This One Or That?

  

Okay, here’s a question for you. How many pairs of shoes do you really need?

If you’re a man, chances are you might answer ‘one’, but even then that’s not a definite. However, if you’re a woman chances are the answer is less simple.

I remember last year the topic of shoes came up with a man I was chatting to and I said if what I chose to wear didn’t go with my knee-high boots, Ugg boots, sandals, flat closed-in shoes or runners I was in trouble. Apparently, I found out later, he thought I’d been stirring him about how many shoes I had. Truth was I hadn’t.

Yes, over the years I’ve had my fair share, but not so recently. Probably a good job since there are only so many shoes you can fit in a backpack. But the question is, which ones do I really need to take and which should I bin?

It’s a question that has taken me weeks, if not months, to find an answer to, primarily because it requires I answer two other questions first.

• What will I actually be doing on this new life-style?
• What clothes will I be wearing on a daily basis?

Unless I answer these two questions, it’s almost impossible to answer the shoe one. Please tell me I’m not the only one.

Plus, as a person who loves their clothes, and was taught the importance of protocol and etiquette, these two questions are actually quite hard to answer in themselves. For example will I be doing anything that requires a dress and heels, because none of the shoes I’ve currently picked have heels? Will I be doing anything that requires I dress smartly and sensibly, say short-term, casual employment? It’s taken for granted that I’ll be doing some forms of gardening, but will that include more extreme work on hobby farms too, or even in the outback? Believe me the list goes on in my head – partially because I have to significantly downsize my wardrobe anyway. Don’t get me started on what clothes to throw out or donate.

It’s hard to plan a wardrobe when you don’t really know what your life is going to entail, or what the weather is going to be like.

So, after all this thinking, what did I decide?

I decided, bugger it, I’ll only take the clothes I really love wearing. And if I end up looking like a rock chick or country hippy rather than a polite English lady, tough. I can always nip into Good Sammy’s if I really need to wear a dress.

And, in answer to the original question…

I need a pair of winter boots, sandals, Ugg boots and gardening boots (and/or runners, but then do I ever really exercise, maybe I should take my walking boots instead of runners especially taking in to account all the dog-walking I’ll probably be doing… or… maybe… AGH!