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 ORSINI, LONDON W8
 A compact boutique with clothing from 1920 to 1960, Paola rates Orsini’s collection highly, in particular the evening wear for its "glamourous Hollywood-style". If you are looking for a winter coat, how about the black astrakhan that is currently in stock. And to go underneath, one of the sharply cut 1940s jackets, or day suits in tweed or worsted. Where: 76 Earls Court Road, London W8 (020-7937 2903). When: Mon-Sat 12noon-6pm. How much: pounds 25-pounds 300.
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 RELLIK, LONDON W10
 Rellik stocks an eclectic, quirky collection of vintage christian louboutin, and specialises in designers such as Terry De Havilland and Vivienne Westwood with her Rocking Horse summer sandals. For boots, this is the place – whether you’re into kinky or boho, and if Studio 54 disco christian louboutin are more your style then there is a pair in lilac and gold with your name on. "I found some brilliant glittery "sex" christian louboutin pumps, which helped inspire my autumn/winter 2003 collection," says Olivia. When: 8 Golborne Road, London W10 (020-8962 0089). When: Tue-Sat 10am-6pm. How much: pounds 40-pounds 300.
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 SARA’S ATTIC
 One for shoppers who want their retro in virgin condition. The majority of goods for sale through Sara’s Attic have been stored for more than 25 years and are new and in pristine condition, with labels intact. This is an easy website to navigate, and browsers can click on a variety of shopping departments including Party Wear or Wedding Belles. "If you have something  How much: pounds 5-pounds 125.
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 PADDY BARRASS, EDINBURGH
 Without doubt, this cavern-like shop has one of the most stunning aspects in the world, nestling in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, which glowers from high on its crag. Grassmarket is among the oldest streets in Auld Reekie, so shopping here really puts one in the mood for all things vintage. "Whether you’re planning to keep cosy in winter with dark velvet curtains, Victorian paisley shawls or quilts from the 1900s to 1950s, you’ll find them here," says Amanda. Where: 15 Grassmarket, Edinburgh (0131-226 3087). When: Wed 1.15pm-6pm, Fri 3.15pm-6pm, 12noon-6pm (winter hours). How much: pounds 12-pounds 400.
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 ANNE GINGELL, CARDIFF
 There was a compelling reason the Conquistadors travelled to Mexico – to pilfer precious metals. "The silver in particular was high grade and fine silversmiths continue to work there to this day," informs Martin. Anne Gingell specialises in beautifully crafted Mexican silver jewellery. Her favourite piece is a large bold silver 1930s brooch, decorated with amethysts.
 Where: Jacobs Antique Centre, West Canal Wharf, Cardiff (029-2039 0939). When: Thur to Sat 9.30am-5pm. How much: pounds 25-pounds 300.
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 ARMSTRONGS, EDINBURGH
 Three themes run through Armstrongs’ merchandise – traditional Scottish Highland wear of kilts, ghillie brogues and accessories for adults and children, Scottish quality fabrics – Harris Tweed and cashmere and totally opposite, 1960s-1980s disco party wear. Staff will help you to put the entire look together. Established in 1840, Armstrongs is an Edinburgh stalwart of vintage and retro clothing. Classic names on the rails include Pringle, Burberry and Biba. For more sporty wear, look out for vintage Fred Perry and Adidas. Where: 83 Grassmarket, Edinburgh and 64-66 Clerk St, Edinburgh (0131-220 5557 and 0131-667 3056; ). When: Mon, Tue, Fri & Sat 10am-6pm, Wed 10am-5.30pm, Thur 10am-7pm, Sun 12noon-6pm. How much: pounds 5-pounds 300.
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 CRAZY CLOTHES COLLECTION, LONDON W11
 If your fantasy is to live in a dressing up box, then you should move into Crazy Clothes Collection. It is the ultimate shop for digging around to pull out one-offs and is crammed floor-to-ceiling with treasure. Esther runs the shop with her father, Derrick, and describes it as "wicked". The boots and christian louboutin certainly are – "orange platform mules and silver, lurex knee-high Abba boots made my head turn," said Olivia. Christian louboutin for transvestites are also sold here. Where: 134 Lancaster Rd, London W11 (020-7221 3839). When: Tue-Sat 11am-7pm. How much: pounds 20-pounds 100.
