The anorak is one of the most under-rated and deprecated items of clothing in the world, quite wrongly of course.

This garment is in reality the most useful and stylish since the fig leaf, and it is guaranteed to keep the rain off your glasses and you. Further down, on the front, is the concealed zip which can be worn fully shut, closed to the neck or anywhere in between. Left and right at about hip level are the spacious flapped pockets, large enough to take a packet of sandwiches and a train spotter's manual. Pen and pencils find room in the inner breast pocket (left), and purse and platform tickets in the right hand one (the one with the security zip).

A good quality anorak has a removable inner lining; using this during inclement weather complements your knitted wool mittens and bobble-hat perfectly. The garment has an ideal length of mid-thigh, this allows perfect freedom of the lower limbs when one needs to escape the attention of the bad boys who seem to find an anorak-wearer an object of ridicule. It is hard-wearing and washable thousands of times.

An anorak is a friend for life - if you are lucky enough not to grow too quickly then one purchased at the age of 15 (let your Mum choose it preferably) will still be your pride and joy when you reach 30 or more.