This site is to draw attention to the habits of UK retail staff who lick their fingers to help them open the bag they give you for your shopping. This gives you a little free gift of their spittle to take home with your groceries.

Here in the East of England I continually encounter this habit at stores operated by Tesco, Morrison, Sainsbury ASDA and Waitrose. I’ve tried suggesting to staff that this is not acceptable, I’ve given stores feedback where I’ve found feedback cards and surveys, and I’ve suggested this as an area for attention by trading standards. Am I the only person offended by this?

Have bags got more difficult to open as stores have made them in some way less damaging to the environment? Are staff actually trained to lick their fingers to open the bags? Is this all part of the movement to get us to bring out own bags and not ask for plastic bags in the store?

I recently encountered a member of staff in one shop who had one of those little sponges in a plastic pot to moisten her fingers to open bags – a much better proposition than fingerlicking….. but is even that necessary?

You can generally open these bags quire easily by pulling the handles apart slightly and then using the little tabs that pop up in the sides. Have staff lost the art of doing this?

irport terminals pride themselves at being these huge structures, that commuting from one end to the other can be time consuming and tiring; especially with a heavy suitcase. If the fun-element in you has not yet died and are up for the quirk, how about suitcase-blading (think rollerblade and scooters) the concourse? Here’s the TITAN High-roller Suitcase, which turns into a kickbike when you pull out the footrest. I think it would be funny to see head-honchos of big companies ride their suitcases for a match. Hope that companies like Samsonite, Delsey or why not Mandarina Duck will take in consideration this project and contact Sindre soon.

Crowborough Hospital Fete #8: the star find. Vintage satin kimono with wonderful embroidery front and full-length down the back, a beautiful blue and in excellent condition. I do not need another kimono (I have several lovely ones already). I do not even wear such garments around the house. I shall, however, simply hang it on display in the spare bedroom and admire it.

Crowborough Hospital Fete #7: another perfect fit. Quite prim and proper, but beautifully-cut and an unusual shape with its cheong sam-style high neck (it’s from Thailand, and a thick, strong cotton). Probably ’60s, it comes to the knee and is surprisingly flattering around the shoulders and upper arms. Such a shame it’s so… pink and patterned.

Crowborough Hospital Fete #6: the perfect fit. Whereas the short shift (below) was  all wrong, this evening frock could have been made for me. The neckline drapes in a Grecian style, the waist is – for once – in the right place and the ankle-length skirt swirls away. Probably ’60s, it’s chiffon over a moss-green lining, and is minus its sash, but I’ve got several which would do.

Crowborough Hospital Fete #5: another non-starter as it’s too big and shapeless, making me look dumpy, frumpy (and stumpy). Otherwise, a nice early ’60s crepe short-sleeve shift with cotton flowered trim.

Crowborough Hospital Fete #4: the cream theme. Not my colour, I have decided, and it’s too tight around the arms. Shame, as this knee-length dress – ’60s, the label suggests – is a rather spectacular shape, with shawl-like collar, nipped-in waist and knife-pleated skirt. It’s raw silk up top, nylon from the waist down, with covered buttons neck to navel.

This week’s Friend Friday project is a serious eye opener. When I first read Katy, of Modly Chic‘s, questions my opinion on the topic of copycat designers was very clear in my mind, or so I thought. As I watched the video included in question 4  my whole perspective on the fashion industry began to change. Read this post and tell me your thoughts

1. Which side do you take… Copycat designs are a way for the average consumer to stay current and wear runway styles without breaking the bank OR Copycat designs take business from the designer and cheapen the value of their work. Explain.

I think that copycat designs help the average consumer keep up with trends but they also helps establish high end designers as trend setters making them constantly relevant and influential . Copycat designs don’t take business away from designers because anyone who buys them probably couldn’t afford the real thing in the first place. What we need to remember is that designer items do not only cloth us but they serve as status symbols too, so the wealthy will always buy the original. My only grievance with designer knock-offs is that they sometimes cheapen a design classic as in the case of Burberry’s unfortunate rise in popularity a few years ago.

