As a blogger I’m always noting down phrases and comments that resonate with me. Could they be the subject of my next blog? Usually I agree with them. Sometimes not. This is one where I can’t quite make up my mind. 

Firstly, hands up I don’t have a huge interest in clothes. I skim the fashion pages of magazines (unless it is a fitness feature), labels are a bit of mystery and I wouldn’t recognise a designer bag if I tripped over it on the dance floor. When I do recognise one I often think that the owner must have just returned from a holiday in Turkey. 

I rarely go shopping. I hate it with a passion. On the occasions I do I spend most of the time in the coffee shop. So I go online. And now that I’m happy with my body shape I’m rarely disappointed with my purchases.

There are few things worse (for me) than shopping for a special occasion when the primary objective is to hide the fat. The frustration of inconsistent sizing, the heat of the changing rooms and ultimately settling for something that makes you look a little sleeker than the other dozen outfits you tried on. 

It has to be one of the greatest pleasures after losing weight that you can dress for what you look good in and not what provides the most flattering coverage. 

But I still hate changing rooms. Even more so following an embarrassing encounter trying to dodge an old women. Turns out it was my reflection. 

But if I’m a little ambivalent about whether clothes reflect how we value ourselves I’m positive that they can shout out how much we value other people. We dress up for weddings and other occasions. Not to do so would be disrespectful. And I don’t think that is my age speaking. We dress for the organisations we work for. Over the course of my career I have sat on numerous interview panels. Turning up for an interview in jeans is not good. And on the odd occasion when a successful, suited and booted, candidate turns up for their first day dressed for manual labour I feel duped. 

But before I get off my soapbox there is the issue of how the fashion industry treats older women (although I think it is improving). Fashion magazines are  full of young girls that can get away with exposing huge amounts of flesh or are dressed in clothes that would be just frumpy on an older body. There are very few articles for the older woman and when there are the model is decades younger than the audience. It is the same in the fitness industry where exercises for the older adult are often demonstrated using young, lithe, lycra clad models. However, I have admitted to rarely looking at fashion magazines so I may be way off base with this view.

Our relationship with clothes is important. Financially we could spend a small fortune so not good for the purse but knowing that you look good is priceless for our self esteem and emotional well-being. This is their true value. 

Finally, my featured image is a montage of a few of my favourite outfits. Two were bought online (Next and Boohoo), one on a visit to Center Parcs (Vero Moda) and the last during a lunchtime shop (Hennes). I’m fortunate to work close to Oxford Street so I can get the pain over with during the working day.