LaDress: the verdict

My LaDress dress arrived.

On the plus side: Prompt delivery, excellent packaging, good colour, well made

On the negative side: It was about three sizes smaller than my UK size. Partly because it turns out it is not an A line dress but falls in a straight line from the shoulders with no give for the hips. It's not cut for a pear-shape at all. The kick-flare in the skirt near the hem creates the illusion that it is. Also because, in a very rare occurrence for me, it is rather tight even on the top which means the overall cut is far smaller than its UK equivalent.

Back to the drawing board

Close call with cashmere

Regular readers will remember that a month or two back I passed on a tip from a long-time employee of Pringle that it was possible to whiz a cashmere sweater in the dryer for five minutes without ill effects.

I tried it and it worked. This morning, I washed my favourite brown Pure cashmere sweater, span it on a short cycle and put it in the dryer. The settings don't allow me to time for as little as five minutes so I noted the time on the clock with the aim of taking it out exactly five minutes later.

And then wandered off.

Some fifteen minutes later, returning to the kitchen, I emitted a high-pitched scream that might have woken some of you up in California. I slammed shut the off switch and waited for the lock release to open the door.

When I took the sweater out, it was almost dry. I tried it on and to my astonishment, it had not shrunk, it was unharmed. Now I do not recommend that you regularly tumble dry your precious cashmere sweaters, but it is a testimony to Pure cashmere that they can survive their owners' stupidity. See their site on the banner above.

The clutch: just say no

As every fule no, this season's It Bag is the clutch. Not quite the equivalent of Chinese foot-binding, but fulfilling the same function - forcing the arm to remain clamped to your side and restricting the ability to make large expressive gestures. And as someone who likes talking, the idea of not having two hands to aid my gob is unthinkable.

Thought for the day

The impulse and the will to carry through an unorthodox style are no casual matter. Kennedy Fraser