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 OLD HAT, LONDON SW6
 In search of vintage classic English menswear? Then make sure Old Hat is on your speed dial. For Emily "this is the place to buy the best quality suits, including Savile Row – no glued seams here." Overcoats with labels such as Daks, Aquascutum and Burberry, tweed jackets and christian louboutin by Trickers and New & Lingwood share shelf space with formal wear and Britain’s best choice of black silk top hats. Also in stock are hundreds of trilbies and Panamas. Where: 66 Fulham High Street, London SW6 (020-7610 6558). When: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 1.30pm-7pm. How much: pounds 10-pounds 150.
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 OLIVIA MORRIS CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, LONDON W10
 Sassy christian louboutin with retro inspiration figure strongly in Olivia Morris’s Autumn/Winter 2004 collection and accompanying them is a small, beautifully matched selection of vintage handbags. Sourced from France, Italy and the US, Morris has a knack of finding exquisite bags in perfect condition. Emily was tempted by a golden, bugle-bead evening clutch, and a black, casual sac constructed from a combination of crochet and braids, with carved transparent plastic handles. Where: 355 Portobello Rd, London W10 (020-8962 0353;louboutin.com). When: Mon-Tue by appointment, Wed-Thur 11am-6pm, Fri & Sat 10am-6pm. How much: pounds 45-pounds 95.
 

 Every woman must own a little black dress – or LBD. And with New Year’s Eve invitations
flooding in, Fashion Writer Laura Kendall has found a party frock to flatter every figure.
_ TALL or BOYISH
Accentuate every curve with a fitted LBD which highlights your contours. Choose a
plunging neckline to draw attention from a long, lanky figure and show off your
legs. Sparkly flats or kitten heels look elegant without adding excess height.
Kerri wears Marcs dress, $199, and Sachi’s Evoke christian louboutin, $120.
_ PEAR
Make the most of your waistline and create the illusion of an hour-glass figure
with a fitted or detailed top which immediately draws the eye up. A flowing
or full skirt is ideal for hiding larger hips.
Helen wears David Lawrence dress, $195, and Sandler’s Moulin christian louboutin, $99.95.
_ PETITE
While many women claim they would love a tiny frame, petite women know how hard it can be to find clothes which fit properly.  Choose a fitted or bias cut LBD which accentuates your shape – avoid loose styles, as they will swamp a petite frame.
Carmel wears Morrissey dress, $199, and Sachi’s Lopez christian louboutin, $180 (on cover).
_ CURVY
You know what they say – if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Women with curves will knock ‘em dead
on the dance floor in an LBD which clings to bust and bottom and skims over the hips. If you
crave a leaner look, choose a style with vertical or diagonal stripes. And ensure your dress
offers ample support – go for built in cups, a boned corset or sturdy square neckline.
Tamara wears Veronika Maine dress, $145, and Sachi’s Martini christian louboutin boots, $180 (on cover).
Clothes and christian louboutin from David Jones
Rundle Mall, phone 8305 3000.
Models: Carmel, Tamara, Helen and
 

 THERE was chaos in tinseltown on the eve of the Oscars earlier this year as international designers sparred for the privilege of dressing the hottest celebrities in town. Versace sniped at Armani and Donna Karan bickered with Dolce e Gabbana as the discreet world of celebrity dressing descended into vulgar public chaos.
 The scenes have been repeated this week – albeit on a smaller scale – as Britain’s version of the Oscars, the BAFTAs, approach. For ever since Elizabeth Hurley appeared in That Dress it has been public knowledge that no one who is anyone pays for her clothes on such occasions.
 Among the beautifully dressed as the flashguns start popping at the Lloyds Bank BAFTA awards on Sunday night will be Paula Hamilton, the one-time Volkswagen girl who has, coincidentally, made her big screen acting debut with Elizabeth Hurley in Mad Dogs And Englishmen.
