The secrets of looking smart.

Your wardrobe ought to contain certain essentials, and if it does not, you must plan your whole dress budget to include them.

When you buy your clothes, go in for simple, well-cut suits and dresses that will look "right" for almost any occasion. Concentrate on styles that are not expensive but elegant and remember that the keynote1 of all good dressmaking is simplicity.

A winter coat is a basic need and, although it may be an expensive item, it is not an extravagance, because it should be wearable for several seasons. Choose a cosy-looking big coat of a loose undatable style2 in any material that suits you.

A well-cut suit is another essential. If its lines are plain, it won't go out of fashion for several years, and it will continue to look good to the-very end of its days.

An extra dress is a perennial "Must"3 with women. The short evening dress is a much better buy than the long one, and it can look quite as glamorous.

Gloves. It is best to wear nylon gloves as they can be easily washed. Remember that spotless gloves look undeniably smarter than even the very best suede gloves if these have grown dusty and shiny at the fingertips.

Your hats, too, should be immaculate; better none at all than a shabby-looking one. When you choose a hat look at it in relation to your figure and your hair.

Chic is more often lost through shoes and handbag than anything else. Unless you can afford a great many pairs of shoes, stick to the simple classical type that never goes out of fashion and is so flattering to most feet. Avoid the shoddy shoe that is bound to lose its form immediately.

A bag is both important and character-revealing. A good bag need not be very expensive, but it should be well-cut and not fussy.

Remember that the clothes in which you feel happy are always the most successful clothes.

22.23 London’s department store/ Shopping in London

Shopping in London is very easy and interesting. Oxford street is the most popular and biggest shopping centre in the capital of Great Britain. Various department stores and shops attract many natives and people from other countries.

All the department stores and shops are usually open till 18.00 except on Sunday. On Thursday they close at 20.00. There are many book shops, shoe shops, clothes shops and other kinds of shops in the Oxford street. Some people prefer large department stores because they offer many different goods at a single location.

Selfridge`s is one of the largest and most popular department stores in Oxford street. There are over 230 various departments in this department store. This department store is not very cheap. For example, Marks and Spenser`s offers a cheaper shopping.

Harrods is probably the world’s most famous shop. There are six restaurants, five bars, a library, bank, pet shop, dry cleaners, everything from Indian cigarettes to domestic equipment. Not content with selling everyone else’s goods, Harrods own-make goods fill an in-house shop and Harrods green buses do London tours.