But keep it casual, even scruffy, so that you avoid looking like Cindy Crawford in a Hello! spread, relaxing at her ranch-style home This one comes in light stone and has a one-popper cuff. From Wrangler stockist nationwide; enquiries on 0115 965 5000.4 Oasis, pounds 119.99 Black leather shirt for the urban cowgirl who styles herself on Lee Van Cleef rather than Gary Cooper. Definitely a look for women: men should leave leather to ageing rock stars. Makes a change from gingham or Vyella and is certainly more sexy Could be sweaty in this weather. From Oasis branches nationwide; for enquiries call 0171-436 04745 Katharine Hamnett, pounds 85 Beige denim fine-check shirt with square pearlised poppers.
Has a flattering fitted shape and comes in a soft, comfortable fabric. The square poppers give it an interesting twist, but would they wear them in Montana? From a selection at Katharine Hamnett, 20 Sloane Street SW1 and 38 Princes Square, Glasgow, and Manifesto, 40-42 Whitehall Crescent, Dundee.6 Levis, pounds 49.95 A red cotton unisex shirt with a classic shape, quite a subtle variation on the cowboy theme Very durable, very timeless, very Marlboro Man Will fade authentically This is part of a wide selection from Levis. Available from Levis stockists nationwide (for enquiries, call 01604 790 436). I do feel sorry for shoppers who find themselves overtaken by trolley rage, and even more sorry for the woman who got rammed by an irate Mr Tierney's trolley in Safeway recently. If she got her groceries and dinner parties by mail order, she could avoid such outbursts. I do, of course, appreciate that man cannot live on ceps and caviare alone, but an expensive, epicurean lifestyle is surely preferable to having your knees bashed and face slapped by a fellow customer. Next week, I am doing a U-turn and returning to the high street.
I miss the sweaty changing-rooms, the irritating sales assistants, the traffic jams and the stress of ordinary shopping I will not, however, be returning to the supermarket. My more mundane groceries will be delivered by London's Tele-Sales Supermarket and Bottom Line, the mail-order toilet roll service (27 environmentally friendly rolls delivered for pounds 10.99). I will also return, periodically, to my couch to contemplate the olive oils, ceps, prunes stuffed with almond cream and milk chocolate crepes dentelles from Morel Bros and Cobbet & Sons. And I will work my way through all the traditional smelly cheeses that are available through the post, kicking off with Jeroboam's Cheese Club, the Neal's Yard Dairy and Abergavenny Fine Foods. I am not a meat-eater, but there is many a fattened carnivore who oohs and aahs over the humanely reared mail-order meat from Heal Farm in Devon. Campaigners for the survival of rare pig breeds, they rear the likes of Tamworths and Gloucester Old Spots which, curiously, they then make into sausages. They also supply other meats as well as dishes such as provencal beef (from pounds 9.85), and a trial pack of all their products (pounds 34).
The Scottish Gourmet of Biggar in Scotland also comes highly recommended. This mail-order chef extraordinaire, one Bernard Alessi, will prepare entire dinner parties and all kinds of quality meat.As for other mail-order delights, I never did get round to ordering a set of logo wheel valve caps for the rusting motor. But now that Richbrook is doing a set of four for pounds 9.95, instead of the usual pounds 12.95, I might order some as Christmas standbys for the distant male relatives for whom the giving of handkerchiefs or golf balls is getting embarrassing. For the same reason, some "men's baskets" from Basket Express might come in handy. I like the sound of the "Anyone for Tennis" basket (pounds 40-pounds 80) consisting of Floris toiletries and a bottle of Smirnoff.As for mail-order clothes, I will occasionally take refuge from the street in some of the best mail-order catalogues.