Like everyone I have been busy constantly christmas shopping these last few weeks . I have noticed most of the shops already have reductions and sales but have not seen anything I would buy within the discounted ranges. Purchases I have made have all been at full price. Clothe items I have bought as presents for my daughters and husband for christmas have been from either Republic, as my eldest is working here now at weekends and gets 50% discount!! or online from Jack Wills, as there is not a store in Leicester or from Joules in Market Harborough again for the specific brand. The only cheaper items have been from Primark just because they are so very cheap! Oh! and a handbag for £8 from new look. One thing I did notice in Primark was when looking at their pyjamas there were some similar ones to a pair I bought from George recently for the same price ,but the George ones are much better quality.

This week I made a spontaneous purchase at George ! I went to do my weekly food shop and on prominent display as you enter Asda were dressing gowns in a variety of colours, there was a leopard print one which caught my eye, and at a great value price of only £18 I treated myself to one! It is not very often I buy something I do not really need, so great merchandising George! I have been looking for a new evening top I could wear for various Christmas functions I have coming up. I say a top, as I have some black evening trousers I could wear which I bought last year and by way of economy it would be cheaper to just buy a new top rather than a whole new outfit, but I would be open minded if I saw something I really like. I had a brief visit to Highcross shopping centre last night when dropping my daughter off in town and looked in Zara. I tried on half a dozen tops I liked but felt none of them did me any justice on. I also looked in Oasis and Monsoon but there was nothing. I looked at Top Shop and their garments were very retro funky, great if you are a size 8 teenager but I would look like I was wearing fancy dress !

We had a day out recently and went to Matlock Bath as a family. What an expensive day out this turned out to be! As we were in the area we decided to take a look at the John Smedley factory shop and see if there was any nice knitwear in stock. There were loads of great cardigans and jumpers and bought seven items between us. They are excellent quality and averaged at about £30 - £35 per item. In the shops these would be selling at around £150 each so did feel we had done well. This is a prime example of 'what constitutes quality'. In this instance we are primarily paying for the name. Other than this shopping I have had an economical month and avoided the clothes shops.

I blogged early last time as I was going away and did not get the blog topic until my return, so thought I would do it this time and hope it is still useful and not too late. My first reaction to what makes a brand good quality was 'price'. You get what you pay for. But on reflection feel that reputation counts for a huge amount of how I feel about a brand. I do not consider George clothing to be good quality, but do think it is good for the price. I have never had any issues with items I have bought from George, with regard to durability or how they wash, so in that respect I guess they are good quality. However in my head I never have any great expectations for quality from George. I would consider from the list of shops provided that ASOS and Matalan were very cheap quality and beneath George. I believe this is true from experience from items I have bought and they have not lasted. Florence and Fred and TU would be equal in Quality to George. M & S and Next would be better quality than George. I am not sure why I think the later are better, other than their reputation. They have always promoted themselves as always willing to exchange their goods, 'No questions asked' if unhappy with the item for any reason. This instils a confidence in the buyer that the company back their products 100%, therefore making us think the products must be good quality. This therefore is my suggestion for George to impart their improved quality to the public by endorsing all products with money back guarantee if not completely satisfied. This may in fact currently be the case anyway but is not promoted to my knowledge. The last shop, Topshop, I think is quite expensive compared to the others mentioned and do not feel they offer particularly good quality for the price. I feel here you are very much paying a premium for the high fashion brand targeting youngsters. Finally I think to bring George up a level in considered quality you need to improve the presentaion of the goods within the shop. I think at the moment it is presented as 'supermarket' clothing rather than George as a clothing retailer in its own right. I think the George area should be more defined and updated.

I have not really been clothes shopping or bought very much in the last couple of weeks as I seem to have spent so much during September. The only item I bought for myself was a simple red vest top with lycra which I had been looking for to go under various tops I have already. I found one eventually in Zara for £6. I also bought my youngest daughter a turquoise knitted dress and three quarter sleeved top in the same colour from H & M. The top was £5 and the dress £20. My eldest daughter started a new Saturday job last weekend and needed to wear plain black trousers and shoes along with uniform logo top. These she found in New Look. The trousers were £14 and the shoes £15. I did look around Asda when I went food shopping last week but thought the stock was quite Dowdy for the winter season , so did not see anything I would buy. I also looked around Sainsburys clothing section with my sister in law. They had a half price sale. I did not buy anything for the overspend reasons as above but could have been tempted into a few bargains had I not managed to resist. My sister in law did buy two casual tops and a cardigan though, as they were at knock down prices.

