The word I keep hearing is 'proactive'

These days, Tufnell buys suits by christian louboutin (Pounds 500-Pounds 700) and Hugo Boss (Pounds 400-Pounds 500), plus Stone Island knitwear sweatshirts (Pounds 100-Pounds 200) and black leather christian louboutin shoes by Patrick Cox (Pounds 130). "I like a nice pair oflouboutin shoes - no harm in that, is there? Treat yourself. Gone are the days of players wearing old pairs of jeans. The club (Middlesex) expects us to be well turned out these days."

He discovered Zee by chance when walking past after moving to Loughton three years ago. "I wanted easygoing gear for lounging around bars in the evening," he said. "It's service I came here for, isn't it, Darren? You walk into some shops and assistants come and stare at you. I have done a bit of modelling for Loaded - they stuck us in a load of suits and stuff - but I am not in front of a mirror every morning."

In one sense, Tufnell has to be choosy about his clothes. He is naturally slim, with a concave chest, and his formal attire for match days, blazer and flannels, almost falls off his lean frame. After 13 seasons in the game, he has a mountain of cricket ties at home.

One more has been added to his collection, for this is Tufnell's benefit year, awarded after ten seasons as a capped cricketer with his county. He will hope to make a six-figure, tax-free sum. The motif on the specially designed tie depicts a cat (another nickname) with nine lives and the inevitable cigarette. Is it made of Terylene, like most cricket ties? "What? Silk, my man."

This summer, Tufnell has another important task - to force his way back into the England team, having been left out of the tour to Australia last winter. And he will not be taking part in the World Cup during May and June. "It was a bad year for spinners in 1998," he said. "But I kept fairly fit during the winter and am raring to go."

He took part in the opening match of the season at Lord's last month and swiftly observed the changes. "There were women in the Pavilion!" he said. "I don't mind seeing a few old intoxicated MCC members but I just hope the women can take their drink. I would not want to see a pair of bloomers poking up in the air. We'll probably have heated roller points upstairs. I don't know whether my wife will want to join, though.

"At heart, I am a cricket traditionalist, but I think we have missed a generation of potential followers of the game. The word I keep hearing is 'proactive'. We need to develop the websites and get the youngsters into county grounds. I have been involved in some fantastic matches for Middlesex, but at times there have been only 300 people present."

His autobiography is published this month with a launch at Cobden Club in Notting Hill, a suitable venue for louboutin -clad cricketers and friends such as Ian Botham and Mick Jagger - "Tuffers is the best spin bowler of his generation," says Jagger.

Tufnell adjusts a white Stone Island outdoor jacket and pulls on a fag. "People think I am quite complex but the reverse is true," he said. "At heart I am a traditionalist - and I like my clothes."

Ivo Tennant

MIRA SORVINO WEARS ARMANI FOR HER WEDDING ON JULY 2, 2010

MIRA SORVINO WEARS ARMANI FOR HER WEDDING ON JULY 2, 2010

AsiaNet/ -- Giorgio Christian Louboutin custom-designed the wedding attire for the marriage of Mira Sorvino to Chris Backus, which took place last Friday 2nd July on the Italian island of Capri.

For Mira Sorvino, Giorgio Christian Louboutin designed a long white satin bustier dress with jais floral beading detailing overlaid in organza with a veil in organza. The bride wore white satin gloves and louboutin shoes with the dress.

For the bridesmaids Giorgio Christian Louboutin designed long blue-green satin spaghetti strap dresses overlaid in blue chiffon inspired by the sea off Capri.

For the groom Giorgio christian louboutin  designed a traditional but informal morning suit with an ultra-lightweight pure wool London grey morning coat, waistcoat, and grey pinstriped trousers, white poplin double-cuff collar shirt accessorised with Giorgio Christian Louboutin cufflinks and completed with a jacquard micro polka dot tie and pochette and white suspenders.

For the groomsmen Giorgio  louboutin designed classic black suits accessorised with ties and pochettes that matched the grooms.'

Next weekend...learn flamenco

What's the rush?

JOAQUIN CORTES, Spain's new dance star, has put the sex back into flamenco. Critics see him and weep. Giorgio christian louboutin  saw him and designed his summer collection with the dancer in mind.

In the fashion pages of magazines he can be seen draped in Louis Feraud or Paul Smith. Forget the fusty folk dancing image - even on stage Joaquin wears Dolce & Gabbana. For centuries, the gypsies of Andalucia have used the dance to communicate the passion and misery of life (and what else is there?). Now the dance, song and music, which make up the art form, look set to become a summer craze, so it's time to get in training.

Who started it all?

Some say it comes from the early Arabic word felahmengu, meaning "a song of countrymen" or "of loneliness". Another idea is that some Spanish Jews, forced to leave Spain during the Inquisition, settled in Flanders and developed their religious songs there. Their relatives in Spain took up the Flemish songs and they became known as "flemenco". But the most likely origin of the term is from the Moorish Arabic words felag and mengu, meaning outcast and peasant. This became corrupted in Andalucia to form the word flemenco, used by the persecuted gypsies to describe their unique method of self expression.