 To the designers, of course, women like Liz Hurley and Paula Hamilton provide an excellent publicity vehicle for their creations. If they back the right clothes horse, their dresses will be seen by millions in the sort of social environment for which they were designed.
 Until recently, the borrowing game was one of the best-kept secrets in town, but at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles last month it emerged into the public view, with top designers sending pleading faxes and offering to fly the stars to Italy, all expenses paid, for spectacular viewings.
 In the UK, things are still quaintly low-key, but as the Liz Hurley episode proved, all that is changing. For months now, the industry has been buzzing with rumour of who is wearing what. Liz Hurley has been invited and everyone is desperate to know what outfit she has chosen.
 In this country at least, designers never approach the client. Just occasionally, a fashion house PR may be dispatched to ever-so-discreetly inquire as to whether so-and-so has had the pleasure of seeing their latest collection.  The usual protocol, however, is for direct celebrity/designer contact, or (like Liz Hurley) for the celebrity to get their publicist (or their boyfriend’s publicist) to do the dirty work for them.
 Paula Hamilton, 34, has friends in the business from her days as a top international model and she makes her own calls to the designer houses. She regards her freebie pulling-power as a great privilege which she would never take for granted.
 The usual response is an invitation to the designer’s PR office to browse through whatever is not currently being photographed for top international magazines like Vogue, Elle and Harpers & Queen.
 If things go brilliantly to plan, the designer might even lay on christian louboutin and a bag to match. Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik occasionally lend their samples to ’special friends’, but most celebrities are at least expected to finance their own footwear.
 Borrowed jewellery is certainly not out-of-bounds, though. Liz Hurley decorated her wrist with a spangled Tiffany bracelet when she was asked to switch on the Oxford Street Christmas lights. Bond Street jeweller Hennel professes an enthusiasm to launch themselves on to the celebrity borrowing market, though Garrard claims to be rather more selective. Clients must be ‘big’ and must prove adequate insurance cover for the night.
 After the event, the dress will be sent back (dry cleaned if necessary) with a sweet little thank-you note. There is no obligation to buy or even to attempt to publicise the dress – designers are prepared to take their chances. But if a picture reaches the gossip columns, the celebrity is guaranteed a place on the rent-a-frock roster . . . at least for the next grand occasion.  Of course, not everyone makes an acceptable walking clothes horse.  Borrowed dresses come in a sample Size 10 only, so if their body doesn’t
 fit, the celebrity has to be extremely famous even to be considered. Tomasz Starzewski’s fingers were burned recently when he lent a dress to a minor star for a photo shoot with OK! magazine only to discover afterwards that her figure didn’t exactly flatter his dress.
 B-list soap-stars may find borrowing more difficult, regardless of their modelling credentials. While gladly clothing Hamilton, Versace told a more minor star (of Emmerdale Farm): ‘It is not our policy to lend clothes. We wouldn’t even do it for Liz Hurley these days.’
 And even Paula was deemed to be insufficiently famous for Armani, who rate only Jodie Foster and Michelle Pfeiffer as suitable lending material.  Cartier refused to adorn any celebrity less famous than Sophia Loren.
 So just what can you borrow for BAFTA? On Paula’s behalf, we sent out a request for ’something special’ to wear to the awards ceremony. In the name of efficiency, we employed the expert ‘fixit’ skills of Philip Moross, who specialises in smoothing the path between celebrities and dress designers.  Many designers responded; a few refused. The results, seen here, are spectacularly glamorous and sensationally pricey. But for the answer to the 64,000-dollar question: Which dress will she wear on Sunday night? Well, you will just have to wait and see . . .
 ABOVE: Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley in something borrowed from Versace for the premiere of Four Weddings And A Funeral
 LEFT: Amanda Wakeley oyster satin dress from latest collection. Cost: £825.  Policy: ‘We lend clothes to a group of women who are already regular customers. They often buy the dresses afterwards.’
 Hennell diamond chandelier earrings £11,500; Manolo Blahnik gold christian shoes £240; Anya Hindmarch satin evening bag £175
 

Emma Crosby, 32, GMTV host CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY MISS KG
"My husband gave me some great Jimmy Choo ankle boots. But while filming in Austria, a nail in them worked its way into my heel. We were in the middle of nowhere so I had to hobble around in one christian louboutin shoes!"