Have had a really busy month, with three Birthdays in our family in the space of a week. So have been into Leicester shopping on several occassions and bought lots of new clothes. Many of the shops have some nice items for autumn / winter. I love red at the moment and there seems to be plenty of it around. My favourite ones for this season being Miss Selfridge, H & M, Top Shop and the new Highcross Zara. I think these new Highcross shops ,being larger than we have had previously are carrying more choice in their stock as well as the shops looking bright and new and therefore appealling to me. I bought a red short sleeve cardigan for myself in Miss Selfridge and an orange long cardigan in Top Shop as well as (finally) a long silk / wool mix navy cardigan in Zara. I also bought a couple of simple long sleeved tops from New Look aswell as a shiney red handbag. For my husband I have bought a couple of shirts for work from Marks and Spencer as well as a Paul Smith jumper from Josephs in Market Harborough. My daughter has had various simple long sleeve tops from River Island and a Tan long cardigan and cream pumps from Top Shop. She has also bought some tan leather boots from Faith with money she had for her birthday. My daughters have also bought various items of jewellery , handbags, tops and knitwear from Primark. But we all agree stock is not very interesting in there at the moment. I am also waiting for Zara to have a further delivery of cardigans I like with gold buttons running between the cuff and elbow, which each time I go in have sold out. They tell me this is one of their best sellers at the moment for only £20 it comes in several colours and you have to be quick to snap one up! I am also looking for some new wider leg jeans but have not found any yet that fit quite right. Gap had some nice ones at competative prices ,but their sizes go up in two inch increments for the waist and I seem to be between sizes. Principles and Wallis both had some that fit but I am not too sure the denim fabric is quite right so will come back to these if I don't find any better.

Aghh! Too many topics all at once to give it my best attention but here goes......

News of the world feature

Thought this was quite a nice publicity idea to bring the George name to the fore but had to read the offer several times to understand what was actually being offered and still not entirely sure if it is just month by month feature or if there will also be an overall winner at the end of the campaign. The clothes that were featured this time on the 'models' did not particularly do any of them justice and certainly would not make me rush to Asda to buy. I realise they have been styled by, I presume a professional, but thought there must have been better choice of items that would suit the girls. Maybe there is some merit in using real models with legs that go up to their armpits to show jeans at there best! No disrespect to the girls, who were all very slim and pretty!

Brands

I think it would be a great idea for George to stock brands. I do not think they should be separated into their own section but intermingled throughout the departments. Therefore encouraging people to notice George items as well, which would compliment the brands. I think to also sell on line as well as instore to obtain more coverage. I do not think they should be limited to certain areas but should be available in mens and ladies casual and smart. With this in mind I have been trying to think of good examples that would realisticly fit into the George priceing levels. Brands such as Miss Sixty or Deisel for example would be too expensive. So my only thoughts were for some of the labels they sell in Republic such as Soul Cal, Life and Legend or Henleys. These are all popular, not too expensive, but high fashion brands, producing both mens and womens wear, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, jeans as well as more dressier skirts, blouses and shirts. If you wanted to take it a step further they also do accessories.

Bag for Life

When I go food shopping I always take my own 'bag for life'. When I go clothes shopping I never think to do this currently. However, once I have made a purchase any subsequent items I buy I will say 'don't worry about a bag ' and put it in the bag with the first purchase. As long as there is room! I think I would prefer a coated plastic type to cloth but do not think I would buy at the moment. I would still adopt my current policy in saving and recycling. I do not think I would necessarily buy a George one if I ever do decide to go down that route. If I was to take a shopping bag out with me as force of habit I would sooner buy a large bag I had chosen as a sort of accessory. I do think once we are more adjusted to reusing bags on clothes purchases as we have become in food buying situations it is a great idea to give away reusable bags, therefore benefiting from the free advertising. As far as the suggested illustrations are concerned, I disliked the style of the first four, with number 3 'bag it don't bin it' coming in as the corniest slogan. The style of these is far more suited to food shopping than clothes shopping. My favourite bags were numbers 5 and 6 as I liked the shape of the bag as well as the bright yellow and black colours and the very girlie flowery designs. They are 'happy' feeling colours and designs. Which clothes shopping should be.

