Let the fashionista out!

Looking at fashions for 2006, it seems women are spoilt for choice.
No longer are they being totally dictated to, they're being offered abundant variety.
OK so maybe they're still being dictated to - "You will pick an era and make it yours!"
I guess designers have to pigeonhole their collections tho' otherwise how could they possibly market themselves and sell stacks of clothes?
Or perfume for that matter.
But I do think the reins are loosening a bit.
However, who will take up the challenge and wear what they really want to? That will be really interesting to see.
We're being offered the New Look, 60's mod, military, Russian, gypsy/peasant, 70s disco and 80s blah.
Belts and pants are sitting anywhere on the body from under the boobs to hipsters and anywhere in between.
Are people just going to get totally confused and freak out over having to choose?
Can designers now say "Well you wanted choice so here they are, go get 'em"?
People just love to complain - and I really believe that the only thing they can complain about now is their own lack of passion and fashion education.

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Having waffled on a bit, I've taken to naming my outfits.

Today I was wearing Stepford Wife: pastel mint cotton dress with voluminous 3-tiered skirt and fitted bodice with shoulder straps, huge 70s style brown tinted sunnies and massive straw floppy hat.

I used to do it with shoes, here's a rundown of my fav little darlings I've had shallow love affairs with over the years:

Mob wife: Gold lame fabric kitten heeled mules studded with yellow love beads and trinkets (actually I must dig those out of the kids' dress-up box again!)

Phillipino girl: White 70s block heel mules with shimmery trinkets on the thong, terrible loss as I slipped down stairs onto butt while carrying Ems and tore heel off shoe. Ems safe.

Kicker boots: Knee-hi black leather lace-ups with 5cm block heel - loved the mixed reactions they got. Titilation at the "kinky" lace-ups but on the other hand I could easily wear them to work for their business-like attitude from the flat heel. Enjoyed 10-years of seeing confused, lusty, po-faced frustration - poor darlings were retired last year due to my not so dainty feet.

"Oh mama" gold platforms: Original 70s shoes in former life, reborn and renamed as such after finding them spray-painted gold in a vintage clothes shop. Too small and passed on after one party.

Divine Italiano: 4cm heel, black leather ankle boots with squared-off pointy toe. Survived 13 years and still going strong - pretty damn good considering they clocked up several hundred miles on the dance floor and being splashed with beer by inconsiderate non-dancing types.

Plenty more inbetween, but I guess they're the most memorable for me - my lovely little foot buddies!

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In the year ahead I have muchos school contact with all 4 on the formal education treadmill.

I worry about this as I find it very hard to be "real" around all the mummies - how am I going to do it for 5 days a week?

Kindy on 2 days, preschool for the other 3 days, primary and high school every week day.

I can't pretend not to be me - I have to be.

If I don't I'll be miserable - I can't drag myself around looking and feeling like a bag lady. I totally destroys me and feel like I'm turning grey from the inside.

It will be a true test for me to see if I can keep it together by keeping me in one peice.

People will think I'm mad - or maybe they'll think I'm eccentric.

It used to be so easy in my 20s - I never cared about what other people thought I was wearing. It was dressing with humour.

Then lots more kids.

But from where I am now, no more babies and no more to come, I feel like I'm myself again, but older.

I think I'll just wing it and see. For gods sake it's just a sodding bag, pair of shoes, hat, jewellery - whatever!

But I think every woman is in denial if she says that she doesn't care about what she wears.

LIARS!!!! All of them!

If they don't care then why do they say that? Christ grab me those platforms over there will you - I need some air!!!