Sharing Clothes

The Duchess of Cambridge was recently featured at an engagement wearing a dress which her mother wore to Ascot last year.  This started the whole debate about whether your children would be seen dead in your clothes and more to the point would you allow then to borrow them?

I was a bit precious about wardrobe raids when my little Darlings were a bit younger and not so likely to take care of expensive or treasured items.  However now it is a regular event and I don't mind as long as everything is treated with care and respect, they ask before it is taken and it is returned in good condition.  I take it as a complement that I am keeping up to date with the latest trends. Paisley is currently 'on trend' and this little number has been very much in demand since I finished it.

I see it as getting a lot more mileage out of outfits, justifying buying to excess! We are also very lucky that all  3 of us take the same size of shoe, so when I saw those Calvin Klein classics in the sale, there was no sense in holding back!

My hoarding instincts have paid back well with the clothes I packed away at end of the 70s. The vintage items, including some wonderful Biba creations, are now being proudly worn and much admired by Major Darling's friends in the fashion world.  It is even more of a buzz for me to see an outfit which I designed and made myself, being regularly worn by one of my little Darlings.

I'm not so keen when it comes to sharing tights which  have a habit of being spirited out of my room, never to be seen again.  I've tried insisting that everyone sews a piece of coloured ribbon in the top when they buy a new pair, but that idea didn't have much mileage.  I just have to keep finding new places to hide a stock for myself, although I have noticed they are not so keen on the support tights I have recently bought. Maybe that is the answer!