The experience of shopping at Primark is one I dislike immensely ,but this is totally overidden by the bargains to be found in there! In my view, they have a continuous flow of incoming new stock and do not seem to hold on to stock for long, so each time you go, there are always different items to be seen. Mostly bad, but always "a Jewel" amongst them. During the summer they have stocked many linen items, trousers, cropped trousers, skirts, shorts and shirts in many styles and colours. They are not great quality, but for the price a stock summer item you can not do without. They have also had many variations of plain T-shirts with different sleeves and necklines. With this choice there is a style to suit everyone. For the autumn they have a vast aray of fine knit cardigans and jumpers, again in many styles and colours. Aswell as staple items like the above they will always throw in copies of whatever is the latest teenage must have. For example "Keds" plimsoles. My daughters and their friends all have a pair in every colour. They would have deliveries of them every day but if you were not in the shop before 11am they had all sold! They fall to pieces after a short life but that does not matter to them as they will not be wearing them in another 6 months! It is throw away fashion. I do not think the quality is any better or worse recently. Other key items they often get right are the latest belts and handbags.They are currently stocking a large oversized handbag in various colours,very high fashion and ideal for back to school to carry your books. A sell out again! I do not think George is a comparable. George is slightly better in quality but higher in price and way off the mark for high fashion. In order to sell volumes like Primark, George would need to come down to give away prices like Primark, which would in turn then reduce the quality they could produce. At this level of garment quality I do not think that would matter, as Primark have discovered in their leadership in the marketplace. People will buy in volumes if the price is cheap enough!

I have not given Chrismas a single thought until I received your email and my 1st thoughts are that of dread!! I really can not afford it this year and the thought of trying to think of different ideas for people within a limited budget is not something I relish. I don't usually start thinking about Christmas until about October. We have many Birthdays to get through in September first. It is unlikely I will do any shopping online,I havn't in the past. I would normally just pick up odd iems as I see them from October onwards ,rather than go out specifically 'Chrismas shopping'. The only items I may compare prices online are dvd's, books and cd's against Asda who are usually very competative. As I have not thought about christmas yet I have not given any thought to what big presents I might buy. Probably none, looking a my current bank balance. The only store I know I shall be rushing to and looking forward to shopping for presents in is the soon to be opened John Lewis. I would like to see Asda for Christmas stock more fashionable accessories, as in belts, handbags, shoes and jewelery ,at reasonable prices of course!!

Last Friday my 14 and 15 year old daughters and myself went into Leiceser in search of school uniforms and shoes for the forthcoming school year. (Where did the summer go to!!) Their priority is fashion and style, mine is price and adhereing to school regulations. We all agree fit is important but durability and comfort do not come into the equation at their age. We generally will shop for completely new uniforms at the begining of a school year and then odd items during the year as and when they need replacing. We had already bought directly from the school at the end of last term a school logo polo shirt each at the ready. Their uniform is fairly flexible in that it must be plain black trousers/skirt, black cardigan/jumper and white collared t-shirt/ blouse. There can be no logos. We found alot of the fashion items did sport logos, and I was not going to bend the rules on this. (Lots of moaning about what other peoples mothers allow!!) We found that the large stores offering uniforms like Asda, BHS and Marks & Spencers etc. are very much geared towards younger children in their styles. (I would have bought from here when they were younger and didn't have such a strong opinion on fashion for school.) So we ventured into high street fashion stores. Here we found cardigans and jumpers abound at around £15-£25. Trousers were harder as they wanted jeans 'style' ones but the school does not allow jeans. This I think is a fine line as to what constitutes jeans. Is it the fabric or the style? As for white tops, we were looking for a plain collared t-shirt but all had a stripe on the collar or around the sleeve or a logo. The polo shirts offered as 'uniform' are very 'T' in shape and we wanted something more fitted like a a girls Fred Perry. We eventually bought a pair each of jeans style but stretch cotton trousers from H & M for £15 each and a pair each of bootleg viscose smarter black trousers from an independant store-Blue Star- for £13 each. We have bought these before and they do not last more than about a term but is my safety net in case the school do not approve of the first. We also bought a jumper & cardigan each from Primark for only £6 per item. As always by far the cheapest for the same quality and had a vast selection of styles. As for white shirts, we still need to find , but they can get by for now with ones they wore last year, as well as the school issue, until we come across new ones we like. Shoes, we bought a pair of black leather pumps each from Faith and a pair of fake 'Keds' each from River Island. I have not been aware of any specific advertising for school uniforms so can not comment on this. My only suggestion for future stock I would like to see in Asda would be a teenage school range incorporating current trends.

