Let me tell you about two things that have happened to me in the past 24 hours. The first concerns a shabby pair of brown suede ankle boots. The second, a glossy lipstick called Nude Lips.

The ankle boots experience has made such a deep impression on me that I have already told it at length, Ancient Mariner-like, to eight different people. Far from tiring of the tale, I feel an urge to tell it again and to try to understand why it is so powerful.