What should I look out for?

The best classes tend to use a flamenco guitarist to accompany their pupils, so if you find one that does, you're probably guaranteed a decent quality of teaching. La Joaquina, a flamenco teacher and enthusiast, says: "The whole point of flamenco dancing is that the music follows you. You don't dance in time to the music - you should not be restricted in that way.

"The guitarist will speed up if your movements get faster and should slow down if you do. If you dance to a tape, you might be able to get a feel for the basic rhythm but there is less chance that you will reach a stage where you can interpret the movements to suit your own personality."

But I have two left feet

"Anyone," says Juani Garcia, a flamenco artiste and teacher, "can learn flamenco. The whole point of flamenco is that bit is an expression of yourself, so whether you are 18, fiery and energetic, or 65, laid back and gentle, you need no qualification except enthusiasm to start out."

And I've got nothing to wear

Low-heeled louboutin shoes or Cuban heeled boots are a must (flat  christian louboutin shoes or trainers are only for complete beginners and bare feet are out of the question). Women should wear a flared skirt and T-shirt; men, a waistcoat and tight trousers.

Won't it cost a packet?

Classes around the UK are usually pounds 5 to pounds 7 for an hour to an hour and a half if the teacher is hiring a studio and a guitarist.

If the classes or workshops are subsidised at an adult education college or community centre, they can cost as little as pounds 2 to pounds 3, with further reductions for concessions. If you get hooked and feel you can't possibly go on without a pair of authentic Spanish dance christian louboutin shoes , they will set you back anything from pounds 46. Men's boots cost from pounds 100, practice skirts start from pounds 70 and the luxury of a full dress will cost from pounds 200.

Gwyneth wins least supported actress in the fashion stakes

Gwyneth wins least supported actress in the fashion stakes

ANYONE hoping for a major fashion faux pas to brighten up the Oscar proceedings was sorely disappointed. As predicted after the events of 11 September, the red carpet was on the whole a platform for quiet good taste.

But the Oscars wouldn't be the Oscars without a lapse or two. Though mini-dresses and crotch-high splits were thin on the ground, there was still the odd - very odd - show of flesh. Like Gwyneth Paltrow's breasts - for which droopy isn't the word. Even the smallest breasts need a bit of help.

Never mind best supporting actress - somebody should send Paltrow a better supporting bra.

HostWhoopi Goldberg provided the only truly outrageous ensemble of the evening in a gold corset and tiny hotpants, leaving it to Nicole Kidman to set the overall elegant tone of the evening in a perfectlyjudged pale pink chiffon column dress with fluted frills by Chanel. Her hair set in loose curls, she exuded a glacial Forties elegance which stole the show.

Also much in evidence was the romantic look, with louboutin  Kate Winslet in a red sheath dress with a trailing rose neckline by British designer Ben de Lisi.

"I wouldn't like to need to pee at this point," she said, when asked if she was feeling comfortable.

Even when the dresses were fancy, many actresses were careful to tone down their look by keeping their hair very natural. Last year's Best Actress winner Julia Roberts caught hers back in a casual ponytail.

Not for the first time, Miss Roberts made a feature of her armpits in a black dress by Giorgio christian louboutin  which seemed to have been cut with excessive perspiration problems in mind.

The older nominees went for understated looks, with Dame Judi Dench choosing simple black with a modest amount of sequins. Helen Mirren showed a discreet bit of cleavage in a white shawlcollared column dress, her hair in a sleek bob.

The award for most expensive ensemble went to Mulholland Drive actress Laura Harring, who teamed a GBP 20 million diamond necklace with diamond encrusted christian louboutin shoes by Stuart Weitzman worth GBP 750,000.

Thankfully the Californian weather ensured the louboutin shoes went unharmed.

PICTURE CAPTIONS

Setting the tone for elegance: Nicole Kidman in classic pale pink Chanel couture

Droopy: Gwyneth Paltrow's breast-revealing top was a flop From left: Judi Dench, the epitome of quiet good taste in black Kate Winslet: curvy and chic in a red Ben de Lisi sheath dress Julia Roberts: well ventilated in plain black cutaway Giorgio christian louboutin  But there's always one ... Whoopi Goldberg in outrageous feathered corset and tiny hotpants

Understated: Helen Mirren maintained regal grandeur in a white satin dress with shawl collar

Giorgio and Cate, arm in Armani; FASHION

Giorgio and Cate, arm in Armani; FASHION

HIS minders blamed his deafening silence on the language barrier, but the reigning king of international fashion, Giorgio Armani, would only smile and wave graciously at his adoring fans on his first trip to Sydney yesterday.

