Dear Annie - Annalisa Barbieri

Where can you buy the clothes you really want, and exactly how should you wear and look after them? Victorians had it easy: hundreds of books on shopping, cleaning and 'hygiene' filled their shelves. But today we are just left to get on with it, while facing problems never dreamt of by Mrs Beeton. How to get chewing gum out of clothes; where to buy the pendant worn by Kate Winslet in Titanic; whether vegetarians can wear silk with a conscience; where to buy a mastectomy bra, size ten shoes for women, or clothes for short men; how to fold and fasten a sari; and where to get a Prada bag cleaned.Annalisa Barbieri's dear annie column in the Independent on Sunday answered these and a thousand other questions. This book based on the column makes essential and highly entertaining reading. Drawing on extensive research, her solutions feature a wealth of detail, addresses, phone numbers and prices. With an index and directories at the back identifying specific needs (such as big shoe sizes, swimwear, 16+ and menswear) and listing suitable shops, dear annie is a unique source of reference, an encyclopedia of fashion and a fascinating look at what really worries people: their clothes.