. . . BACK TO REALITY

Last week I wrote about Man in an Armani suit for Fantasy Shopping. Of course this wasn't fair to the poor chaps who don't have much money, so allow me to redress the balance; we all know, after all, that it isn't what you wear, but the way that you wear it. One day soon, the weather will get warmer and that's where most men get unstuck. They leap from nice-but-warm woolly suits to ridiculous shorts without so much as pausing for a ham sandwich. There is a middle ground - a linen suit. This one is splendid, comes in three fits and is ridiculously well-priced. AB

Linen blend dark navy jacket, pounds 90 and matching trousers, pounds 40 (both come in short, medium and long fit); linen blend stripe waistcoat, pounds 35 (SMLXL); poplin shirt, pounds 30 (SMLXL), all from Principles For Men branches nationwide, tel: 0171 927 1443.