Kate Livingstone: My cast offs are vintage it seems

While it may be great to have shelves that are no longer laden with clothes, ornaments and books that hadn’t seen the light of day for months, perhaps I was a bit hasty ...

Let me explain. Daughter Emma and I went shopping at the weekend as she was looking for an outfit for a wedding. I’m not sure if it was my sartorial advice she was after or someone to keep an eye on Sophie while she was in the changing room, but we hit the shops early on Saturday morning.

Having been on many of similar retail expeditions in the past I know when to offer my opinion and when to keep my thoughts to myself.

Which is the reason that we didn’t take my mother with us. You know when someone asks “does this make me look fat?” and you find a gentle way of saying that it doesn’t really flatter them. Well not mother. She would say yes and then go on about not losing her baby weight and always having fat calves ...

Not a pleasant experience for anyone in the firing line.

However, I’m better trained so we went round several shops before Emma eventually found a lovely dress that fitted her perfectly (honestly it did!) and the same shop had a fascinator and pashmina that complemented the colours. Sorted.

But then it was time to find shoes and a bag.

I knew that we had been too fortunate in getting her dress so quickly as we went from shop to shop but nothing seemed to suit.

The problem is my daughter has very definite ideas about what she wants – wonder who she gets that from?

My hopes of a nice leisurely lunch with my two girls were dashed as we grabbed a coffee and a sandwich before hitting the shops again.

And then finally she found a pair.

Gold and strappy with a block heel which she said would be perfect as the wedding will be outside if the weather is fine and she won’t sink into the grass which happens with stilettos.

Only thing was I had sent an identical pair to the charity shop the week before!

“I only wore them once years ago and didn’t think I would have them back on,” I wailed. “Would you have worn them?”

“Of course – and I would have told everyone they were vintage,” said Emma.

I resisted saying perhaps we should go to the charity shop to see if they were still available!

Vintage indeed.