I am back from my lovely holiday to Cyprus and have to admit I did not need to have rushed around buying last minute clothes to take! I did not wear half the daytime items I bought, and the same for the children. We could have just taken our new bikinis and a couple of wraps. When will I learn!! In relation to your email of last month I very rarely buy clothes for my husband with the exception of maybe work shirts and underwear or a clothing gift at Birhdays and Christmas as he has strong views as to what he likes and dislikes and enjoys chosing his own clothes. Unlike myself who is prepared to buy cheaper clothing in todays credit crunch, he will not compromise and will only wear good brands he feels comfortable in like Paul Smith or John Smedley. He would rather have fewer good items than more cheaper ones. I think it is easier for men as the styles do not vary so much for them. If you own a good pair of jeans, fine knit jumper and collared shirt or T-shirt you can always look good. But for woman, width of trousers, length of skirt, height of shoes is ever changing and what you bought today can be old hat tomorrow. I did watch the television program in relation to Primark and child labour. I actually felt sorry for Primark to be singled out for this program as I feel that I am sure that many high street shops where the clothes are made in India would have the same problems. Unfortunately different cultures have different ethics. Whilst I strongly disagree with the use of child labour and low pay, this is their only income and without it they would starve or be forced into far worse such as prostitution. I would like to think that Primark would now be more dilligent about continued vetting of the companies they deal with in India to ensure good workforce standards are maintained and work is not subbed out to child labour having been exposed in this way. That said, unless we boycott all third world country produce we can never be sure of its journey and the only people who will suffer are the very poor. So to sum up, whilst disturbed by the program, I will continue to buy cheap clothing made in a third world country including from Primark and ethical responsibility lies with the companies providing the goods. Is this burying my head? I hope not.

Last couple of weeks I have been looking for last minute holiday clothes for myself for our family holiday to Cyprus.I went back over to the factory shop in Rothwell in search of a new bikini(having unsuccessfully found anything in any other shops that gave sufficient support and fit). I bought another Freya one in a floral orange / white and green.Whilst more expensive at £30 compared to shops like M & S and BHS etc it is worth the extra.I also wanted some more simple strap tops for every day wear and a day skirt or dress.I looked in Asda,new look, H & M, top shop, Primark, Dorothy Perkins and Next.Ended up buying a dark grey top with crocheted muscle back in New Look reduced to £3 and success in Primark again! with 2 for £2 tops (one striped and one plain) and a white linen skirt reduced to £3. I found the choices in the other shops seemed to have a small amount of detail across the top but were beween £8- £14 which seemed alot for something I would only wear on holiday. I also went to Allandale Road shopping area. I would in the past before the current 'credit crunch' have bought many of my clothes from the independant shops here but find I can not afford to at present.I thought I would take a look for something special to treat myself. Many of the shops have 30 to 50% off in their sale so prices did not seem too bad. I bought a nice red jersey and chiffon long top for £28 reduced from £40 and a turquoise dip dyed strappy T-shirt for only £7.50 which was a 75% reduction. I am packing today and look forward to wearing my new clothes on holiday which come to far less money altogether than I would have spent on maybe one item in the past.

