h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Today, I went to do some shopping I wanted to get done before I go to London on Friday.
Top of my list were new socks - simple cottonwool socks.

You wouldn't believe just how difficult it was to find some.

There were tons of 'sneaker socks' (as they're called here - the reason of which escapes me ).

http://www.toe-socks.net/images/coolmaxsneakerwhite.jpg

http://www.karstadt.de/dbimages/sp/167/16790/1679001657_m.jpg

Now sneaker socks don't cover the ankle, which means I would have cold feet anyway. I could just as well save the money and not wear any socks at all.

When I was just about to give up, I discovered some pairs of socks, and they were even the right size.

Apart from that, I only got about half of the stuff I wanted to buy - no wonder I loathe shopping so much.

A moment ago, I went to look into my wardrobe, searching for clothes to take on Friday.

Husband: What are you doing there?

Me: I'm looking for clothes.

Husband: What for?

Me: Just so.

Husband: Do you need new clothes?

Me: I have enough clothes, thank you.

I can hardly believe he asked me why I was looking for clothes, but that's exactly what he did. And he even accepted my reply.

I have never, in all my life, looked for clothes in the wardrobe 'just so'.

I don't like clothes shopping either, theres never enough pink stuff to choose from and nothing seems to fit perfectly

Pink?

Socks are pleasant to shop for - cheap, they always fit, and they come in a variety of interesting patterns. I have new socks with garden gnomes on. *Naked* garden gnomes

That's it exactly (not the pink stuff, I don't wear pink cause it's not *my* colour), but nothing ever really fits.

Frustrating is'nt it! Which is why i hardly ever go clothes shopping, i tend to buy on impulse these days and it works well for me.

I like pink!

And the stuff that fits is never affordable...

Which is why I'm happy enough to cross-dress. Men's jeans usually fit me better

Shopping other than socks, though, I'll leave for as long as I can

It's unfair. Men don't have to wear 'sneaker' socks - why do we? It's incredible what sort of clothes they offer for women.

I hate clothes shopping simply because my size means I invariably end up in the teens or 'young persons' section. With a 32" waist and 27" inside leg measurment, what passes for standard mens sizes just don't apply to me!!
At nearly 49yrs old I feel somewhat awkward in the teens section plus I get some very funny looks. Apart from which I'm not all that struck on the 'young' style/fashion either. If I can get away with it I buy most clothes from catalogues these days as and when I need them.

Nowadays, you can hardly differentiate between teens style and any other style - well, maybe with the exception of granny style. I don't like any of the stuff - and shoes are worst.

I find it odd when I see kids/teens wearing jeans with great holes in them and it's apparently supposed to be fashionable. If I'd got holes in trousers like it I'd have thrown them out, not worn them with pride!

Is that still in in the UK? It's no longer the fashion here.

Not sure its the latest fashion as such, but still see plenty of them about though.

Oh well, it's all coming in circles, that's another reason why I keep all my old clothes - they'll be tomorrow's fashion.

I nearly broke into tears when I discovered one of the websites I use, to buy clothes from, and which did a perfect* shirt I liked, at a decent price, had discontinued selling it I've still not dared venture out to try and find a replacement source for that shirt... Luckily the online shop that does the black linen shirts still sells them, hence why I have two dozen identicle of them it just saves the hastle I need to buy new socks too, but I'm putting it off as taht was really hard last time to find a decent sock that wasn't so expensive I'd be paying the best part of half a weeks wages just to get a drwer full I really hate to think what is going to happen when my shoes finally get rejected by the cobbler as no longer worth repairing... please say I don't have to go into shoe shops?

I used to be so skinny I had to buy women's t-shirts, oh and a mate of mine, 23, wears t-shirts for 12yo.

Maybe you could order them online?

Sock shopping can be a pain for me too. I buy sneaker socks (when I need new sneaker socks) to wear in summer so that my sneakers don't get sweaty (I think that's what they're for.) But I find it hard to get reasonably priced cotton socks in my size. Normally, I'll find 3 pairs for a decent price but they'll be identical so I end up buying 5 or 7 pairs that aren't identical with at least one pair a horrible colour.

I understand the principle of buying in bulk to pay less for each item but when 3 pairs of black costs the same as 3 pairs of grey or 3 pairs of navy, why don't they sell 1 pair each of black, grey and navy for the same price? Not that I was after those colours. I noticed that there was a reasonable selection of woolen socks but who wants woolen socks at this time of year?

Sorry, turning into a rant!

Van

With three boys and therefore five of us to wash socks for for many years, I would have been pleased to have been able to buy identical socks by the dozen, to save the tedious sorting when they come out of the machine. But the cheap packs of 6 or 10 were always all different and, of course, single ones invariably went missing.

And, as 2legs has found out, once you find something that's just right for you, they stop making it.

I can't say I've ever had problems finding socks for myself, though. And the variety is so great that it's quite fun. Most important is to make sure that the seam around the toes isn't too lumpy.

Slightly more expensive socks are worth it in the end. The ones which are tailor made for left and right feet are still reasonably priced and hard to fault. I first discovered them in England, but they're made in Germany.

I managed to buy a pack of five pairs, in OK colours. I could have done without the white pair, because it'll never be white again after first wearing,, but at a price of € 5 for all of them, I won't complain.
I currently have a small heap of eight!! washed, single socks (not mine, I hasten to add) waiting for their match to turn up.

I have a whole box full. I never give up hope that, one day, they'll be reunited with their partners.