I know I've mentioned before that there are certain items which I tend to, for want of a better expression, collect. I realize that I'm not alone in being a collector...for some people it's stamps...for others it's souvenir spoons...for me it just happens to be coats and handbags.

That's right, just when I thought I had talked myself out of the urge to buy more coats that there are cold days of the year to wear them I walked into H&M and fell head over heels for this empire-waisted, bubble-bottomed, double-breasted trench. Do I need another trench? Not even remotely. Could I resist the unusual take on such a practical item? Not a hope.

I'm consoling myself with the fact that a) there will always be rainy days and b) the coat, though pricey by H&M standards, is also very well made. I wonder what argument souvenir spoon collectors use when they come home with yet another utensil embossed with the Eiffel Tower...