Same Old Same Old

Why do you seem to have four identical herringbone tweed coats? my husband asked on Monday morning, adding mildly when he realised it wasn't the most neutral question in the world, 'I'm only asking.'

I don't reply that one is single breasted one is double breasted and one is wraparound and belted and nearly four years old and the other is- err- very similar to the first. I don't mention there's another in the landing cupboard. But I do say 'At least I know what I like.'

Why do I always buy the same thing? Polka dot chiffon blouses, A-line knee length wool skirts in school uniform colours, black crepe party dresses which have tiny variations, one a frayed hem, one an elasticated cuff, one a little attached cape....these account for 90 per cent of my clothes. With my neighbour it's knee boots in olive ochre hues that complete her dashing Pantomime principal boy look. With my daughter it's blue and white checked 'Dorothy' dresses and anything trimmed with marabou.

Is it that by buying the same thing over and over again we reinforce something about our identity? Is it that certain things are easier to shop for when you already know how to own them. Is it about the newness of a thing? I do love the smell of new clothes, the original ironing creases, the crisp structure that new things have that can make them seem almost animated. I like wearing a garment for the first time and seeing the effect it has. I feel happy and lucky in something whose only former owner was a padded hanger. The newness of a thing is beguiling. Some clothes become nicer with age, but it's very rare.

I read recently of a psychoanalyst in America who works by examining her clients' wardrobes and exploring any signs of clash or conflict she uncovers. The victim in question had an abundance of pink and red girlish clothes on the one rack and on the other quite some number of sombre pin striped items. This was extrapolated out into the larger sphere: her masculine and feminine sides were battling. She needed to harmonise and more fully integrate the different aspects of herself in order to attain peace, happiness and professional success. If that practitioner visited me I don't think she would find anything to write home about. A latent librarian complex perhaps, but that's never got anyone into serious trouble. If she were good at her job she might point out that my father has a penchant for tweed coats and that embarrassing though it may be, I did love my school.

The awful thing is once you recognise that your wardrobe is full of identical pieces it becomes very hard to justify further purchases. Trying on a black crepe dress in Selfridges recently that was very becoming and quite a bargain I found myself feeling increasingly uneasy. I've bought this dress before, it dawned on me. More than once. You can't go through with a purchase once you've made that kind of realisation . The sad fact is that if you love shopping, owning things already can be a real obstacle. For this reason I do try not to buy things that will last forever.

But there is an upside to all this, increasingly when I need something special instead of cruising the usual outlets, I go straight to this little place I know where they stock a selection of clothes that flatter me in shades that suit where I am always sure of finding something I really like. What's more there's no charge there. It's my wardrobe. My daughter in her Dorothy guise is right, as she always is. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.