"Clothes are a wonderful outlet for rebellious youths" writes Annette Cunningham

From about the age of 18 I was a dedicated follower of fashion. My own unique brand of fashion that is.

I have to admit I have put together some mightily strange ensembles over the years. You don’t tend to find many people deciding to pop to the shops wearing a jumper upside down, the sleeves snugly encasing their legs, back to front jackets or gold and black leopard-skin belts round their head, topped off with a bright red bulldog clip.

And you won’t believe how people stared in 1986 when I first thought to wear a flared, bold african print skirt over a pair of drainpipe jeans.

I had an amazing earring collection (and we didn’t go for discreet in the 80s) but for some reason always wore both in one ear or just wore the one. It’s surprising that I haven’t been left with a neck permanently bent to the right.

I was always being told I’d lost an earring, to which I always gleefully replied “No I haven’t, I’ve found one.” What an irritating smarty pants...

It could have been a whole lot worse though. What I do realise now is that clothes are a wonderful outlet for rebellious youths, and those determined to express their individuality and stand out from the rest of the crowd.

The truly great thing about bizarre or outrageous clothes is that you are always just a washing basket away from normality. Wardrobe disasters are shed in seconds.

I spurned fashionable hairdos too in my youth and sported everything from a skinhead to heavily back combed locks sprayed into unnatural vertical submission. But unlike clothes, deciding on a new hair look can take an agony of months to achieve.

I’m so pleased I didn’t opt for tattoos. They’d never have worked for me. I was aware that the fact that I constantly changed the posters on my wall through utter boredom meant I’d never find anything I’d be content to adorn my skin with forever.

Now I’ve reached middle age I’ve boringly stopped experimenting and mostly, dully, wear black. So I’m excited to see that Oxford Fashion Week hits our glorious city next month (March 3 to 9).

Frustratingly, from what I see in the media fashion shows always appear to be full of whispers of women wearing highly impractical, unwearable and unaffordable clothes. And yes, I do realise that’s rich coming from someone who’s minced around with garments adorning body parts they weren’t designed for.

But I’m all grown up now and I am led to believe that this high profile event is all about real clothes for real women and includes High Street prices. Perfect. Who knows, maybe there’s a chance I might just be inspired to shed my ebony shell.