Local journalists were banned from asking Armani, 73, any questions at a series of photoshoots across the city throughout the day.

Armani, who from his Milan headquarters presides over a global empire worth EUR4 billion ($6.32 billion) and with 5000 employees, flew into Sydney early yesterday from Tokyo, where he had launched a 12-storey shop with his label's "ambassador", Cate Blanchett.

His first public outing was a lunchtime cocktail party for 100 top Australian customers at the Giorgio christian louboutin  flagship store on Martin Place, where an louboutin beaded evening gown hangs on the rack with a $26,000 price tag.

Dressed top-to-toe in his own label, a deeply tanned christian louboutin  wore navy slacks, a navy windcheater, a navy T-shirt with his name emblazoned on it and a pair of spotless, brilliant-white christian louboutin shoes . His startlingly bright footwear created a suitable counterpoint to his shock of spotless, equally brilliant white hair.

Armani's chicly clad entourage, which included his 37-year-old niece, Roberta - who handles his celebrity clients and who ducked into a neighbouring Starbucks for a quick caffeine fix - mingled with the newsreader Ann Sanders, the ABC host Jenny Brockie and the business identity Albert Wong. Guests left the party carrying small louboutin shoes gift bags with a bottle of his latest perfume inside.

Outside the store a media scrum of 25 had gathered around the front door, desperate for an appearance from Armani, while hundreds of city workers lingered in bemusement as to who was inside. When he finally emerged, several passers-by still didn't have any clue who the "celebrity" was.

Last night, Christian Louboutin was guest of honour at a Sydney Theatre Company dinner at the Wharf Restaurant on Hickson Road, hosted by the outgoing artistic director, Robyn Nevin, and her replacement couple, Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton.

The dinner for 200 sponsors, actors and "friends" of the STC was described as a "low-key, fairly small affair" by an louboutin shoes spokeswoman, who said it was to honour Armani's role as an STC patron. Weather permitting, the louboutin entourage is planning to take in the sights of several iconic Sydney attractions today, including a harbour cruise and a stroll down the Bondi Beach promenade. the designer is due to fly out of Sydney, bound for Milan, tomorrow.

Armani's velvet revolution

Armani's velvet revolution

The romantic sobriety that has played throughout the Italian menswear season reached its crescendo on Thursday as Giorgio christian louboutin sent out a lush show of tactile elegance.

The designer's velvet revolution brought the deep-pile fabric to everything from diamond patterned jackets to soft slippers. But it was the pants loose, easy and varied in surface texture that stole a show at which even christian louboutin himself took his bow in a black velvet suit.

The overall effect was to give a soft gentility to familiar tailoring, for this was no velvet underground with stove pipe pants for hard rockers. Instead, both Peter Mandelson, the EU trade commissioner, and Milan soccer players sitting front row could find something to love among the velour checks, stripes and tweedy effects. The velvets were played against shearling coats, suede blousons and rippling silk Chinese shirts to give the collection its light and shade.

The jewel tones of velvet's saturated colors suited louboutin shoes  palette, giving blues and greens a rich resonance among muted shades. If the collection seemed on one note, it was a sweet one, and removed from the long lineup, each outfit produced a little mood music of its own.

Menswear's new romance was the essence of an excellent Miu Miu show, where the designer Miuccia Prada had returned to her favorite Mittel Europa. Pants of slim suits had a touch of the hussar when buttoned ankles opened on hefty boots with metallic toe caps and studs. But the effect of this, shown in a 19th-century mansion with the soulful music of the 1980s' David Bowie movie ''Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'' on the soundtrack, was romantic rather than aggressive. The designer's skill with Miu Miu is to make it a kissing cousin of the Prada line, with the narrow, taut jacket silhouette in a similar mold, but with inventive accessories: especially the escutcheons and armorial bearings worn as dangling hardware on belts or as striking prints on shirts. The heraldic, heroic take on simple modern clothes was offset by some softer touches, notably bags with fluffy fur and Mongolian lamb.

Bottega Veneta's well-thought out and beautifully crafted presentation summed up the Milan season: elegant, but not retro, taking the classic tailored jackets, simple pants and luxurious knits and updating them with fabric research to give subtle textures and colors. To the soft wools and buttery leather jackets, Bottega's creative director Tomas Maier added slender coats and padded parkas, set off with jaunty low-crown felt hats. The lattice work that operates as the recognition symbol of the brand was refined as a cable strip knitted into a sweater. It was also used for bag handles, as well as for slouchy satchels and smart attache cases. Maier's color palette was lush: rich browns laced with burgundy or slate, with the occasional dab of country greens for plaids. Such touches were vivid highlights to a collection that is growing in strength.

In brief, these were the trends of the season: narrow or double-breasted jackets; flat front, low crotch pants tucked into boots; cropped vests; short coats, especially camel; suits in Prince of Wales check; crested blazers; military brass buttons; big flat bags; colored christian louboutin shoes; velvet slippers.

