FastFreddy2

Some news ....... Bought my Olympus from a company called Jessops, not least because they provided a their own 2 year warranty with the camera. Last week [8th January 2013] Jessops went into administration, and by the end of the week the company was dead. Not too worried for myself, as I'm sure Olympus will honour the standard 1 year warranty. Not so good for the people with any part of the £800,000 Jessops vouchers held by their customers, that the administrators won't be honouring. Bought myself the Lumix G5 "standard" zoom kit, and 20mm prime lens just before the end of last year. Not been out of the box yet, but it won't be much longer. This will work even better in low light, and is even quicker at focussing than the (carry everywhere) Olympus. Better still, I did not buy it from Jessops ...... ........

Had a final look in HoF Oxford Street on Sunday for the elusive Biba jeans. No luck at all. Having spent some time chasing jeans I can't find, Mrs Freddy reminded me I have a storage box with "Millions of Jeans" written on it. Do I actually need more jeans then? So today, I did a bit of an audit. I have 5 pairs of longer jeans (3 x 33" leg length and 2 x 34" leg length) I regularly use when I wear heels. Of those 5 pairs, I use 2 pairs significantly more than the other 3 pairs. Both straight legged, one a 33" leg for my use with my 4" cowboy boots, the longer 34" with the higher 4½" heels. The audit consisted of trying on each pair of jeans (or trousers) to see what I already owned that I could actually wear with heels. Mindful these were all bought with the intention of wearing with heels anyway, so all longer legged, which of these met my current criteria? These figures are in addition to the 5 pairs I don't have "stored", and mentioned above. In a 33" leg length; 5 pairs jeans 3 pairs trousers In 34" leg length; 7 pairs of jeans 1 pair of trousers (bought for £5 that might have been made for me) Disposals: 6 pairs of jeans (little too short mostly, one pair sat below my waist not on it). 1 pair of trousers (measurements read well, but hung poorly for some reason). Not millions after all, but 23 pairs stored. In principle, 28 pairs in total for wearing with heels. I also have 3 or 4 pairs of jeans and 3 or 4 pairs of trousers, I use with mens regular shoes..... Do I need more jeans or trousers? Only if I have an unexpected weight change, or if I live to be 110 years old and can still wear a 4 to 5" heel. I have taken a shine to these though ... >> Long Tall Sally<< ..........

You might also have a look at >> these << Again, slightly over-budget, but very "manly" in style.

And still for sale at full price in some stores ?? Yeah ....... Well ......... Of course when I wrote that ..... I wasn't expecting to find a couple of pairs my size, marked: "reduced to £29" was I? At that price ..... I had to give them a third and forth try ...... Self control? What's that then?

Visited M&Co today. Bought the jean I was interested in. Too short (at 32" leg.) Shame, as in the sale, they were £8. Also went to a couple of Matalan stores trying to find jeans with my waist size and leg length. Got the leg length, but none in my waist size. Is it the wrong time of year for buying clothes?????

I've made a similar conclusion and said as much. Almost 5 years ago, when I got back into heels, I would walk the streets after dark several times a week. I'd take a mile to mile and a half usually, and at least once a month, a three mile walk. I lost a lot of weight where it mattered; around my waist. I honestly believe walking in heels improves your core muscle strength, more effectively than doing the same walking in flat shoes. I'd like to do the same volume as you, but I don't enjoy being out in (very) cold weather, nor out in the rain. We've had more than our fair share over the last couple of years, so my exercise regime seldom goes past 6 hour shopping trips. All of Brits are hoping we get a summer this year ......

Evidence of your fitness regime is startling. You have the upper torso of a fit 20 year old. If we ever get dry weather, I will need to follow your good example. (Sorry, not fussed about the shoes. Deeply jealous of your shape though.)

