sun surf 26

Sun, sea, surf? I'd swap it all for Penneys

There's a reason I went backpacking at 28 not 18: it took me ten years to come to terms with using a backpack, and what it represents -- ugly, functional clothes.

Ugh, it makes me shiver just typing those words. It took me a long time to realise that clothes even had a function, other than to make you feel and look good. (An earlier J1 trip to the States enlightened me to the fact that Yanks, and most other nationalities, have a different definition of 'functional fashion' to mine, ie comfy, warm and unflattering.) Unlike a lot of countries outside Europe, Ireland doesn't dress for the elements, we dress for ourselves.

I never realised how important fashion was until I had to do without. Not that I'm a high maintenance fashion victim (honest), it's just that I like to feel and look my best. Anyhow, backpacks, long-haul flights, trekking and extreme heat are just not conducive to looking good. So to go travelling, I had to stock up on ugly, functional clothes: hideous flat sandals, unflattering fleece jackets -- you get the picture. I couldn't wait to reach Sydney where I could stock up on some fashionable clobber ...

It's here that I hit a serious fashion brick wall -- there is no H&M, no River Island, no Zara, and no Penneys! Affordable fashion in Sydney (and I use the term fashion in the loosest sense) is hard to find. If you want good quality fashion, you have to pay for it. Which, I wouldn't mind, but here you need to take out a small loan to do so.

And don't even get me started on the lack of gorgeous high heels! Here, it's all surf wear, sports wear, office wear, but no 'look good' wear -- the demand for fashionable affordable clothes just doesn't exist.

Sadly, no amount of sunshine can make up for the lack of cheap, stylish clothes. I'd trade in this natural tan lark for a bottle of the fake stuff and a Penneys shopping spree any day.