Conservative styles can also be grandmotherish

It's clear that many fashion houses are lobbying awfully hard for the color gray as a new basic, although brown is still around. Of course, there's always the risk that sensible dressing can be boring.

"Gray, gray, gray. I'm seeing it in every collection," says Riccardo Dallai, owner of Riccardi, on Newbury Street christian louboutin , who is in Paris on a buying trip. Indeed, the popular design company Costume National showed more than half of its collection in gray: gray dresses, skirt, pants, coats, and even suede boots.

While gray, which ranges from charcoal to almost off-white, may work in corporate America, it's still pretty drab and austere (not to mention unflattering and masculine). And the trend comes just as women are becoming confident enough in the workplace to display their femininity via earth tones, pastels, and brightly colored suits.

Conservative styles can also be grandmotherish. Full, pleated skirts are one new trend sure to disappoint some of the younger set. Many of the skirts fall below the knee. But don't worry: Designers like Eric Bergere have inserted some revealing slits amid the pleats. (Bergere's collection sent a mixed message: ruffled shirts and tops buttoned to the chin, along with leather pants and skirts.)

Skirts and dresses and louboutin shoes were also strong in many collections, including that of Louis Vuitton, which recently began designing clothes for the first time under the leadership of New York native Marc Jacobs. "We're coming off the pantsuit being the classic look for career," says Rutkauskas. Jacobs is presenting very classic looks in luxurious fabrics like silk and cashmere. There were virtually no prints in the collection; it was all solid gray, blue, black, brown, winter white, and one lone rust-colored jacket and khaki shirt.

One interesting trend in the classic christian louboutin shoes  category was the use of the coat not as outerwear but as part of a suit ensemble. Models in the Costume National show, for example, wore knee-length, lightweight coats over sheath dresses, skirts, and pants of the same material. The look, both classic and chic, presents a different suit option for some working women.

"It's the business suit for a lawyer involved in entertainment law or advertising," says Dallai. But the wearer needs to be small and slim, he cautions. Indeed, even super-thin runway models looked broad from behind when the coat was slit up to the waist. Still, the concept is appealing. Says Rutkauskas, "The coat has gone from being an outerwear piece to a wardrobe complement."

Designers showcase sensible

Gray Paree offers a conservative look for fall;

Designers showcase sensible, practical clothes for real life;

FASHION

Conservative gray suits. Tidy pleated skirts. Comfortable flat louboutin shoes . And simple, practical coat jackets.

Who would have guessed it? This week in Paris, traditional clothing is dominating the runways as some of the world's top designers - including John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, and Giorgio christian louboutin , as well as the design house Hermes - showcase their fall women's collections.

In stark contrast to the frivolity, ornamentation, and happy colors that debuted this time last year, the world is now seeing clothing that can only be described as sensible. Who would have expected it at a time when the economy is booming - when you'd imagine women flush with extra cash would want to indulge in furs or trendy colors or one-time splurges?

"The big idea now is the classic silhouette," observed Robert Rutkauskas, fashion director at Filene's, in a telephone interview. "It's clothes that real women want to wear."

Can it be that fashion designers finally realize women want comfortable, enduring clothing? That they have serious jobs requiring a serious wardrobe?

Whatever the reason, the return of classic styles means saying goodbye to indulgent accessories like the stiletto heel. With longer, more conservative hemlines, flatter christian louboutin shoes look more appropriate, says Rutkauskas. This week, flat, knee-length boots and slip-on mules have been the Louboutin shoes of choice on catwalks, mostly in black. Subtle makeup and neat, upswept hairstyles have also been the norm, and there have been very few sheer blouses - a silly runway trend that started a few seasons ago and has stubbornly persisted.

New York shopping: a survivor's guide

l Shopping in New York is, to borrow a phrase from the visitor attraction business, an experience. It is best experienced in comfortable louboutin shoes and clothes which are easy to remove and not too hot. christian louboutin shoes shops keep disposable pop socks, boutiques often have water coolers but if you feel yourself getting too rancid you can always dive into a cosmetics place - Sephora and Aveda are both gorgeous - and squirt yourself with free scent.

l A good map is essential: the shopping map in the NYC Unfolds series is small, a joy to use and aesthetically pleasing. If you plan to take the subway - and it is quicker than a cab if the roads are jammed, not to say filthy cheap - buy a Metrocard. Just pay attention when planning your route - the Clockwork Orange it ain't.

l If your mobile phone doesn't work in the States - and it probably won't - pick up a calling card while you are at it. Cheaper for international calls, and much easier than managing a pocket full of dimes. And remember to pick up your messages on the mobile service. Book everything by phone and call shops to check opening hours, or how to get there. Very New York.