Swimwear is an item I am currently looking for at the moment for my holiday this year.The last couple of bikinis I have bought have been from a factory shop in Rothwell who make swimwear and underwear so their products are sized and structured like underwear and give good support.They make various brands but mine are Freya.I did go over there a couple of weeks ago but its a bit hit and miss as to what stock and sizes they have in because it is a factory shop and they did not have anything suitable at the time.I have seen a number in Asda which I liked the styles of and tried on,however all the tops seemed to be cut in exactly the same way,although different styles, and with every one of them I was falling out of the bottom of the cup.The cup size is ok but they did not fit close to the body and stood proud of my rib cage.I always go for a bikini rather than swimsuit or tankini because I want a maximum tan all over on holiday.Whilst I love the look of halterneck tops I never buy them as this gives you tan lines across your chest towards your neck which then looks ridiculous with strappy dresses and tops.As far as strapless bikinis go I am yet to find one that will support my southerly heading boobs!What I would like to find ideally is a fashionable(this is very important as I do not want to look too old and sensible on the beach) underwired bikini with straps that are not too wide but not shoestring.They definately need to be adjustable straps like a bra to give lift.I would prefer the mix and match separates option as all bodies are different and a top that suits me is not always matched to the correct style of bottoms that suit when in a set.Bottoms I like are varied from thin sided or tied to shorts, all subject to the particular cut of the style.I certainly would not consider thongs at my age and never think men should wear them at any age!! I would be open to trying on tummy support styles but not sure how frumpy they would look.As far as patterns and colours go I am very open minded.I like classic colours but also think bright fluorescents look great.Paisley is very in at the moment and I think that would look great in swimwear.The only one I would avoid is white as this can be see through when wet and you dont find this out until too late on the beach!Girlie is good with mixed patterned fabrics and frills(in moderation of course) to distract from the lumps and bumps.Finally I never buy with metal rings as decoration between the cups or on the hips as in my experience they can get very hot in the sun!

My daughter has a school prom in a few weeks time so took her into Leicester to find an outfit.She had already seen a dress she liked on line in River Island so we headed straight for there.It was available and she tried it on,we both agreed it looked lovely.How easy was that!!Next we needed shoes to go with it.There were several pairs she liked also in River Island but we struggled to find an assistant to help us with sizes.It took us aproximately 10 mins to get help.I wonder if they ever sell any shoes.There was a pair we both really loved but they were extremely high and I felt she may regret that by the end of the evening when her feet were killing her,so decided to look around elsewhere.Oh! and they were also quite expensive at £50,but good quality leather.We then trawled around Next shoes,Debenhams,Rackhams & Miss Selfridge all of which had no assistants around to help with getting sizes.We then went on to actual shoe shops like Schuh and Faith.They were all so much more geared up to selling, with plenty of help on hand,but unfortunately we didnt see anything she liked as much as the first ones in River Island.So,3 hours later and getting fed up we felt maybe we would just go back and get those,but first we would just try New Look as a last ditched attempt.Shoe shopping in here is the worst.No seating & few mirrors and all a bit of a jumble and certainly no assistants.However they do have all sizes on display.There was a pair of black and Cream patent shoes almost identical to the ones she liked in River Island and they had a slightly lower heel and were less than half the price at £20.She tried them on and they looked nice and were comfortable.We agreed the quality was not as good but she may not have many opportunities to wear them often,so decided to go for them on the basis with the money we saved she could get some stuff from Primark.So next into Primark and bought a pair of Linen trousers for her & a pair for my other daughter and a pair for myself.These are great value at only £8 a pair and come in many colours.We already have several pairs.We also bought 2 bikinis,2 chiffony beach tops and 2 pairs of linen shorts and a T shirt for me.And all for less than £50.Really as much as I like to hate Primark, for "disposable"clothing they really are very good value.The worst thing about the shop is queueing up 20 deep for the changing rooms and then again at the tills to pay.I have washed the linen trousers by the way and they wash fine.No shrinkage or colour run.

Just a brief blog today as I am busy packing up the car to go camping for the bank holiday weekend.Having looked forward to this weekend with a group of friends I had a sudden panic yesterday when realising the weather forecast was rain and colder!!As always I have nothing suitable to wear! I need a sweatshirt to keep me warm, so popped into Leicester.Did the usual round of cheap shops, Top shop,Dorothy Perkins,New Look,H & M,Primark,even tried M&S,as I probably wont wear it again as not my usual style.Not much choice(I guess it is the wrong time of year,after all, it is meant to be summer now!)Then I had a brainwave to try Blacks as it is a camping/sports shop and one assumes would have appropriate attire.They had lots of nice surf/sporty type brands,but rather expensive just for this weekend I felt.Ended up in good old TK Max where they had a good selection.Bought both a beige Mochino fleece & a black & gold Armani jeans sweat shirt,as could not decide between the two,pleased with my purchases,I may even get some wear out of them next winter.

