Try me pedal-pushers

I thought of pedal-pushers as more like cut-off trousers, especially after seeing them on model Guinevere in the Jil Sander advertising campaign. Of course, when I tried to get a pair of the Jil Sander shorts they had sold out. So my second stop was to the young Spanish designer Amaya Arzuaga, who had done a selection of what can only be described as cycling shorts.

The pedal-pusher suit is something that will become more common in the shops later this year. Already, there are some others available from Yves Saint Laurent Variation, Gaultier Classique and Issey Miyake. I borrowed the Arzuaga pair and went to a dinner party wearing them, a matching top, some borrowed shoes and a black jacket.

But could a "pedal-pusher suit" become a wardrobe staple for women who like to wear trouser suits? It could work on principle: take your favourite trouser suit, and imagine the trouser cut off on the knee. The overall effect is chic, comfortable and, though you may raise a few glances from colleagues, extremely modern. Deciding what to wear with them can be difficult. Keep it simple. If you have decent legs, keep them bare; if not, get a pair of flesh-coloured tights. Shoes should be practical, yet feminine, perhaps some low-heeled slingbacks, or wedge mules. As long as the shoe exposes the ankle it will stop your legs from looking stumpy.

On my way to the dinner party I hid behind a long coat. Then while running for a tube my coat blew open and two French guys shouted: "Super madam, super madam!". At the dinner party it was all "wow" and "cool". The outfit sparked talk about dress codes at the office. One woman in particular, a banker, craved a relaxation of the strict skirt-suit policy at work. She actually asked me change out of my pedal- pushers so that she could try them on. No doubt she will be tracking down a Jil Sander pair, rather than these shiny satin ones which don't work for day, but are good for a night out.

Shiny silver pedal-pushers, pounds 75, and silver sleeveless polo neck, pounds 60, by Amaya Arzuaga from Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, London SW1 and Psyche, 215 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. For further stockists, call 0171-734 0123.