Short review of ASOS 'Achieve' ankle boot. [Review #5] Historically, I've not always done well with ASOS 'own brand' shoes and boots. Bought duplicate pairs of high stiletto ankle boots 5 years ago that fitted really well, but since found most UK8's fitted more like UK7's, so not kept any I've tried. Until now ...... Saw these at their original price of £65, and tried an 8. They came up a bit on the large side which was a surprise, so ordered up a 7. The second pair were good in the length, and snug around the upper foot and ankle. The high heel, at a smidge over 4½ inches, felt very stable. Leather upper, so a nice shoe. At £65 I thought they were okay, and not over-priced despite no real padding in the footbed. With them being one of 5 or 6 pairs I needed to decide about, initially I thought I would probably return them .... Walking around in them was hard work, because the upper was not loose - which kept my ankle stable - but didn't let it rotate back/forward very easily. As with the other boots, I had 28 days to decide for sure. There was still plenty of stock at ASOS, so even if they went back and I then changed my mind, it was likely I could re-order anyway. So; high. Stable block heel, leather. No padding in footbed. But desirable. While deciding, the on-line price dropped to £45. I made a fresh order for 2 pairs, and returned the earlier [original price] purchases. Almost immediately I wore a pair out, and for the first time in a while, I actually experienced foot discomfort! In itself it's not a problem, but it was a surprise. Perhaps it shouldn't have been, as these are high for walking around in, especially since the fit is so (reassuringly) tight around the ankle. A larger size would resolve the rotation problem, but I don't like loose fitting shoes. If you are a size UK9, there is a realistic possibility you could wear an 8 in this style? Weirdly, just after the 2 newer pairs arrived, the price went back up to £65? I'd still saved £40 on the two pairs against the original price though, and I was ALWAYS going to get a second pair. The boots then stayed at £65 for some time, but have just recently gone down to £39. I would otherwise buy a third pair, but ..... I've plenty of other shoes to wear out. If the price drops again though ..... Find them >> here << There are two other variant styles I might want to try...... An even more stable version of the ankle boot recently released; >> here << And while I'm not big on tall boots (I've very skinny legs), these now reduced to £51 >> here << I'm in no rush to buy more though ..... I like the two pairs I have, and I expect them to last for some time, given how many other pairs I have. They are highly recommended. .....

Link won't work, I suspect Matalan don't want price-matching search engines passing on links. Anyway ..... Looks familiar .... I might have mentioned them before?

That's a shame! You might ring the store, and ask if they can check other stores for you? [Their internal stock control system might show stock that the web-site can't see. I know for sure this happens with Topshop.] I still recommend Matalan for your budget. Had something similar www.matalan.co.uk <remove gap> /fcp/product/fashion-to-buy-online/Boots-&-Wellies/Cowboy-Boot/58735 just before Christmas ..... [Link won't parse, so copy to address bar and remove remark for link.] Wouldn't be as well made as an Evans shoe though.

I was surprised when you originally wrote about this, that womens jeans were a good fit - and that was as far as it was going? I'm pleased to hear, the situation has progressed well. I prefer the 'cut' of a womans jean because I find them more comfortable around the important bits. Mens jeans have to be quite baggy (a style I don't like) or at least stretchy, otherwise I get 'cut in half' as it were. I'm not good with hipster styles either. I need an 11 or 12 inch rise to get the waistband on my waist. The original Biba jeans did this (£65) as it seems does (£90). I have a lead on some which I might have a look at tomorrow .... My 'perfect' pair remains the straight legged stretch jean from M+S bought in a Clearance sale five years ago for £3. Lots of stretch, dark blue/indigo, and 33in leg length. They've been worn so often with heels the bottoms have widened a bit (slight flare) so go over (and hide) just about every heel I own. Sounds a bit foolish to say it (like a brag) but ...... If Marks offered me an identical pair for £100, I would be very very tempted. They are just that good, and surpass anything M+S sell at the moment including their £40 styles. We did spot a new line though the other day. M+S have started naming their styles with a nod to female Hollywood stars. I'd already seen some called Marilyn on-line. The new style was called Lana (for long I think?) They were spotted as the store closed, so didn't get a good look .... My checklist: "High rise" (proper high) 11-12 inch rise - as measured. Many claim "high" with 10 inch rise which actually sit below the waist. Indigo, or at a push, black. Thick-ish stretch material. Eluding to be capable of hard wearing (to hold their shape when worn). Long. 33 inch for 4 inch heels, 34 inch for anything higher. I expect to pay £20-£30 for these if an 'in-house' product. With the right colour and perfect material (very dark blue almost black and very very stretchy material), I would expect to pay up to £60. At the moment I'm looking for a skinny flare. That means stretchy for comfort around my body while walking AND sitting. Slim thigh with an 'ever-so-slight-flare' of maybe an inch, maybe two, at the lower hem. These I might go to £80 with and would be buying two pairs. If they were £100, I'd have to have a good long hard think before buying the one pair. Marks are selling jeans from £12-50 to £40. None I'm currently aware of actually sit on the waist, though some come close. Most of the denim is thinner than a regular jean, and sometimes feels thinner than the jeggings they sell. They could be giving them away, and I still couldn't wear them. I am the typical Marks customer, in terms of age and spend. Longer 'waisted' jeans are aplenty, provided you want (super) skinny. [Not regular cut, nor slim flared either.] I could wear the skinnies, but they wouldn't hide my heels. It's proving more of a challenge, than finding a nice heel. .....

