Friday 2 July 2010

Twinnies

'Being twinnies' is a phrase that has surfaced from the deep this morning.



I have a twin brother and as small children we must sometimes have been dressed in matching clothes (I remember we each had a pair of black watch tartan trousers when we were about 8 or so). I'm sure that as babies we must have had matching stuff but I don't remember. There was no money and most of the clothes were hand me downs or home made. Twin brother got his two elder brothers' cast offs and I got some from a cousin but must have got a lot of new - did that cause resentment? Mum made all my dresses and a school blouse that was always slightly the wrong colour and shape but fortunately didn't venture into making coats or trousers.

At one house there was an old trunk full of shoes which had to be investigated whenever we had grown out of the current ones to make sure there wasn't something that would fit. Startrite clodhoppers - winter shoes with a horseshoe shaped raised seam on the front, or Clarks sandals with petals cut out of the front, seemed to be the only options. (A picture comes to mind of Mum's face in a shoe shop when we just had to have new shoes and where was the money coming from.)

This morning we were going shopping so had to put on something presentable rather than the same shorts and top as yesterday. I got dressed and went down to put the coffee on, only to find that Him Outdoors appears in the same colours. (Since I chose most of his clothes I guess this isn't as rare as it might be.)

I found I HAD to go back and change tops so that we wouldn't be twinnies.

PS I also have a huge aversion to older couples that appear in matching anoraks - usually beige - or matching wet weather gear in our sailing days. But I think that may be more normal! (What is it with older people - obviously much older than me :-) - and beige...................

6 comments:

  1. Matching wet weather gear? There didn't use to be much choice from what I remember from my days in the Ark - it was yellow or yellow.

    In our family clothes used to be handed round from cousin to cousin...and I much resented having something I liked disappear from my cupboard without so much as a by your leave. Same for toys.

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  2. I am an only child (Mum nearly died having me so decided not to chance a second one) so I didn't have any casts offs. I do however remember being put in the most hideous tank top things that my gran knitted *shudders*.

    LOL...I know exactly what you mean about older people and beige and I have no idea why they do it either!!

    C x

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  3. Fly - each company has its own colour each season. Must have the latest darling ;-)

    Carol - subtle difference between beige and undyed linen or taupe! In my Mum's day she used to say that all the elderly wore crimplene............

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  4. As to crimplene...it seems to be the fabric of choice of the suppliers to rural ladies in France.

    All I can recall was the Helly Hansen brand..which always seemed to be yellow, but I've lost trackof it all for years.
    I still like those rust coloured Breton smocks for gardening though...nice boat neck against a sharp breeze and deep pockets!

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  5. What is it with the elderly and the beige anoraks? I once said to my daughter that if I was ever tempted to buy any part of the "elderly uniform" she had my permission to shoot me. Thankfully I never have.

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  6. I see Armani has gone for beige this year....

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