I felt very old the other day when, out shopping with my youngest daughter, we ended up in Tammy.

She had gone there to spend her birthday money, just like I did at her age. I was 11 when Tammy first appeared in British high streets. It was the first shop I can remember catering for females in those in-between years, neither little girl nor teen.

It was strange to be standing there while she rifled through the rails, choosing a pair of smiley face baseball boots – the ‘in’ thing apparently. It didn’t seem so long ago when I dragged my mother to one branch tucked away at the back of Etam to look at bell-bottom trousers.

I remember how thrilled I was with them – they were brown with popper buttons up to the knee.

My 11-year-old is an easy shopping companion. She still listens to and takes on board my advice. I can still buy her clothes unseen and take them home knowing she will like them.

I’m making the most of this because I know how quickly things change. There is no way I would buy unseen garments for her older sister, whose taste is very exacting.

She has moved from Tammy to New Look and is also now tall enough to buy clothing from adult shops.

Watching her browse in Miss Selfridge really does make me feel ancient. I think she’s mildly embarrassed to have me in my woolly cardigan and logger’s boots, standing beside her muttering under my breath, ‘Look at that skirt – it’s disgusting, it’s more like a belt’.

My children are becoming more and more fashion conscious.

They love Gok’s Fashion Fix TV show and try to make me guess which is ‘designer’ and which is ‘high street’. My eldest daughter loves the mix-and-match tips and spends ages in her room trying on different combinations.

Their growing interest in fashion makes me nervous. I’m sure they think I could do with a little sprucing up. ‘Why not try this, mum?’ one will ask, holding up a top that looks like a cross between a negligee and a scarf.

They think I buy too much from charity shops and need taking in hand. I’m just hoping they don’t pass my details to Gok, or put me forward for Ten Years Younger.

Having said this, I enjoy watching their interest unfold and I enjoy shopping with them. You never know, I may learn something and change my sloppy, slept-in style altogether.

Watch this space.