Well....... Despite having enough pairs of (womens and mens) jeans/trousers to last a lifetime (or two) I had hoped to find further bargains in the post Christmas sales. Marks and Spencer have been my main source of secondary leg covering for some years now, with George (aka ASDA) black leggings, being the primary covering. I have several pairs of mens jeans from Matalan, that I seem to be wearing often, but my historic preference has been M+S. Sadly, their quality has been suffering over the last couple of years. With thinner cottons replacing their 'above average' value grade of clothing, it's now becoming expensive tat. And I'm not the only one to think so. Reviews of their range of jeans pretty much mimic my opinion. "Low quality". "Poor fit." "Inconsistent fit". My recent example: I bought a pair of jeans during the M+S sale period. I expected to pay the label price of £15. Went through the till at £5. I was happy ...... Until I tried them on. Took them off and measured the legs, to find one leg was indeed half inch longer than the other? Had a trawl around the internet for 'proper' waisted jeans for women. Came around to the Biba brand again, and with 'sale' pricing, thought I would have a second look. On-line was not great, so I visited one of the HoF stores personally. [HoF is now the Biba brand owner.] There were none of the flared jeans I had seen before, in my size. There was a straight legged version in black, reduced to £34-50 which I was sure should be less expensive. Having checked all the sales prices on-line earlier, I was expecting to pay £20-£24 for any of the Biba jeans included in the sale. Checking with the sales assistant, he confirmed the sticker price was correct. Disappointed, I left the jeans where they were. On arriving home I rechecked the price on-line. (Refer to link above.) While I certainly would have enjoyed the superior fit of the Biba jean I don't own, that £20-50 will get more use being in my pocket than being swapped for a garment that would be stuck in a storage bin. I'm sure if I can live long enough, jeans manufacturers will once again make a proper waisted jean.

Stumbled across a new pair in HoF tonight, my size and priced at £47. They are still there .....

Nope! Found >> here <<

Another excellent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlneXdzgfZM.

Just some >> << wrapped around an OOTD.

This could be popular...... Best in1080p and full screen. More >> here << but maybe the quality is not so good.

A few more from from someone who likes heels? [wood2mil] Video 1 Video 2 Video 3 (my fav) They've 14 vid's in total, all of a similar style.

Despite the New Year and all the costs it brings ....... (aka credit card bills, end of year utility bills) ...... managed to sell another two pairs of ankle boots. Very pleasant result. Would be even better, if I wasn't back to buying faster than I'm selling. That said, made some very good purchases recently.

I had a similar experience yesterday. (Full details when I do a my own 'out and about' update. ) Here in the UK we have a quaint custom of taking afternoon tea. In many of the better London Hotels, they do an afternoon tea that can cost up to £64 per person, if you also take a glass of rose champagne. And there's a waiting list for that one! (Claridges if you are tempted.) While out shopping in London, I had to use the toilet while in a large store, and on the same floor there was a Tea Room. No prices on show, so we took a chance on buying "tea for two". Not too bad, at £10-50 for us both that included two small scones each. Was very well done - I can tell you. The tables were open, as was the whole seating area. My heels were on plain view while I had my legs bent (for sitting). Initially, this wasn't a problem for anyone. As our time there went on, the old (and I mean really old) couple two tables down spotted my heeled boots. They had finished their food anyway, and left soon after. The two teen-aged girls next door, who were escorted by their mother, must have noticed later still. The only time I saw them looking, was as we left. [And I had been checking.] Well, they didn't take their eyes off us. I looked back smiling (they were teenagers after all) and I smiled every time I looked back. Used Mrs Freddy as a barrier, keeping her between the girls and me, so not much to see really. We had close contact from 4 staff in total while there, 3 of which could (and might have) noticed my heels, but not one of them were seen looking. I will be going back, as it was very pleasant. .....