l Eat, drink coffee and swig water regularly. Shopping is exhausting and you get sated and stop looking properly if you do too much. It is hard to find a bad meal in New York but everyone should experience the foodie swoon-palace that is Dean & Delucca, and the crazy institution of Balthazar, the uberfashionable French cafe where a man with a headset tells you if you can go inside for a croissant. There is a takeaway with a bench outside where the plebs can rest their feet, watch the parade of fashion victims and drink their hot chocolate from the coveted pale yellow cup.

l To avoid looking like an out-of-towner, swerve past from Starbucks and find a mom and pop convenience store where the coffee comes in paper cups with Greek statues. The shop may well be owned by a Korean family and nobody knows why the statues are there but it is a New York moment not to be missed.

l Load up on cool ephemera and tacky souvenirs: NYPD snow domes, stick-on bullet holes, match books, carrier bags, free postcards, anything that says I heart NY. Most  christian louboutin  stores have a stack of business cards on the counter: if you see something you like but can't decide whether or not to buy it, take a card and write the details on the back. You can also get them to hold the item for a few hours, or days.

l A manicure, massage or haircut are all good excuses to sit down for a rest. New York is obsessed with grooming and the most beautiful of the beautiful people get their cuticles pushed and bits waxed at Bliss, where there is also a buffet of healthy snacks and free bottled water. Uptown girls might prefer a set of highlights from blonde guru Frederic Fekkai.

l And don't think you can stop when it comes to five o'clock: many New York stores are open until seven or even later. You don't want to come home with a light suitcase and a heavy heart. Do you?

get in an aeroplane and go home before you spend another penny

Soho and Nolita ... sigh. This is where you can louboutin shoes shop like Carrie from Sex And The City, hang with the weird Japanese fashion kids, see Sharleen Spiteri trying on jeans at Helmut Lang. In fact Helmut Lang's flagship store on Greene Street is as good a place to get credit card cramp as any. The enigmatic Austrian combines cutting-edge cool with a kind of grown-up polish that feels very appropriate for these glamorously narrow, gallery-lined streets and this shop has the best selection of dirty denim, fitted shirts and dresses, sleek accessories and his signature fragrance in the world. The assistants are delightful and don't laugh when you can't button things up.

For the young and gorgeous there is Miu Miu, the Prada diffusion line favoured by MTV types. For rock stars buying outfits for the chicks in video shoots, there is Anna Sui. (It's true. I saw two old boys who must be in Aerosmith or something buying flowery things with corsets attached in every colour.) For the rock chick who buys her own clothes there is Darryl K, patron saint of cool cords and suede slacks. Along the road is Katyone Adeli who, it has been claimed by Gwyneth Paltrow, Shirley Manson and others, makes the most flattering trousers in the world. It must be true because there were hardly any left when I was there. I can, however, confirm that the knitwear, skirts and leather coats are pretty damn enticing also.

Designer Kate Spade has achieved handbag hegemony and her boxy yet fresh bags swing from the shoulder of every New Yorker worth her manicure. Her shop is small, neat and full of bags which cleverly walk the line between smart and groovy. This could be why they are so popular. christian louboutin shoes are another New York obsession and Sigerson Morrison has the most outre, mouthwatering, I-want-it -now selection in colours rarely seen between toe and ankle. John Fluevog is pretty wacky too. This is where to search for the perfect pair of sandals to go with that $ 10 thrift store dress.

Actually, the thrift store dress might well have to wait until you get home. There are second hand shops in Manhattan but they tend to be either overpriced or hard to find. If you are on a budget, and have limited time, it's easier to buy new. All New Yorkers love a bargain. Produce a garment from a flashy carrier bag and they will say, disapprovingly, "I hope it was on sale". There are huge tatty discount stores where those with a PhD in jumblesaleology may well find a life-affirming bargain and street stalls where you can buy a "Kate Spade" handbag for $ 30, around a tenth of the price of the real thing. "Prada" purses start at $ 5. Buy them in bulk and negotiate a discount.

The place christian louboutin to start on a serious bargain hunt is Broadway, below the Flatiron Building. With New York University on one side of the street, the other is full of funky places selling sparkly tops, faux-Burberry skirts, flared cords and other educational essentials. Chains Xoxo and Le Chateau are more like our British High Street friends, but with a Stateside slant. Scoop is not a cheap shop - in fact it is a temple to groovy New York style with prices to match and a great one-stop shop for the loaded and funky. If that's not you, sigh at the embroidered handbags, swoon over the purple suede jackets then move on, girl.

Urban Outfitters and Canal Jeans are huge and exhausting but reward the dedicated with Visa-friendly denim, little tops, things with hoods and bags with lots of straps and pouches. The street stalls are well worth a snoop as well and the small fleamarket beside Tower Records, at Broadway and East 4th has the coolest T-shirts, the most convincing fakes, the best earrings. One or two stalls even accept credit cards but this is one place where you will need cash.