With a welcome sudden improvement to the weather I realise a shortage of summer clothes for work in my wardrobe,and roasting in wool trousers I made a swift visit to Leicester in search of lightweight trousers or skirts.Not having much time or money I headed straight for Humberstone Gate thinking New Look or H & M would be cheap.Nothing suitable in New Look but H & M had a good section of purely smart work type clothing,making it easy for me to look through without having to search the whole store.I picked up about 12 items all appealing to me & headed for the changing rooms.The problem I find with cheaper clothing,they skimp on the fabric and vary considerably in size between one item & the next so I take in to try on a selection of syles in different sizes.I found however a pair of wide leg light grey cotton/ramie (whatever that is?!) trousers & daringly a pair of red linen/viscose trousers both suiting and fitting me,so bought them both at only £19.99 each.I have been pleased with my purchases and worn both this week.They have been cool & comfortable but crease incredibly,thats cotton & linen for you!!

Don't get me started on the downturn in the economy!Not only has the cost of living gone up considerably but my husband is an estate agent so with the poor property market our income has also dropped significantly.So this affects us from all angles.The main things we are forced to cut back on are holidays ,going out and of course clothes.At least if you don't go out ,you don't need as many clothes!Items I feel we do need/want I am looking much harder to find a bargain and shopping at lower priced shops.Where I would normally mix more expensive items of clothing with some lower quality items to create a good outfit for a reasonable cost,I am currently only buying the cheaper items and less overall.I even looked at the sale items in Asda today & bought a fine knit jumper for work for only £6.I still havn't managed to find a navy blue cardigan yet by the way but did see one today in Asda and thought I had resolved my issue,but on closer inspection it had nautical buttons on it,with anchors.This unfortunately blew it right out of the water for me!!

I have been looking for a navy blue fine knit cardigan over the last couple of weeks but with no success.Considering there is quite a bit of navy clothing in the shops at the moment I thought it would be simple,but it would seem not.I went to Fosse park and started at Asda.Didn't feel inspired by anything currently in there,other than a rather cute navy waistcoat with large gold buttons, I thought would suit my daughter(I shall take her back to look at that).Next I tried all the other shops.I thought Next was disappointing in their current range but always think they present their shops well,looking clean,tidy and coordinating.I often buy work clothes from here.Gap has some nice wide leg trousers( I shall keep these in mind and come back to them when I have more time) but their knitwear is all neutral colours.I have to really love something to buy from Gap as I generally think they are expensive for the standard of quality,with fabrics often quite thin and see through.River island always looks inviting and glamorous,and although they hadn't a navy cardigan,I stumbled accross a snakeskin handbag which I have been drawn to on several visits recently.I have debated for some time what it would go with in my wardrobe and how much use I would get from it.But to my joy it was reduced to only £10.This was obviously meant to be mine & I bought it.Marks & Spencer surely would have the cardigan I was looking for,but no.Quite a few nice styles but still not navy.The search continues and I will have to try to get into Leicester with all my hopes on H&M or Primark.

I,ve been thinking about the mini questionnaire and Coleen McLoughlin and by the nature of the questions assume George are considering alternative 'faces' to represent them.I think this would be a bad move currently as she is so much in the public eye for her good fashion sense and as there is her series Coleens real women on tv at the moment she is representing strongly'the women on the street'.I dont think any of the three 'stars' mentioned have a strong enough current market to better her.In particular whilst Helen Mirren always looks lovely,for her age,she has never been associated with fashion in her career.I think when considering someone to be the face of a fashion brand they need to have a connection to fashion and not just be famous .I love the marks & spencer advertising as they use Twiggy and Myleene Klass actually modelling their clothes,to me saying they have good clothing to suit all types of women at all ages.Kate Moss for Top Shop is targeting a young market and putting her name to the designing of the clothes as well as modelling them and many young people would aspire to her fashion knowledge.Trinney & Suzanna for Littlewoods don't inspire me,but thats because personally they irritate me and don't always think they look so great themselves in their patronising 'how to dress' type programs.Altough I can see they are a good role model for many.By far my favourite promotion at the moment is the association of Giles Deacon & Agyness Deyn for New Look.I think she is a massive inspiration for youngsters of being a very 'normal' person with the self confidence to wear what she likes and dare to be different.Putting forward a collection that can be mixed and matched to suit the individual in a fun way.