(Very) Short review of Bertie shoe boot. [Review #4] I have mentioned these before, >> here << Some images..... They have a thick rubber sole, and padded footbed. The upper is leather, and they are very comfortable to wear. I had bought a pair of these earlier in 2012, for a bit under £50, though they had been on a promotion for slightly less. They were worn once, and returned because the heel started parting from the shoe. No further stock, so I got a full refund. The boots under review started life (this time around) at circa £110, and were quickly reduced to £99. I got them for £66, again while on promotion. I seldom spend more than the minimum, but these were/are, an almost "wear everywhere" style. Plus, Mrs Freddy had offered to buy them for me as part of my Christmas present. They were bought and put to one side along with 3 or 4 other newly acquired styles, while I decided what was going on the keep pile, and what was going on the return pile. They laid there, in the 'maybe' pile, for more than two months. I finally got them out to wear, and discovered there was a loose bit of something rattling around inside the heel of one shoe. That's two pairs, out of two pairs, badly made........ They went back, and I got a full refund. There is no time limit on 'fit for purpose' issues here in the UK. Meaning; I could have returned them after two years, and expected a full refund. The Bertie franchise is run by the same group as Dune. I had considered Bertie to be better quality than Dune, though that wouldn't be hard given my personal experiences. It would seem Bertie are not as well made as their price would suggest either. Fortunately the shoes had been delivered mail order (for free), and I returned them to a store while there doing something else, so no financial loss felt. Very disappointing though. Both times. They'll be no third try. ......

Hopefully, these?

I've almost no experience of buying from Topshop, but ....... My interest in this style grew from first look/touch, almost 3 months ago. Unlike Zara who seldom seem to have on-going sale prices, I know Topshop do reduce their line (style) prices individually, as sizes in a range become unavailable. When the second size in the range went that way, the initial reduction from £95 to £50 was attractive. That produced some interest, and the residual size range started to reduce further, with my size becoming unavailable from the on-line store the day after I bought. Despite my size going "unavailable", I knew where at least one pair hid in store. Actually, the pair I had bought some months ago to check if they would fit, were still at the store I'd returned them to. That further reduction in size availability, pushed the sale price even lower..... To £30. Had a last look tonight, only to find the style is no longer available on-line at all. It may be this round of events is well known by more experienced Topshop buyers, and consequently large price reductions produce something of a feeding frenzy? Fortunately for me (as you rightly point out), I was quick enough off the mark to get the boots I had waited patiently for. I can confirm, they look and feel wonderful. The bonus is; getting an all leather shoe for £30!! Ooops, typo.

Top shop boots ..... Weeeeeeellllllll....... Just back from the shops ...... Took the boots back to Topshop, and explained what I wanted to do. Was told by the polite male assistant in Topman, that it's Topshop policy to put returns back out on the shop floor, before they can be resold. So he couldn't let me buy them straight back!? "Okay," says I, "see you in 30 minutes." An hour later, I arrive back, this time with Mrs Freddy in tow. (Me having collected her from work.) Thankfully, the shoes were on the sales shelf when we returned, not that I was expecting them to sell in the 60 or so minutes I was away from them. After all, no matter how efficient the sales team were, they'd have to be moving to get them checked, priced and displayed..... Then re-sold in that time..... I have to say, I wasn't going to be too stressed if they had sold. Disappointed, sure, but ..... *** So the right shoe was out on display. I picked it up and asked one of the assistants, (a particularly attractive 20-ish year old girl) for the pair, as I was going to buy them. She asked what size (?) and I said "9" which was the size of the one I'd given her . (Topshop 9 is the same as most other brands 8.) Off she went to get the other shoe, and the box they both came in. At this time, I was ready to let Mrs Freddy do the buying, so I could make a purchase in another shop. Mrs Freddy was happy to 'do' both shops with me.... So I waited. After a little flurry, the other boot and their box arrived care of someone who knew where to look. The (very) pretty assistant walks over to me where I'm standing -by the rest of the shoes- lays the box on a seat, and pulling one of the shoes from the box and said; "Would you like to try them on before buying them?" That was a curved ball I wasn't expecting. But really lightened my mood (at having to return to the shop to make the purchase). Despite her obvious young years, she was no fool. I declined saying, I had only returned them a short while ago, so there was no need. (She understandingly looked perplexed, but both of us resisted the temptation to discuss it further.) She took them to the sales counter and said someone would help me shortly, which they did. We left the shop with me all 'aglow'. Very very very positive event. *** I'd bought a second pair the night before.