I took my younger sister up to London last week. We had tickets to go on a Harry Potter walking tour of the city during the afternoon, but we figured we go up early and go in a few favourite shops. Whenever I venture up town, the only places I ever really want to go are to my favourite bookshops: Foyles Charring Cross Road and Waterstone’s Piccadilly.
My sister, however, wanted to
pop over to Forever 21. So I thought to myself ‘Ooh, good idea. I haven’t
bought new clothes for ages; I could really do with some.’ It’s a bloody big
shop, three whole floors of clothes, I was sure to find something, right? I did.
I saw racks and racks of stuff I’d love to wear, and a lot that scared me to be
honest... I took a few bits to try on. I hated everything. Nothing sat right. It
made me look huge. Or old. Or 12.
The shop I filled with thigh-skimming
skirts and dresses, crop tops and see through backs. They’re made for
13-year-olds with no body and models, who look pretty similar. Then I realised
that actually, that’s not just Forever 21. I looked down at my Next jeans and
band t-shirt and felt so worthless and wrong and uncomfortable in my own skin. These
clothes aren’t for people like me. So we left empty handed and headed for
Foyles.
There I got to chat to the
lovely @kateweasel and feasted my eyes on the rows and rows of worlds ready to
be taken home. I slowly started to feel like myself again. I buy books because
you don’t have to look a certain way, be a certain way, act a certain way. There
aren’t certain books you can’t read because you don’t really feel comfortable
flashing your pants or ones that you have to avoid for fear of the world seeing
your muffin top.
When friends ask me if I want
to go into town or go shopping with them, my standard response is “Yeah, sure.
Can we pop into Waterstone’s* while we’re there. I won’t be long, I promise**.”
And I guarantee you that I will feel completely shit as I walk around clothes
shops seeing things I can never wear and hating the things that I can until I step
foot in a bookshop and stroke the pretty books.
So I buy books. They’re cheaper
too.
*Or the Oxfam Bookshop if I’m
in Bath!
**Heh, lies.
Sophie
Please don't think you're worthless just because you don't wear whats on the high street, be proud of it! You have your look and you know what you like, just because its not in the 'popular' clothes shops doesn't mean its not fashionable or flattering for you.
ReplyDeleteI always like what you wear, especially your dresses :) xx
I agree with you. I would much rather buy books any day before buying clothes. For clothes, all they need to do is satisfy my tastes.
ReplyDeleteOh totally agree. And I actually just sat in front of the teen shelves in my library for a little bit last week because I'd had a crappy morning and that made me feel better :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant post. Weaving BI&SP with books - I LOVE IT xxxx
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