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

Okay, so this is a bit weird. After 40 years of not giving a toss I find myself wanting to dress like other people. I've got the car, I keep wondering where I can get those big eyed sunglasses. What's next?

I justified the car to myself with 'want my clients to identify with me', one of my business advisors said they'd like it that I had the same aspirations as them. But I can't work out why I want the sunglasses.

I'm turning into a fashion victim, which is worrying as I don't have their money so can't actually afford to 'look like them'.

Something in my head is broken...

Midlife crisis?!

Oh dear Bob.

No, it can't be. I had that when I bought the MX5 for my 40th birthday.

Oh dear. In that case it's serious.

I need a

Was shopping with the missus yesterday and I noticed a big stack of them in BHS. They do seem to be trendy at the moment.

I've never wanted to be trendy before.

What do these things look like? Maybe I'll up my trendiness factor too

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=modern+sunglass+fashion&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1487&bih=792&tbm=isch&tbnid=Q7ucuYHpYl09tM:&imgrefurl=http://www.123rf.com/photo_11120621_fashion-model-wearing-the-big-modern-sunglasses.html&docid=Av3gmIcqr8TLiM&itg=1&imgurl=http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/101images/101images1111/101images111100002/11120621-fashion-model-wearing-the-big-modern-sunglasses.jpg&w=1200&h=798&ei=Tr95T8m1EMef8gO_gsXdDQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=694&sig=102625362299975981056&page=1&tbnh=122&tbnw=184&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0&tx=156&ty=46

This what I see the ladies wearing at the mo.

the Wag-wannabe-look

Thems are the ones! Lots of the 4WD mums around here wear them, so clearly I need them as well to complete the look.

You'll be after a toy boy next................

Sic has a pair. It's easy for me to tell what's super-trendy, I just look at what she's wearing.

I don't think you need to worry, Mina. Because you're not talking total make-over, are you? Just a bit of accessorising, using accessories you actually quite like. So you'll probably still be joyfully wearing your huge sunglasses in five years' time. It's just a happy accident that right now, they're in the shops and trendy.

Mol

I want those! Official!!!

Can you get 'em on Romford market?

I reckon you can Gosho.

Mol, I'm not sure I want them because I like them. I think I want them because *they* like them, and if they go out of fashion I'd probably drop them.

The shades I've got now are the style I've had for a long time (practical, protective) and every time I get in the 4WD they annoy me. But in the van, no problem.

I still don't think it's a big deal or symptomatic of some sort of crisis. If you were talking about mortgaging your son to buy a handbag, then yes there might be a problem, but it's just a pair of sunglasses. Just buy them.

Is it possible that it's partly a reaction to being able to afford to buy them? I know I ignored trends for many years, simply because I could never afford to buy into them (when most of your clothes come from charity shops, it's hard to stay on-trend ). I've not really changed - but I can now, sometimes, buy myself something new and a bit trendy, and it's nice to be able to do that, rather than having my own on-a-shoestring trend.

Mol

I can picture Edina Monsoon wearing a pair of those glasses?


Does that make you want them more, or less? <

I have huge sunglasses (bite me ) and from a driving point of view they are really useful.

I don't think it's because I can afford to, because I was on a good salary at the Beeb, especially after I left and came back as I wasn't in their pension anymore so wasn't paying as much out of my wages. I probably could have afforded this type of car back then too (after all, that's when bought the house).

It really is - I want to look like them, and that's what they are wearing. I want them to look at me and think 'she's just like me' and then give me all their money to train their dog rather than some bloke in a tracksuit.