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Fashion: Dear Annie

Saturday 15 August 1998 23:02 BST
Comments

A few years ago my daugher, who lives in Southampton, bought sets of cagoule/ trousers in multicoloured waterproof nylon for her children. They folded into very small integral bags labelled "Baggers Ltd". The two children (currently aged seven and nine) have now outgrown them, and we have been unable to trace the company or product. My daughter can't remember where she bought the sets but thinks it was a deparment store. No luck however with Debenhams, C&A or John Lewis. Can you help?

Sheila Knowles, London

I know that Gap Kids do a handy little cagoule for kids, priced pounds 12, ages up to age 13, tel: 0800 427789, but they don't have pants. I couldn't find Baggers Ltd, which would have been helpful, so no joy there. The Children's Warehouse do exactly what you're looking for but only up to age eight! So that's one of your children sorted. If you're interested, call them for a catalogue on 0845 3000 845. It's called the Rainbuster Jacket & Trousers in a bag, costs pounds 21.95, 100 per cent PVC, showerproof, comes in red or navy in sizes 18-24 months, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 5-6 years, and finally 7-8 years. If anyone else can help Sheila, please get in touch. Thank you.

I'm going to a leavers' ball soon and I have chosen what to wear etc., but I need to get a pair of long gloves that go all the way up to my armpits/shoulders. I've looked in all the major department stores, even ones in London and I can only find ones that go three quarters up my arm. Is there anywhere that I can buy them, preferably in pink?

Rosetti, Hants

Hmm. I found the problem wasn't the length but the colour. Dents do the right length but not in pink, and because of the style content (nylon and elastane) they won't dye brilliantly well. So, go to your local Johnny Loulou branch and get some Cornelia James gloves which are in a cotton/Lycra (and will dye better because natural fibres do take colour better than synthetic ones) and come to just under the armpits, they cost pounds 19.50 and come in white, and then you can dye them, really easily. Use Dylon's multipurpose dye for handwash that's suitable for satin and cotton/Lycra. It comes in little tins that cost pounds 1.55 each and there are two pink shades available: No. 12 is called 'Rose of Paris' (a pale pink) and No. 13 is called 'Carnival' (a deeper pink, the one I would go for). If you need to find your nearest Johnny Loulou, ring the Oxford Street branch on 0171 629 7711 and they will tell you your nearest branch. Then you can ring them to make sure they have what you want. I'm sorry I wasn't able to find you long gloves that were already in pink, but there you go.

I hope you can help - you are my last hope. My family are M*A*S*H fanatics. I have hunted high and low for a supplier of T-shirts in the M*A*S*H colour (American Army khaki) and with the logo - I even stopped a complete stranger in the street in Las Vegas to ask where he had bought his! He didn't know, it was a present. Any help you can give would be brilliant. I need six shirts, so the supplier would have a reasonable order. Love the column. Keep it up.

Sallie Davies, Leeds

Oh dear. This week I'm not doing so well, but I hope that goes to prove that a) the letters are genuine (why, you sillies who think they're made up, would I make up questions I can't answer?) and that b) I'm not superhuman. I tried all the people I could think of: Laurence Corner, Antoni and Alison, Urban Outfitters, Hysteric Glamour, etc. Urban Outfitters have an olive cap-sleeved t-shirt, but that's no good for you, plus their shop is in London (Kensington High Street). Someone out there must be able to help Sallie. Come on now, write in.

Dear Annie book, Dear Annie book!!

The date of publication is looming! The Dear Annie book will be published on 16 November by Faber and Faber. It will have all the best, funniest and most oft-asked questions, and the answers have been revised and updated. Ditto the sparkling directories at the back where you can find out where to buy shoes in odd sizes and size 16-plus clothes; there's one on all sorts of menswear; an underwear one that lists who does what in what sizes; and a swimwear directory that tells you where you can buy bikini tops and bottoms in different sizes, plus so much more I can't tell you. In a few weeks, we'll be publishing a proper order form for advance orders but in the meantime regular readers can get the book for pounds 8.99 (the "normal" price will be pounds 9.99) and postage and packing will be free in the UK. But the best bit is that the regular readers that have helped make the column such a success will get their copies some four weeks before anyone else can! Cool or what. And I promise to sign every damn copy myself. So call Faber on 0171 465 7513, ask for Fiona Halliburton and she'll take your order if you have a Visa card or she can send/fax you an order form to accompany a cheque. Or you can e-mail Fiona with your details: fionah@faber.co.uk.

Annie regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Dear Annie is a registered trade mark.

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