I'm about to start my long-planned swimming regime. But I've got really terrible cellulite. Should I feel self-conscious about this? Kate, by email "Should" you? Of course you should not. That does not mean that you might not feel self-conscious about it, but that is a different thing. My thoughts about cellulite are akin to my attitude about wrinkles, body hair and weight: if you feel self-conscious about it, by all means, do whatever you want to make yourself feel better and then spend less time fretting about it and more time getting on with your life. Just make sure that, whatever steps

An hour before reading with horror on Thursday morning that workers at a clothes factory that collapsed in Bangladesh on Wednesday had been ordered to return to work after their bosses decided cracks in the wall were nothing to worry about, I was deciding what to wear. The season has changed and most of my lighter clothes feel stale, while my children have grown and been promised new things that fit them. We must all go shopping, I thought. But where? Not every time I open my purse, but regularly, I consume ethically, or as ethically as I can. I buy gas and electricity from the Co-op, and

When you think of punk rock, what comes to mind? Creeper loafers? Knee-high Doc Martens? Sid Vicious? T-shirts held together by safety pins? There's no question that punk rock has a distinct style. As Jonathan van Meter describes in this month's Vogue magazine, fashion was at the core of his sense of belonging to the punk culture: I shaved the left side of my head and shoved a safety pin through my ear; stole a biker jacket off a bar stool at a local pub and made it my own (still have it); nabbed the perfect pair of tartan pants at the Bring and Buy; ripped my clothing to shreds. The resu

This pattern is sized in a way that means that it can start as a dress and become a top as the child grows. Crochet at Play: 30 Fun Hats, Scarves, Clothes and Toys for Kids to Enjoy by Kat Goldin Tell us what you think: Star-rate and review this book Age: 0-6 monthsFinished chest: 52cmFinished length: 32cmYarm amounts: 231m Age: 6-12 monthsFinished chest: 56cmFinished length: 33cmYarn amounts: 263m Age: 1 yearFinished chest: 59cmFinished length: 34cmYarn amounts: 298m Age: 2 yearsFinished chest: 61cmFinished length: 36cmYarn amounts: 323m Age: 4 yearsFinished chest:

Tied laces make my brogues look a bit like Noddy, but if I tuck them under my feet they drive me bonkers and my shoes get loose. Is there a third way? Leon, by email Really, did Mr Tony Blair teach you nothing? Were all of his endeavours in vain? There is ALWAYS a third way. In fact, when it comes to lace-tying, there are fourth, fifth, eight, ninth and even 20th ways. For you see, Leon, your question has prompted me to do a bit of something I believe is called "research", which is a first for this column. I went down into the sewers for you, dear correspondent, down

As a designer you cannot be too truthful, you would not inspire anybody. It is better to make people dream. To them, every night, I go to the discotheque. Every night, I drink the best champagne. I am never bored, apparently, and that is OK with me. I like to be high in the sky. I don't know how to fly an aeroplane but I have had my helicopter licence since the 1980s. Flying gives me a feeling like a bird. I can go where I want. I am free. I can drop down, get out and see a nice lake if I fancy. Fashion is not the most important thing to me. My autobiography stops in the year 2000 and

Going up Olivia Colman Utterly brilliant in Broadchurch. In love. Noah And The Whale Comeback single There Will Come A Time is a slab of life-affirming pop joy. And Charlie Fink's hair is still hot. Lucza New in-the-know label for a love-for-ever dress. Designed in London, made in England. We are still torn between the soft silk Bettina and the sculpted linen Uma. Hi-lo eating The new way to mix designer and high street. This weekend: one last black truffle omelette at Harrods before the Dior pop-up closes, then over to Dalston for a pizza slice at Voodoo Ray's. Michael J Fox That

Gizzi Erskine: 'I do feel incomplete if I go out without my beehive up.' Photograph: Ray Tang/Rex Features When I first look in the mirror in the morning, I can't see a thing – I'm as blind as a bat, so wear contact lenses. Once I've acclimatised, I see someone aged about 12 looking back at me. I'm 33, but when friends see me without makeup and with my hair down, they're quite shocked that I still look like a teenager. Skinny Weeks and Weekend Feasts by Gizzi Erskine Tell us what you think: Star-rate and review this book I have a younger and an older sister, both

An unseasonably cold spring has played havoc with everything from lambing to the amount of people waiting at the doctors. But there's another casualty yet to be addressed – our wardrobes. While fashion seasons are always a bit out of kilter with real life – winter coats reach stores in July – 2013's cold snap has given way to new style challenges. By now, usually, we'd all be assessing the possibility of skirts sans opaques (hello, legs!) and gingerly testing new spring trends. Instead, we're reaching for that favourite jumper again. So, the question arises, how do you sh

He was awarded a medal for his work as a CIA agent. He was feted at this year's Oscars. And this week he received another honour, but from a less conventional source – Scotland's Harris tweed industry. Tony Mendez, the CIA master of disguise played by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning movie Argo, was honoured at a lunch in New York organised by the Harris tweed industry, delighted by the promotion their clothing received in the film. In an interview with the Guardian, Mendez spoke about the previously unknown role of the cloth in the world of US spies during the cold war years. Affle