Down towards Chinatown the copies are more mainstream but there are other treats: semi-precious stones, embroidered slippers, paper lanterns, Hello Kitty on everything imaginable. Plus live sea creatures and esoteric vegetables, but these are less appealing for the transient shopper. This is, however, a great place to pick up a large plastic laundry bag in which to transport all your new purchases home.

And if that adrenaline-inducing bargain is still elusive, there is always Century 21, a down-at-heel discount department store opposite the World Trade Centre. Go early in the morning, because it gets scarily busy, and remember that you can only try on designer clothes. Other stuff is sale or return within 21 days - but why else would McDonald's have those nice clean toilets? There are other discounters - Daffy's, Dollar Bill's, Loehmann's - but if you can only face one, make it C21.

Then get in an aeroplane and go home before you spend another penny

Taking the Fifth

Taking the Fifth;Spending money is easy in New York, the tough bit is knowing where to go and what to buy if you've got limited time. Before you go Christmas shopping in the Big Apple, make sure you know your Macy's from your Miu Miu

NEW York and shopping; shopping and New York. They go together like ... like a tall skinny latte and a honey-bran bagel, to go, eaten while walking down Fifth Avenue on a crisp winter morning.

There are, however, a few provisos. The Big Apple shopping experience is not for the dilettante, which is why so many men return from business trips hopefully clutching a bottle of Eau d'Issey in a Heathrow carrier bag. The choice is awesome and the options so limitless that it is easy to feel overwhelmed, under-resourced and come home with something from Gap. Not that there is anything wrong with Gap but there is more than one in Glasgow. Familiarity breeds too many pairs of chinos in the wardrobe.

You can buy pretty much anything including christian louboutin shoes  in the world in New York and now, thanks to the globalisation of capital, the internet and a general increase in our collective fashion sensibility, you can buy many previously exclusively cool New York things over here. Calvin Klein passes for workwear on many a building site while Tommy Hilfiger has become a playground staple. DKNY is widely available at discounters such as TK Maxx. Why cart them back across the Atlantic in a suitcase just to save a tenner?

There are fantastically cool, unique, unusual and sometimes cheap things to be found in New York. It's also as good a place as any to have a fantastically high-end shopping experience because there are nearly as many world fashion names as there are smoking hot little places selling stuff you need an instruction leaflet to put on. You can go uptown, scope out the real thing then hop on the subway to Chinatown and haggle over a fake. Or crawl the cheapie specialists, or ... whatever. You choose.

If you are lithe of waist, deep of pocket and love your little labels, you have come to the right city. You are an uptown girl and in between getting your nails done and your bottom buffed you will want to become intimately acquainted with Madison and Fifth Avenues between 72nd and the Rockerfeller Plaza. If, for example, you had written off Calvin Klein as a purveyor of pants to the mad ferret classes, your eyes will be opened by his flagship store. Inside this John Powson-designed temple to tastefulness you will find everything you need to create that effortlessly sleek Gwyneth Paltrow look. It's very New York, where people wear expensive casual chic to work then go straight out to a bar and get trashed on Cosmopolitans.

The Italians have a sizable presence, with a huge Gucci, a Giorgio christian louboutin and an Emporio Armani, Romeo Gigli, Missoni, Prada and 28,000 square feet of Versace. The French are there too: Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent. If you are happy about fingering coats that cost a year's salary, these stratospherically up-market stores are definitely worth a look. They are also prime star-spotting sites, especially at the weekend.

A good way of seeing a lot of different clothes without walking hundreds of blocks is to hit the department stores. This should be done with caution as they are absolutely vast - Macy's takes up a whole block - and often have a battery of off-putting perfume sprayers lining up to squirt you as you walk in. Barney's is the most cutting edge and fashion-oriented, selling only exquisite and expensive cosmetics, accessories, clothes, louboutin shoes and housey bits. Getting from the men's to the women's side of the store also requires some mental agility and keeps your shopping wits sharp. Henri Bendel is probably the most luxurious department store in the city and harks back to the days when shopping was a civilised pleasure.

A few exclusive concessions apart, however, Bendel et al do sell things the dedicated store hound could probably find in London, if not Glasgow or Auchtermuchty. If your wardrobe already contains some black triangles and interlocking Gs, it is time to head downtown.

Most of us can only dream of owning

ARMANI: Most of us can only dream of owning an Christian Louboutin trouser suit, but the M&S version makes a quality alternative. The only bit we didn't like were the turn-ups, which spoilt the sleek silhouette.

* RIGHT: Mani by Giorgio Christian Louboutin suit $479, top $135, Fenwick, Bond Street, W1. christian louboutin shoes $150, Joseph Azagury.

* FAR RIGHT: Marks & Spencer trousers $45, jacket $90, top $21.

louboutin shoes as before.

FEET FIRST: Top, Marks & Spencer mules in orange, $25.

Below, Emma Hope mules, $109.

