Blog: ‘Buy cheap buy twice’, some may say. But I’ll let you into a little secret: when it comes to fashion that’s exactly why girls love cheap chic.

Now those halcyon days of spending less than £15 on a dress, wearing it once before ditching it completely and justifiably (I mean it only cost as much as a takeaway) could be over.

Budget fashion chain Primark yesterday told shoppers to brace themselves for a sharp rise in prices, and said the days of £2 T-shirts and £4 jeans were numbered.

And today, officials in the textile industry, both in the UK and in Asia, echoed the views.

Allen Terhaar, director of Cotton Council International, said: “Cotton is 15 to 20 per cent of the textile component of what people are wearing.

“Consumption worldwide is now exceeding production, and prices are going up.”

So, and on a purely selfish level, what’s a woman to do? It’s the end of an era and one which could just make the morning rush a lot more manic for me.

I, like so many people, believe that a wardrobe should consist of quality purchases made with seasonal themes in mind taking into account work, leisure and partying. Spend well on key items and you will reap the rewards.

But who doesn’t love the fact that if you can’t get that ink stain out of number one son’s uniform or even if you forget to dry clean that skirt you were going to wear for tomorrow, most supermarkets these days boast a pretty decent fashion range and, even better, are open 24 hours.

Oh yes, that midnight run has saved my neck on a number of occasions while juggling school, work and the nursery run.

And despite loving those designer brands and shopping in outlets where the clothes are actually looked after rather than lumped together I defy anyone to say they don’t get a kick out of the bargain purchase. The Chloe lookalike for £12.50 – come on now, hands up those who wouldn’t want to tell everyone in the room the price-tag -  but only after waiting for a few complimentary comments? It’s worth it every time to see the look on people’s faces.

Bargain hunt boasting is the style statement of the 21st century. Soon there’ll be no sport in it any more. Men have football; we have shopping. It’s a given.

But more seriously cheap clothes have provided families with a much-needed resource during a recession which has already seen many other household bills soar. While women love the cheap chic thrill, when it comes to decking out the children it is simply a necessity.

Now cotton farmers in the US are changing the crops they are growing and driving up prices of raw materials – meaning cheap clothes could soon be in short supply. It is yet another extra strain on people already struggling to manage.

It’s becoming a tough old world and now there’s not even that £15 dress to brighten the day.

By Tracey O’Sullivan