Friday 10 November 2006

What Z did yesterday

I've been busy this week and I've not been at home much for the last couple of days; I'm dismayed to see on Bloglines that I have 186 marked posts unread. I think a few people must have republished or something as three of them each have 25 posts, so I hope it's inaccurate, as there are also quite a few people bookmarked but not bloglined whom I want to catch up on.

Yesterday, I spent an interesting day being lectured about the Anglo Saxons. I will confess that it was becoming a bit deep by the end and I didn't take it all in, but really enjoyed it all nevertheless. The lecturer was a rather lovely Italian woman and I am afraid that, once or twice, my mind strayed enough to wonder how old she was ..... I'm so rude. She had grey hair and a completely unlined, although mature, face - I mean mature in the sense that the dewiness of youngness with its subcutaneous fat (grotty expression, if you come up with a better one I'll replace it) had gone, but all that did was to show to advantage her lovely bone structure.

I gave her a lift back to the station afterwards and she was lovely. Later, a friend was at dinner who had also been at the study day and she said that she and others had discussed the same subject - what did I think? I said that she must be older than she looks as her children are in their mid-20s. And she had been kind enough to be surprised that I was a grandmother. Ah, women can be so nice to each other. Pushing 50 but looks younger was the consensus (46-52, if you want precision).

Afterwards, I shopped purposefully and effectively, most satisfyingly in that I bought a pair of boots, which I really need, black, high heels (haven't measured them, but I have to stand upright or I'll tip over). Also a pair of red shoes, two pairs of gloves, one brown suede, one purple leather, a black hat (for warmth more than fashion) and assorted underwear.

Ooh, do you mind if I rant for a minute about bras? Gentlemen, stop reading now, this is purely technical and girlie and will not interest you.

Why are so many bras padded? Not underneath, to give a lift and increase cleavage, but all over, so that they stay rigidly in place and don't move when you do? And why are so many in deeply unattractive colour combinations? I had half an hour by the time I reached the stage of buying such necessities, so I dived into M&S which was handily nearby. Knickers, fine - though gosh, how do they justify such prices in a mere chain store? Or am I just hopelessly cheap in begrudging £11 for a pair? After that I stopped matching up and went for the 3 pairs for a tenner option (look, never suggest that I tell you nothing about me). Anyway, I looked at these bras with increasing desperation. I am blessed with a 34D. Which is fine. Just right. They are not the first thing that anyone notices about me, but I can achieve an effective cleavage if the circumstances warrant it. I do not need a padded bra. Nor do I need a minimiser bra, which sounds uncomfortable. I do not want enough ornamentation to show through my clothes, but I was not after something entirely plain - I was in frivolous mood, after all.

Well, I did find a couple in the end. But I was only enchanted with one of them - which was why I bought the matching knicks.

Today, helped Al in the shop as his staff are engaged elsewhere, and then a concert with Dilly's mum in Norwich this evening. So supper was bacon and eggs at 10.45 tonight. Plus a couple of glasses of chardonnay - will I sleep tonight?

Hope so, back in the shop tomorrow morning.

'Night. Have a good one.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ugh, bra shopping...hate it. My mother ever so nicely said "you need to get bras with more padding because things stick out sometimes". Made me rather obsessed with wondering how many people looked at my chest and noticed when I was chilled. I did find a couple of bras but...what is the deal with spaghetti straps? Granted the garment stays in place but one has to frequently pull the straps back on to shoulders.

Anonymous said...

HATE shopping for bras. Have extreme difficulty. I complain about the padding as well. And I'm on the other side of the pond..and wear the same size as you.
It takes me forever to find a proper bra. I would love to have a front clasp one but sheesh...almost impossible to find. I don't need or want padding...why do they put padding in anything over a C cup?? and shouldn't we have a choice whether we want to be padded or not?
oooh, I HATE bra shopping.
sorry, didn't mean to go on a bra rant. it just happened.
(hurriedly steps off her soapbox and shoves it in a corner, properly out of sight)

Z said...

Ooh, mothers, don't they have the knack of making one self-conscious.

Glad to know I'm not the only one - though I feel it should be a pleasure, apart from the dismal stripping off in a cubicle with all-round mirrors, that is. Bits of me that I don't normally see are even more depressing than the parts I do.

Easy to go off on a bra rant, isn't it Laurel, I got a bit carried away there too.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if you have considered looking elsewhere for your bras. For years I was in an M&S-only mindcast, then I encountered Bravissimo. They measured me radically differently from M&S, so I changed from 40DD to a 34H, which just isn't in M&S range at all. And I have been told that John Lewis have a similar philosophy. The point being is that the support comes from the horizontal band rather than the straps.

And the point I'm trying to make is that I do find that M&S bras - and their clothes in general - are more robust and longer lasting than other similarly priced brands, but there are other makes available. I have a couple that are padded in the lower half of the cup but most are not.

I can't personally say one way or the other about John Lewis but you might have a look next time you're passing

Z said...

Hello Gert and thank you very much for the advice. I hadn't bought any bras from M&S for ages, actually, and was last fitted about 15 months ago in Jarrolds, which is a (still) family-owned large department store in Norwich. The sort of shop where the fitter looks at you and knows your size, puts her arms round you and confirms it and finds you the Best Bra you have ever tried on.

My daughter went to Rigby and Peller and had a similar experience, but at about treble the cost, that is, treble last year's cost about ten years ago. But she is more generously endowed, though slimmer, than I am.

Z said...

Oh Gert, I see you are currently tracking me. Assuming that isn't anything like stalking, that's really lovely of you and thank you. I've had you bookmarked for ages and sometimes drop in, now I will do so frequently.

Anonymous said...

I hope it's not stalking ;-)

I discovered a little widget at http://co.mments.com/ which means that when I leave a comment I can just press a button on my tool bar and it aggregates all the threads. They all get laid out on one webpage, which shows new comments (which I can clear). the most recent rise to the top. It saves me remembering to go back to the post on the off-chance!

Z said...

To think that someone actually writes useful little programs like that.