The Devil Wears Prada

At long last, the film of The Devil Wears Prada will be opening in London this week. I have booked tickets for Saturday afternoon for M and I. I can't wait, and I bet he can't either...

Am pretty busy though right up until the showing: tonight I am having supper with M and his father in Mayfair. I also have to clean the flat in preparation for Alexandra and two of her friends who are coming to stay on Thursday. Alexandra is coming so that we can all attend a party at a new (and rather badly reviewed) nightclub called Silver. It is in Hanover Square, so at least it will be easy to escape from and get home! I am going out on Friday evening as well, so there are a lot of outfits to be considered.

TDWP inspires me when I feel that my boss is being unfair; well, at least she isn't Miranda. And working in an office full of men, there's no-one watching my appearance or dress size or the number of calories that I consume on a daily basis. Thankfully, 'Emily' doesn't exist in my team, as I think she'd find the biscuits and cakes that I consume on a weekly basis a cause for downright worry. What it does mean though, is that I have to make an effort with appearance and aesthetics for myself. The boys might not notice - or then again they might - but I know when I've worn the same trousers three times in a week and flat shoes for the second day running.

So, I try and put together different outfits, within the 'work wear' parameters. We don't have to wear suits, but we are definitely not casual either, which makes it all the more difficult. Especially on a budget. I was therefore pleased to read a piece called Life Laundress on Marmaladya.com which dealt with this issue: an expanding wardrobe but never anything to wear. The aim of the piece is obviously to draw attention to the service provided, but is is an interesting point. How many of us have wardrobes filled with beautiful clothes that we never wear?

There are the clothes that need handwashing, so are sat at the bottom of the laundry basket; there are some which need mending, some which have been pushed to the back of the drawer or to the floor. And there must be many more that we have simply forgotten about, or need to try wearing in a different or more up-to-date way. So this will be my challenge for the next month:

NO NEW CLOTHES. NO REPEATED OUTFITS.

I am going to follow Honor Marks' advice and sort out my wardrobe, the handwashing, the dry cleaning, the 'cleansing' and tidying. And who knows what I'll find, but I'm sure I'll feel the benefits.