buying the odd new shirt or trousers. Needless to say whilst my wardrobe is woefully skimpy, his is bursting at the seams. Shouldn’t that really be the other way round!!

Another reason why I hate buying clothes is that in all honesty I havent the foggiest idea what I should wear and what would look remotely good on me. I read articles that ask me what part of my I figure I consider the best bit to show off and I have to say none of it apart from maybe my left shoulder, but I can list as long as my arm the bits that need disguising…bum,tum,boobs,upper arms,thighs, knees and non existent ankles! I am, at 5ft, petite in height, but like an over stuffed sausage in width and that makes me an impossible size in the high street stores. Petite ranges tend to stop at size 16 and the length of average clothes for me is far too long. I usually have no option but to buy the short length trousers in M&S, but I find the cut means they fit badly and gape around the back of the waist band. I’m forever showing a good few inches of my knickers, a fact that doesn’t go unnoticed by the little darlings in my class. “Mrs Ravenscroft, I can see your pants!” Six year olds tend to say it as it is!

Colour is another sticking point. What colours should I wear? Left to my own devices I would opt for a safe but boring black,grey or navy. Last year, one of our speakers at my WI was a very glamorous and stylish lady from The House Of Colour. She showed us how colour can enhance the way we look and feel. Getting my colours done was something I had always fancied doing, so I went along to one of her colour analysis days and discovered that I am a leafy Autumn and suits lovely rich shades of greens, browns, reds and teals. I came away armed with a wallet of swatches of my perfect colours determined to never buy black, navy or grey again. But being me, I still dither and find it really, really hard to take the plunge and buy anything that might get me noticed!

I envy people who are confident and adventurous in their choice of clothing. Who know their style and know how to make the most of their figure, no matter what shape or size they are. Dawn French is an example of someone of a similar age and shape as me who always looks fab whatever she is wearing. I wonder if she is free one weekend for a little girlie shopping trip and share a few of her style tips? Probably not, so meanwhile I shall continue to have the wardrobe blues and maybe think about wearing smaller knickers!