麻豆社

鈥�On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five gold rings鈥�. Christmas is still the most popular time for giving rings as couples typically get engaged at this period 聽of the year. But what makes the ring so much more special to us than any other piece 聽of jewellery?聽 Jenni explores our cultural attachment to ring with聽 James Riley from the Gemmelogical Association of Great Britain 聽and 聽leading jewellery designer, Rebecca Hawkins.

In 1975 a book by John T Molloy called 鈥淒ress for Success鈥� was published. It gave advice on how to dress appropriately for business situations 鈥� what colours, materials and patterns were appropriate as well as proper fit and acceptable accessories. It became a best seller and helped to turn the 1980s into the 鈥減ower dressing鈥� decade when shoulder pads, heels and big hair became a distinctive look for the ambitious woman intent on climbing the corporate ladder. But what did 鈥減ower dressing鈥� look like before then 鈥� what did professional women wear when they first began to enter the workplace in large numbers? What does 鈥減ower dressing鈥� look like today 鈥� does it still exist? 聽聽Jenni is joined by fashion historian, Anthea Jarvis and Caroline Cox author of 鈥淗ow to be Adored鈥� to discuss how women have dressed for success in the workplace.

Home can be a place we long for, or a place we want to escape from and forget?聽聽 For some going back to the place where they grew up rekindles happy memories, for others the notion of home is tinged with pain or regret.聽 How do we define what is 鈥榟ome鈥� and belonging, and how does it shape us for good or bad?

The television presenter Kate Garraway commented recently that 鈥榓 sad and sorry collection of fashion howlers lies at the back of every woman鈥檚 wardrobe鈥� - including her own - the result of last-minute panic buys and blindly following fashion.聽 We鈥檝e all made mistakes in the name of fashion: jump suits, hot pants, lycra leggings & boob tubes, harem pants, jeggings and ripped jeans to name just a few.聽 And recently the Shell suit was voted the worst fashion item of the past 50 years by a Home Shopping Catalogue.聽 So to discuss some of fashion鈥檚 biggest faux pas, and how to avoid them, Jenni is joined by fashion journalist, Helen Tither, fashion and columnist Judith Woods.