Metropolitan Life: The shortlist: HARVEY NICHOLS: The small spender's guide
HARVEY NICHOLS: The small spender's guide
TEN WAYS TO FEEL
FABULOUS FOR UNDER pounds 20
Enter: Smelling sweet costs nothing at all: the ground floor is a veritable oasis of designer smellies ... Dolce & Gabbana, YSL, Christian Dior. A free squirt from one of these counters should start you off right ...
Ground floor: Strut to the Moschino accessories section and grab a gold "M" Moschino key-ring (pounds 15), big, chunky and easy to indentify when you fall out the limo ... and need to find your keys. Stay on ground floor for Donna Karan lace-top hold up stockings - black, shiny and sheer at pounds 14.99. Calvin Klein sheer black lace-top hold ups are a snip at pounds 9.95. Delacquis sparkly light scarf pounds 9.95. available in various pastel colours - excellent for summer nights, sweetie ...
Second floor: use the escalator, dahling, no one will see you looking so fabulous in the lift! At Bazar de Christian Lacroix, a clear plastic, rhinestone-studded, irregular shaped bangle is pounds 29, a little over budget but, it's Lacroix sweetie, Lacroix ...
Third floor: silk and lace undies abound but dahling, it's kids' wear, too (we know how you Patsy types feel about Saffie-sized things). Danger - better move on.
Fourth floor: Bollie-Stollies wouldn't be the same without this - crystal Riedel stemware champagne flute, pounds 11.00 from Roberts and Dore. Slim, elegant and perfect for sipping on a balcony but sorry, sweetie, one is essential, two is over budget!
Fifth floor: after all that shopping we need to prepare for the soiree ce soir. Al fresco food type nibbles: 50g Swedish salmon caviar pounds 6.25; seven asparagus sticks approx. pounds 2.13; one ounce pecorino cheese with truffles 75p; and Stabburet Gourmet Thins (very important) 85p. Total: pounds 9.98.
Lower ground: Straight down (use the lifts this time, the lighting is all wrong on the way down) to the men's floor - browsing costs nothing. And if you browse long enough, you're bound to get some attention - from security guards. Don't embarrass yourself by picking up anyone, instead pick up those delightful Calvin Klein wide-rib knob, sorry, nub socks pounds 9.50 ...
Exit: On the way out (shop-wise, not fashion-wise) hold your head high and pout as you swing those Harvey Nicks bags - panache costs nothing, dahling.
DOROTHY KOOMSON
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