The mecca that is T K Maxx

Our prudence isn’t solely confined to the use of the wonderful charity shops in our town, Sophie and I are also big big fans of the mecca that is T K Maxx.

What attracts us to the chaos of rails and mixed up shoes, I think for me it harks back to my days of shopping at Tommy Balls near Blackburn. An 80’s factory shoe shop heaven where everything is organised by size in great long rows with pairs attached with elastic bands. My mum, dad, brother and I would make our bi - annual trip up the M6 normally on a soggy Saturday (with Dad moaning) to get school shoes and Christmas party shoes. Our shoes were always different, a bit cooler I like to think but more than likely a bit odd and maybe not quite the same colour. But they were great value and if we were lucky we had tea at a Happy Eater on the way home.

This layout was normal and exciting so when I stumbled into TK Maxx many moons ago, all my chaotic shopping nostalgia came rushing back.

Now, I know what you are going to say, there isn’t enough time in the day to rifle through the rails and rails of designer and not so designer gear. Well I do agree but I have been known to set aside a good couple of hours for a good rummage only to come out with some sweets and a sign saying “home is where the heart is” or something like that. I have however gone in for a half an hour dash and found probably the most flattering dress I’ve ever bought. So much so I want to wear it all the time but its maybe a bit OTT for the school run or dashing to take the kids to swimming!

I love doing a bit of Christmas shopping trip at T K Maxx, I love buying something which appears to be really expensive but isn’t. One year I bought my brother a rather lovely red French Connection shirt for £14, he still thinks I spent a fortune.

I went into T K Maxx on Saturday primarily to use the loo and managed to come out with a fabulous Danish coast by a company called Minimum. It’s a super sensible black three quarter length coat with a hood (yet again I am morphing into my mum) and its v v warm and it was half the price on the ticket. Being a bit of a nosey bum I did have a look online to see who Minimum are and to check I’d not been fleeced and low and behold there they are on ASOS and it is a real life brand.

So that trip to the loo got me a coat and inspired me to go again in a couple of weeks without my daughter for a longer rummage, just to see what I can find.