Friday 29 January

A1 printouts failed. I got an A3-one. And every morning I meet that lovely smiles and those intensively warm eyes. Sorry for saying it in public, but I have got it bad.Today I decided to go shopping for clothes, since I found a hole in the crotch of my blue suit trousers. The second pair of trousers in two weeks that had to go. Strange, I had only had them since the 80´s.

Shopping clothes usually gives me anxiety. Doing it on my own in a foreign town, is even worse, and I wanted Arwen to be there, to give advice, have opinions, smile, frown, shrug and shine at my attempts to find trousers that fit in style, color and cut.To begin with this was an exploration of the sources to the Fast show Suits You, Sir sketches. English shop attendants are so polite, verbal and still direct. “I don’t mean any offense, Sir, but may I suggest that we go to the 34 section.” To me the 34 section, was nowhere near an offense. I hadn’t got any idea of what size I was, only that my legs are short, thighs sturdy and my bum is bigger than my waist. After many attempts I failed in one, two, three, four shops.

At Debenham, a nice gentleman proposed trousers that “are on the generous side in the cut, still maintaining the waist”, after my description of my proportions. He himself was quite on the generous side and spoke openheartedly of how he was waiting for spring to come so that he could start cycling again, as he had done in his youth. Funny how it doesn't matter what wiight you are. Extra kilos are allways extra kilos and sometimes that is understood by all. I really, wanted to buy a suit from him, but it wasn’t perfect.

Then: Austin Reed. I have found my brand. A trouser, Westmister cut, that is made for my body. I looked at two suits and the manager called another branch to check for extra pairs of trousers, after a female shop assistant asked him to. I set it aside and said to return. Was suits within my budget? I bought two pairs of nice trousers though, more of winter/autumn character for buy-one-get-one-for-half-price.