It’s a never-ending love affair between shopping, style and me

ELIZABETH Taylor once asked: “How can money be the root of all evil, when shopping is the cure for all sadness?” Ah Lizzie you are a woman after my own heart. Shopping is everything you need it to be, a warmth when you’re feeling cold, entertainment when boredom encroaches, inspiration when your mind draws endless blanks. I have always found shopping a comfort in my darkest times, when everything gets too much I put on my favourite pair of high heels and hit the

High Street.

The sense of unity that soars through me as I shop is difficult to ignore. For as I hunt the racks for something to express my inner personality, thousands of other women, here in the city and across the world, are simultaneously joining me on the same adventure. And as Miss Taylor said, shopping can be the tissue that wipes away your tears or relaxes your shoulders when they carry the weight of the world.

Whilst studying fashion at university, the only way I could relieve the stress that had been caused by writing essays about the successful marketing of my favourite brands, was to grab some retail therapy with, you guessed it, my favourite brands.

I guess you could say my love affair with fashion began at a very young age. As a child, instead of playing princess like the other girls my age, I preferred to spend hours dragging all of my mum’s high heels out of the cupboard, so I could be “a runway model” strutting down my catwalk – sorry, kitchen. When I was finally old enough to go shopping for my own clothes, the real ‘problems’ began and the constant need to have every trend that was plastered into my favourite magazines was something that my wardrobe and drawers couldn’t – and still can’t – handle. And while my wardrobe (and bank account) yelled out: “Please stop you’re hurting me,” my list of wanted items grew longer and love of all things retail grew bigger.

So, I stand before you today a certified shopaholic who has spent the last 24 years blissfully addicted to seeking standout styles and bagging beautiful bargains, and Glasgow, it is my pleasure to invite all other fellow fashion addicts to join me on what promises to be a never-ending shopping spree and a love affair that is sure to last a lifetime. Watch this space for city street style, what’s hot on the High Street and where to grab a bargain when you’re on a budget – not to mention regular updates on my ever-expanding clothing collection.

Stay stylish Glasgow.