I havn't had a chance to go shopping since my last blog, so I have taken an opinion pole from my teenager daughters as to what they like and dislike at the moment. (They seem to have plenty of time to shop.) What's hot at the moment, and they would like to see more of in the shops are definately fine knit cardigans ( for boys and girls)in all colours(something H&M and Primark star in), shirts for girls - in plain and stripey fabrics, long or short sleeved with and without frills - and polo t-shirts in bright colours in time for summer. River Island(always a favourite) are stocking lots of pencil skirts at the moment,which are going down a treat. Fitted waistcoats are very this season and are to be worn over shirts, as above. They would like to see more coloured jeans; straight and flared and floral tops.Shoe wise,a must have for boys and girls are plimsoles.They also like wedge/platform sandals,especially with cork type soles. There is not alot they don't like! But gladiator type sandals are high on the list along with all in one jumpsuits ,white skinny jeans and pictured/logo T-shirts.

Had a great long weekend in Barcelona and as well as doing the tourist sites was of course compelled to go shopping! Looked at lots of chain brand shops like zara and H & M etc as well as local independants .All had great colourful summer ranges as well as still stocking winter/spring ranges.Seems to be a good deal of navy blue around,which I love but is usually hard to find as black,grey and brown seem to feature instead.Also lots of lime green & orange, again my current favourites for spring/summer.Pale dusky pink also seems to feature strongly,but not my thing.Bought various spring knitwear for my daughters from zara & mango including cardigans & smocked overdresses and bought a couple of long T-shirts for myself and a fabulous 80s style pink and lime green psychedelic chiffon scarf.Scarves are my obsession of the moment.(Something I have never noticed in George?!).The shops themselves were all immaculately clean and tidy with generally shiney marble type floors,even in the cheaper stores which makes the merchandise look more appealing and upmarket.The down side was nothing was particularly cheap because of the dreadful exchange rate at the moment.
Back down to earth I had to go food shopping today & went to Asda at fosse park.Had a quick look round George and thought everything generally looked tired a dowdy,lots of winter black/brown/beige/khaki nothing that would get me to look further so got on with my food shop,though I did think the childrens clothes department look bright and fun as I passed it, but is too young for my girls.I realise Spain have better weather therefore summer comes sooner but that shouldnt stop us wanting to be uplifted with colour in the spring.

Yesterday I went over to shop in Thurmaston.I particularly like TK Max over there as it is not as crowded or untidy as the one in Leicester.I was looking for a dressing up outfit for my 3 year old niece but alas they didnt have anything suitable.Swimwear however caught my eye and there were a number of bikinis in my size at around £15.I tried them on (never a problem here as they have loads of changing rooms and there is never a queue)I am off to Barcelona next weekend (hotel has a pool,I am not thinking of braving the sea!!)so would have made an impulse buy but nothing did me justice.Looked at shirts for my husband as I can often pick up a bargain and there were two which he would like -must be cut away collar and double cuff-so I came away having bought them and a wok!Oh! and also a pair of Calvin Klein knickers for my daughter at half the price of in the shops-but a good deal more than an unbranded pair!Must just add I queued about 10 deep at the till which really annoys me -they only had two open-but with four items I waited.
Today I went to Asda in Oadby to do my food shopping.With yesterdays unsucceeded goal in mind what should greet me when I first walk in but a whole rack of dressing up clothes for children.This was a promotion for book week but exactly what I was looking for.It hadnt crossed my mind before to look in asda for this as I thought they only stocked themed outfits at halloween and christmas,so I happily bought a fantastic Disney Princess dress and accessories for a bargain £12,Well pleased.And so too will my niece be!
Generally I thought George seemed to be less cluttered than usual,and thought I would have a quick look to see if they had any swimwear in yet.Yes,they had!and sooooo! cheap.I bought both my daughters a bikini at £5 each and my husband some swim shorts in a classic navy for just £3.Thats 3 of them kitted out for less than the one bikini I saw in TK Max.As always,that will be just me not sorted! Whilst I liked what was available,at a Dcup bra and boobs heading south I need a more structured bikini to hold everything in place & this seems to mean spending more money.Shoe string straps just cut into your shoulders and strapless they are down by my waist.I want fashionable but practical not frumpy.