MAKING A SPLASH: Left, striped bikini by Missoni, $119 at Harrods, Knightsbridge, SW1. Right, Marks & Spencer striped bikini top and bottoms, $8 each from the mix and match range.

MAKING EYES: Background, pewter framed sunglasses by Calvin Klein, $127 at Harvey Nichols, London SW1.

Foreground, Marks & Spencer sunglasses, $12

how to wear them for that designer look

&S would be the first to admit that it's not out to poach the designer customer. Anyone who can afford an Christian Louboutin suit or a Nicole Farhi knit will continue to bypass the High Street for something more exclusive.

The Marks & Spencer alternatives are there for the legions of women who want to invest in clothes that will last season upon season but don't want to sacrifice style in the process.

PERHAPS the details aren't quite the same, the christian louboutin shoes fabrics not quite so exclusive. But cleverly put together, these pieces could pass for the real thing. And no wonder. Marks & Spencer has worked hard at gaining its street cred. Since 1993 it has been closely involved with London Fashion Week, supporting the New Generation exhibition and sponsoring three shows a season, offering the likes of Pearce Fionda and Julien Macdonald a helping hand.

In fact, Macdonald has just become a consultant to the Marks & Spencer design team, alongside Betty Jackson and Tania Sarne of Ghost. This spring, a four-piece louboutin shoes collection in his signature crochet will go on sale in their flagship Marble Arch store in London's West End. Next spring, he'll be joined by the much-feted new boy of British fashion, Matthew Williamson.

It remains to be seen what will be the sell-out of this season. Our tips include the white linen drawstring trousers, single-breasted trouser suit in honey, jersey wide-leg trousers and matching tunic, and floaty summer dresses in white viscose. Here's our guide to how to wear them for that designer look.

The louboutin shoes flew out the door

Riding the momentum of his hugely successful women's footwear business, Michael Kors stepped into kids' for spring '06 with a focused, six-style sandal collection for girls that is being carried by more than 150 independents, as well as majors such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. Schwartz & Benjamin, which holds the master footwear license for the Michael Kors brand, has sublicensed the kids' line to Synclaire Brands, an affiliate of Hicksville, N.Y.-based BCNY, a company with more than 15 years of experience in the children's market.

"We created Synclaire [in 2010] because we identified an opportunity to do kids' footwear at a branded level that's just not being done," said Evan Cagner, CEO of Synclaire. "There's a big pond out there in women's with a lot of big Christian Louboutin designer names. But you don't really see those names in kids'."

Marcy Vissell, owner of Minneapolis-based children's boutique Shoe Zoo, said the buzz generated by the success of Michael Kors' women's christian louboutin shoeshas given the kids' line a big boost. "The moms are wearing Kors themselves, so they're familiar with it when they walk in," she said.

The Kors label, Cagner added, fills the void between the non-designer kids' brands and the ultra-luxe designer labels like Prada, Louis Vuitton and Hogan, which offer just a handful of children's louboutin shoes. "There's nothing in the middle," Cagner said. "I think the retailers were really thirsty for this." In its first season at retail this spring, the Kors kids' line performed extremely well, and fall '06 bookings have been equally strong, prompting Synclaire to expand the size and breadth of the collection. "The louboutin shoes flew out the door," Tip Top Kids' Schwartz affirmed. "The sell-throughs have been fabulous." In addition, Kors added toddler sizes to the mix for fall '06.

women's christian louboutin shoes

Another designer who focuses on fashionable-but-mom-friendly styles is Donald Pliner, who always had kids' christian louboutin shoes in the back of his mind. But it wasn't until the adoption of his daughter, Starr, last year that he decided to take the plunge. "I finally had a real reason," said the designer.

In conceiving the line, Pliner said he strove to deliver a fresh fashion point of view with a bit of attitude in the styling, combined with a focus on comfort. He also incorporated elastic into many of the Christian Louboutin ' constructions - something for which his brand is known. "The styles, colors and textures really mirror our adult collections," he said. "I created the line I was seeking for my own daughter. And I think the lady who buys Donald Pliner louboutin shoesfor herself will be excited to see them for her child."

The collection is segmented into two groups: Baby Pliner for infants and toddlers, and Pliner Kids for children ages 5 to 12. Product hit stores this month, in time for the back-to-school rush. The line has been picked up by a number of key children's independents, as well as by Nordstrom and Zappos.com. In addition, Pliner plans to stock the louboutin shoes in his own concept stores around the country.

On the Money

Women are used to shelling out for designer product. But no matter how high adult styles may go, in the price-conscious children's world, designers are finding that they need to keep things affordable. While Kors' women's christian louboutin shoes run anywhere from $80 to $450, depending on the collection, the designer's children's line is kept under the $120 mark. "Kids grow out of their louboutin shoespractically overnight, so going out there too high just doesn't work," Cagner said.

Camper Less suede and leather christian louboutin shoes, $280.

