The Devil wears Primark.

One of my biggest character flaws, along with probably every other 21 year old girl, is that I spend too much. And I blame this completely upon the fact that one day about 4 years ago, I bought a fashion magazine.

Now the problem with shopping is the more you buy, the more you realise you need. For instance, I recently laddered my very last pair of plain black tights. So, naturally, I need to go buy some more. So upon entering town I am met with a vast and bewildering array of hosiery; from footless tights to fake suspenders, from forest green to mustard yellow, from tights that suck you in and keep you firmly in place to tights that give you the ability to talk to the fat cells in your legs and persuade them to please go away. Well that last part wasn't true but it may aswell have been. This is where it all begins, with every new fashion season I get the same thought process:

Well I always wear black tights, maybe I'll try something different this time. This red pair is quite nice. But what would I wear them with? A simple black dress would be nice with them. Yes I should go buy one. But it's getting cold I'll need some kind of cosy cardigan to wear over it and jazz it up. Oh that's a nice red cardigan over there. Well no that's too much red if I wear them with the tights, maybe I should try a black cardigan or some yellow tights... Or get both.

Dear lord it's a never ending circle of 'if i get A, then logically I must get B'. This is definitely what fashion is all about. You just NEVER have enough clothes. This is the problem with cheap, disposable and trendy clothing. The individual items are cheap, but it soon becomes an incessant cycle of expense. A habit harder to break than smoking. Because once you have entered the sorority of style, you can't just stop. You can not just stop following fashion without making a statement about yourself that either; a) you are now one of the 'out there' fashion forward who don't care what other's think about their new, Lady Gaga-esque Emmental Bra, b) you now stick firmly with the tried and tested jeans, t shirt and trainers combo and for that special occasion, a dress from Jane Norman or c) you have become some so disillusioned with the fashion industry that you buy clothing made solely of hemp and have ceased shaving your armpits and washing your hair.

Now none of these, completely accurate and in no way stereotypical, options really appeals, so I suppose I'll just have to be very British about this and keep calm and carry on. Do not buy any more clothes. Make do and mend, as they did back in the war, that would stop me spending too much of my hard-earned minimum wage.

Having said that I'm now going into Bristol to buy a nice little red knitted hat I've had my eye on, that would go perfectly with my grey cardigan... although it might go better with a black one?