Ready to wear: Get in lines

What could be more honest than stripes? There is nothing pretentious about them, they suit everyone and they don't care how old you are. Stripes are also always in, which is jolly handy if, like me, you'd rather be indoors quaffing red wine and mashed potatoes than outside shopping for the latest fashions. Why they've become particularly en mode again is anybody's guess. Forget all those ridiculous rules about not wearing horizontal stripes if you're tubby. Forget them. Stripes can be worn by everyone, any way up you please, in whatever colour. Apart, of course, from 6ft, size 10 women, because they will look like tampons in jazzy packaging.

Striped shirt, pounds 225, Paul Smith, 40 Floral Street, WC2. Enquiries: 0171 379 7133. White cotton trousers, pounds 22, Top Shop, Oxford Circus, London W1, and 23-31 Market Street, Arndale Centre, Manchester, 0161 834 0326. Enquiries: 0171 291 2351

One-shoulder top, pounds 39.99, Morgan. Enquiries: 0171 436 5255. Beige cotton wide trousers, pounds 20, Top Shop, stockists as before

Brown stretch T-shirt, pounds 35, French Connection, 99 Long Acre, London WC2, and 14-16 St Anne's Street, Manchester. Enquiries: 0171 580 2507. Striped shantung silk trousers, pounds 65, French Connection, as before. White patent thong sandals, pounds 24.99, Empire Catalogue, order no BG3405. Enquiries: 0345 200 400

Striped dress, pounds 249, Nicole Farhi,158 New Bond Street, London W1, 0171 499 8368. Blue trousers, pounds 85, Karen Millen, 33 King's Road, London SW3, 0171 730 7259, and 46 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, 0141 226 5113. Enquiries: 01622 664032. White Scholl sandalls, pounds 27.99, Empire Catalogue, order no BM4408. Enquiries: 0345 200 400

Striped sleeveless top, pounds 19.99, Jeffrey Rogers, The Plaza, Oxford Street, London W1, and 46 Buchanan Street, Glasgow. Enquiries: 01923 474400.

Brown trousers, pounds 89.95, Karen Millen, as before