Afflictions

I went & ordered the plainest little wool dress you ever saw from Dior - 168 pounds. It's the last time. I humbly asked if they wouldn't take off the 8 but no they cried you are very lucky. All the prices are going up next week. They made me feel I'd been too clever for words. But after I felt guilty - all the poor people in the world & so on. It's terrible to love clothes as much as I do.

— 1951, Nancy Mitford to Evelyn Waugh