Everyone’s talks of autumn as the big Shopping and Fashion season, telling us what we should be buying and wearing, where we should buy, what we should wear with and exactly how and when to wear. We’re told what to look out for, what to steer clear of, what era to recreate, what to throw out and what to keep.

 Early autumn is when I realize just how many summer clothes and new dresses are still languishing in my cupboard unworn, that it’s time to give up on my quest for the perfect pair of gladiator sandals I never quite got round to buying all summer, and that, short of a couple of miracle sunshine days or someone whisking me away on a post-summer trip abroad, it’s now officially too late and the unworn dresses will have to get pushed to the back and take their chances that they’ll get to see the light of day in Summer 2010.

September is also when I tell myself that this season, any autumn/winter purchases will be limited (or mostly limited) to items I am likely to actually wear and have somewhere to go in – key points I try to keep in mind while I’m slavishly analyzing the ‘Must Follow Trends for A/W 2009’.

When I finally hit the shops, I’m all set to be overwhelmed by the dazzling array of items screaming ‘Must Have Trend for This Season’, all fighting for the attentions of my credit card. Instead, I’m confronted with rails and rails of black and grey clothes that I have to push myself to examine further. Previous Shopaholic autumns have seen me buy every type of black or grey dress, skirt and top a person could ever wish to own – let alone wear, to the point that even I can’t be tempted by yet another variation on an otherwise tempting well cut, fitted little LBD.

While I still have several hanging around from Winter 2005, I am tempted by the cute little furry gilets, though I know it’ll only be about five minutes before it’s too cold to wear them without a coat, and while a lot of them seem too big, I manage to dig out a little sheepskin one and another with long black feather type hairs that makes my husband question why I’ve bought a monkey?

While I already have racks of ‘essential white shirts’, that I’m always too cold for once we’re in October, I can’t resist my chance to recreate the Dynasty look, in a white fitted round necked shirt with supersize puffed shoulders, which is just a little less fabulous but a good deal cheaper than Balmain’s angular power shoulder jacket.

While I’m usually a sucker for a great fitting dress, what really catches my eye and has me involuntarily reaching for my wallet before I even think how much? let alone do I need it?, is an ‘I-must-look-like-a-rock-chick-now’ little black studded skirt that just screams ‘Essential Right On Trend For This Season Purchase’.

While I can appreciate the allure of a sequined jacket, especially with tuxedo pants or skinny jeans, I’ve so far managed to refrain, reminding myself that I’ll never wear it in the day and I’ll get more wear from an evening dress, but when an adorable silver sequin skirt comes my way, it’s a totally different story and it quickly falls under the heading of ‘Great Way to Tick Off Another Key Trend’.

Just when I was toying with the idea that there might not be that much to tempt me this season after all – studs and sequins, two key looks no fashionable wardrobe can pass up, least of all mine…