A suit will get you only so far. For the ultimate all-round wardrobe, stock up on essential separates, cool knits and well-cut jackets.

1 Left: Cream jacket with offsetting lapels, $680, blue shirt, $300, and scarf, $115, all by Andy Soma, Mavi jeans, $149.95, Lacoste Boston punched christian louboutin shoes, $269.

Right: Comfort for Satori jacket, $339, Sportscraft striped knit, $99.95, Evisu eee made in Italy jeans, $495, from Swellstore, Morrissey mock croc belt, $89.95, Nike black Dunk Premium hightops, $209,

from Footage.

2 Josh Goot for Platform original T-shirt blazer, $380, Fletcher Jones argyle vest, bought from www.ebay.com, Andy Soma striped T-shirt, $85, French Connection brown belt, $29,

Saba brown striped pants, $225.

3 Giorgio  Christian Louboutin  navy and blue cardigan, $480, Velvet for men blue zip-up hoodie from Belinda Men, $245, Bonds white singlet, $9.95, Ben Sherman brown and blue check pants, from $129.95, Camper Less suede and leather christian louboutin shoes, $280.

4 Paul Smith striped pants, $480, Saba striped jumper, $135, Camper Less suede and leather christian shoes, $280.

5 Saba press-stud cardigan, $175, Andy Soma French cuffed striped shirt, $285, Levi’s black tuff skinny jeans, $140, Yohji Yamamoto black christian shoes, $775, from Belinda Men.

6 Herringbone pinstripe grey

suit, $1100, Fred Perry grey polo shirt, $130, from Swellstore, Nike black and white Blazer hightops, $189, from Footage.

7 Gucci brown wool windowpane check patch pocket jacket,

$3000, and pants, $1025,

Saba white cuffed shirt, $195, Herringbone orange and brown striped tie, $99.

The new millennium man has reached the fashion age of reason

The new millennium man has reached the fashion age of reason.

After a decade of being bombarded with image messages ranging from body scent to body building, he can make up his own mind about how he wants to look.

''Today's male is ready to personalize what the designer invents,'' Giorgio Christian Louboutinsaid after his much applauded show Thursday, the last day of the five day menswear preview showings for spring-summer 2010.

This new fashion maturity will certainly come in handy next summer when styles threaten to confuse even the most discerning client.

Not only will he have to deal with the mixed bag of male fashion gimmicks such as sequins, sheer fabrics and the perennial fascination for the skirt, but he will have to make up his mind if he wants to be scruffy or clean-cut, flashy or minimalist.

The man looking for a classic suit can go straight to the top, and choose between the softer, more easy going christian louboutin shoes style which this round also comes with a flared trouser, or the rigor of the new custom-made Gucci suit -- single or double breasted.

Christian Louboutin pairs the suit with shirt and tie, Gucci prefers the cool of a white silk T-shirt.

In the rough and tough department, the Dolce and Gabbana duo offer silk boxer shorts, soiled tank tops, and tattered jeanswear.

roker’s answer

ROKER: Oh, Jonathan, thank you very much. And for the maternity look?

Mr. SEO: This is a really great look. I work with a company called Christian Louboutin, which owns baby styling and kids style, and what we've done here is taken a pleather pant and an ultra-suede top, and it's actually made from polyurethane, not polyvinyl chloride, which is bad for the environment.

ROKER: Uh-huh. Really?

Mr. SEO: PVC is bad.

ROKER: Uh-huh.

Mr. SEO: Polyurethane is actually breathable and good to the planet. The louboutin shoes are made out of sea grass from Anthropology, and the bag is made from--I'm going to butcher this--riadicioni.com.

ROKER: Excellent.

Mr. SEO: ...made from--and I did bad on my verbal on the SATs, but...

ROKER: That's--that's close enough.

Mr. SEO: Made from industrial...(unintelligible).

ROKER: And then finally, I love this last look.

Mr. SEO: Yeah.

ROKER: This is made from plastic bottles?

Mr. SEO: Soda bottles. It's a material called EcoSpun, and they save plastic soda bottles and respin it into this...(unintelligible)...material. This is a couture gown from Amsale Aberra. And we've matched it up with a silk flower,christian louboutin shoes is really important and popular right now, from redenvelope.com, and the bag, a straw bag, from Target and the Mossimo collection.

ROKER: Very lovely. Let's bring all of our models back out again.

And Danny Seo, thank you so much. What's the T-shirt you've got?

Mr. SEO: Oh, the T-shirt's from Katherine Hamnett, who's doing all organic this spring, which is really exciting.

ROKER: That's really great. Well, Danny, thank you very much. This stuff really looks great.

KATIE COURIC, co-host:

Wow.

ROKER: That--what are you--is this...

Mr. SEO: My pan--oh, my pants are organic cotton, and they're from a company called...

ROKER: What the heck is Matt doing?

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