HAVE YOU EVER visited a museum, art gallery or very posh shop where you longed to touch the items on display but, for whatever reason or rule, were prevented or forbidden from doing so? The intricate necklace made from gold mined on the Cyclades islands in Greece, for example, thousands of years old – wouldn’t that look wonderful on you? The handbag displayed in the window of the luxury boutique in the international airport concourse – wouldn’t that suit you perfectly? The Versace dress with which Jennifer Lopez broke the internet not once, but twice – okay, maybe no one else could make the dress look that good. But still, if you could wear, examine or experience these things more directly than museum or art collections typically allow, wouldn’t that be great?

Like many people, I struggle to figure out what to wear most days. I haven’t recovered from spending most of the pandemic working in online meeting rooms while wearing supremely comfortable but aptly named ‘barrel-leg’ trousers. I’ve lost all patience with even slightly challenging shoes and can count on one foot the number of times I’ve persuaded myself back into a pair of tights. In 2023, my new year’s resolution was to buy no new clothes for an entire year; due to my new lack of sartorial interest and an in-built capacity for stinginess (I blame my dad), I found it bizarrely easy. There’s also the fact that according to those who understand how the climate crisis intersects with the fashion industry, to make a meaningful impact no one should buy any new clothes ever again.