He's in fashion...or was...or may be

I had a pleasant, if uneventful weekend.

Very uneventful really. I didn't go out either Friday or Saturday evening. Partly due to not drinking; partly because there were hardly any other people heading out. But it was a good weekend because it was unseasonably mild so I could get work done outside.

The unseasonably mild weather continued today, and it provides a wee bit of a problem.

Coats.

It may not seem a huge problem but as ever with me it is, of sorts.

I have many coats. I have far too many coats really. I have four work coats. I have my thin black coat for summer showers; I have my thicker autumn coat for wind and rain; I have my heavy black coat for very cold wind and snow; and I have my smart black overcoat for winter interviews.

Then I have my utility coats - my fluorescent jacket for cycling; and my red waterproof walking jacket.

Then I have my fashion coats - a thin, warm-shower jacket; a blue nylon autumn jacket; my leather jacket; my Superdry coat (which is quite warm but does not keep you super dry) and a thicker green waterproof-yet-still-fashionable winter jacket.

A ridiculous number of coats.

But at the moment I don't know which one to wear. I have to open the door to decide if I should be putting on my thin coat or my thicker autumnal coat. And by the time I get to the station I am hot and sweaty and not really wanting any coat on. It's pretty much the same as the umbrella dilemma really.

My latest coat is the 'heavy black coat' which has been bought for work, but is almost too nice and fashionable for work. But I could do with it for work as my other coats are either too thin, or the interview overcoat which is far too smart for work. But it will probably only get used for work in extremis; and otherwise for fashion.

Last year the fashion was for Barbour-style quilted jackets. I didn't like them. I thought they were rather naff I have to say. This year it's a different matter and I actually really quite like them. I think this year's style may actually be slightly more fitted, styled. But then again I think I may be telling myself that to justify my fashion decision last year.

But it got me thinking...just what is fashion? Really?

I know there are the slightly crazy autocrats at the high-end fashion houses, designing things never to be seen off the catwalk. Outlandish fascinators, ridiculous heals and almost certainly a bit of nip showing. I've never seen anyone wearing anything like those.

Then there are the hidden oligarchs; the people at the high-street stores who almost cartel-like decide amongt themselves that pink shall be the new black. Now; these are the people who really seem to determine 'fashion', and here's how...

They restrict the supply.  They determine that their shops shall only sell, say, pink for that season. As you can only buy pink, if you either need to get new clothes because your old ones have perished or shrunk; or you just simply have to buy new clothes every season because you have been brainwashed by the fashion massive; pink will be all that you will be able to buy. We all love to buy new.

And then peer-pressure kicks in. All your friends who have bought new are wearing pink, meaning your teal top from last season stands out. And even when walking down the street every face from the passers-by to the shop window mannequins are decked out in pink. And you aren't. You are the little island of teal bobbing around in the sea of pink, just waiting for a seagull to crap on you. We all hate to stand out.

And so fashion is something which we reluctantly, forceably become involved in - whether it's because we love to buy new; because we hate to stand out; or because it's all that there is. And it seems unfair.

When I look through my wardrobe at my vast quantity of clothes, hoping against hope that my lime-green, short-sleeved, zip-up shirt will come back into fashion, I find I both resist and comply with the current fashions. Yes I wear my Bench jeans and my Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt, both bought this season; but I also mix it up with some of my Topman-style t-shirts (you know the ones, with the contrasting edging to the v-neck (with three buttons) and sleeves) bought a couple of years ago; or some shirts possibly even older than those.

So, have I been more resistive or more compliant? I don't know. But I haven't bought a Barbour-style quilted jacket.

Yet.