To this day the sight of any item of clothing with this print turns my stomach.

2. Sometimes we do things, even if they are unethical or illegal (downloading music for free, watching full movies on YouTube). Do you think it is unethical for a designer to copy a vintage piece, make it current and sell it?

I don’t have a problem with this because it allows a new generation to enjoy designs from the past.

3. Would you buy an items that is a very well done copy of a runway garment if it fell within your budget?

I probably would if I really loved the item and I didn’t think it was going to be an item that would soon be all over the high-street. I hate to look the same as everyone else but some trends are unavoidable like skinny jeans.

4. According to the fashion laws, at least in the US, apparel design is seen as too utilitarian to qualify for copyright protection. Would you think this is detrimental to the industry or beneficial. (Check out this video on The Taxonomy of My Wardrobe to get a better idea of this concept:http://taxonomyofmywardrobe.blogspot.com/2010/08/fashion-and-copyright-laws.html)

I think that designers should be allowed to copyright their signature pieces but for the most part I think that the copycat nature of the fashion industry is what makes it successful. If stores did not copy designers and then each other how would trends become established? Replication of designs also means that consumers have access to fashionable clothes at varying prices which is great because today you don’t have to be wealthy to afford nice clothes.

5.  Own up… share the things in your closet that is a knock off. You know those things you got in China Town, on the streets of New York, or where ever.

My original answer would have been I don’t wear knock-offs but after watching that video who knows how many I have in my wardrobe. I would never buy an item that was an obvious copy like a goochi bag or frada sunglasses, if  I can’t have the real thing then I’m not interested. However the likelihood is that every piece of clothing or accessory in my wardrobe is either a copy of a high end designers creation or was heavily influenced by one. If this kind of copycat behaviour is helping the fashion industry flourish then I guess it is okay with me.

Crowborough Hospital Fete #3: long green evening dress, 1960s or ’70s. All the dresses I bought were donated by the same elderly lady, apparently, who must have been close to me in size and shape – tall, too. This bright green sleeveless number has a fancy satin bow and long chiffony train-effect down the back, but is plain and shift-like at the front.

Our friend Nicole (AKA Mee-colly, AKA Toll-ee) got in touch recently to ask if I could make a bag for some friends of hers who are having a bub.  She chose the fabric and I played around with designs and this is what I came up with.

(Apologies in advance if the photos are a bit rubbish, I cannot get Picasa to work on my desktop. I miss my laptop.  It had an operating system that wasn’t designed in the  Stone Age and it could actually do stuff like process photos and connect to the internet without having a massive crisis.)

First of all, this bag is big.

I started out with a rectangle 14 inches high by 20 inches wide. Even allowing for a fairly chunky seam allowance, this is a bag that can fit a tonne of stuff in it.  Newborns don’t travel light, especially newborns who also happen to be the eldest child. I wanted something that could fit a million singlets, jumpsuits, nappies, hats, bootees/socks, mittens…

Secondly I wanted this bag to have an adjustable strap and have a fairly neutral outside, making it a bit more Dad friendly. I know, I know, terribly gender stereotyped but let’s be honest, a lot of guys just wouldn’t feel comfortable wandering around with a baby and a nappy bag covered in cute wee hedgehogs.

This way, you can change the length of the strap soMum or  Dad can use it without being uncomfy and your hedgehog fascination is a little more discrete. The strap is finished off with brass sliders which I think look really nice. I like that the metal isn’t too shiny.

Other things this bag has: a massive pocket on the front, complete with flap.

Ideal for keeping your stuff separate from the baby’s so you don’t have to go rooting through everything to find your house keys or your wallet.

I used buttons instead of magnetic clips because I thought the buttons were cuter. I even managed to find some wee hedgehog buttons to match the fabric.

I handstitched the buttonholes (in part because the buttonhole function on my machine doesn’t work, in part because I actually quite like the handmade feel it gives the bag.)

I’m really pleased with how this has turned out, I hope Nic’s friends will love it and get loads of use out of it.  I love those hedgehogs

Sarah