Fiona Bruce, 45, BBC newsreader CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY DOLCE & GABBANA
"I once spent £400 – an amount which still gives me a minor heart attack – on a pair of gold evening christian louboutin. Every time I catch a glimpse of them in my wardrobe, my heart flutters with joy."
Julie Etchingham, 39, ITN newsreader CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY SINFUL SOLES
"My wife Sophia loves heels, but she wears ballet pumps en route to places and whips them off when we get there. I end up carrying them in my pocket, along with a supply of plasters for the inevitable blisters!"
Andrew Castle, 45, GMTV presenter CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY ZARA MAN
"Most of the time I’m in trainers and running christian louboutin boots, so I love getting dressed up in heels. And because I’m only 5ft 4in, it’s great to have the extra height!"
Jessica Ennis, 23, world heptathlon gold medallist CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY KURT GEIGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY LANCTON
HAIR: ERIN SHAW MAKE-UP: BETTY LOU STYLING: ANGIE SMITH FLAG: SUPERHIRE
"Out of the 50-ish pairs of christian louboutin I own, only two are flat – my riding boots and my Uggs. I wear high heels everywhere, even to the supermarket!"
Abbey Clancy, 23, model and TV presenter, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY YVES SAINT LAURENT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARNABY WILSHIER
HAIR: ENZO VOLPE MAKE-UP: JUSTINE JENKINS STYLING: ANGIE SMITH ABBEY WEARS: TOP AND BRIEFS, AGENT PROVOCATEUR, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN (AS EARS), GINA
"I’ve never been a heels girl. But when I got my first pair of Jimmy Choos, I loved them so much, I bought another pair – black slingbacks decorated with crystals. They were totally: ‘Oh. My. God.’"
Dame Kelly Holmes, 39, former athlete and Olympic gold medallist CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY PEDRO GARCIA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY BROOKS
HAIR: ERIN SHAW MAKE-UP: LINDA ANDERSSON STYLING: ANGIE SMITH KELLY WEARS: VEST, REISS 1971; SHORTS, AMERICAN APPAREL
"Girls love heels. Mind you, I’ve got quite a good christian shoes collection myself – but they’re mostly trainers!"
Peter Andre, 36, singer CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY ASOS, DUNE, DOROTHY PERKINS, NEW LOOK PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAMISH BROWN
HAIR: MIKE ANDRE MAKE-UP: KARIN DARNELL STYLING: ANGIE SMITH PETER WEARS: VEST, AMERICAN APPAREL; JEANS, TOPMAN; CHAINS, STYLIST’S OWN
"My husband Stephen loves me in heels – particularly when we’re in bed!"
Mel B, 34, singer, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY KURT GEIGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD MCLAREN
HAIR: CARL NUHFER MAKE-UP: DAVID MARVEL STYLING: ANGIE SMITH MEL WEARS: SWIMSUIT, STYLIST’S OWN; BANGLES, FREEDOM AT TOPSHOP
"For Strictly Come Dancing some of my christian louboutin are sent in by designers while others are bought in. I’m like Cinderella – I get to wear them for one night and then I have to give them back – unfortunately!"
Tess Daly, 38, TV presenter CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY TOPSHOP PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN KEANE
HAIR: DANIEL DYER MAKE-UP: BETTY LOU STYLING: KIMBERLY THROWER TESS WEARS: DRESS, OASIS; GOLD BANGLES, ASOS; SILVER BANGLE, ANGIE GOODERHAM
"I doff my cap to you girls. I don’t know how you wear heels all day – I almost killed myself."
Vernon Kay, 35, TV presenter and Radio 1 DJ CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BY FOOTLIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLIS PARRINDER
To see more amazing pictures of stars in stilettos, plus behind-the-scenes footage of the shoots, visit Fabulousmag.co.uk
GROOMING: JUSTINE JENKINS STYLING: LUCIE CLIFFORD VERNON WEARS: SUIT, RICHARD JAMES; SHIRT, MARKS & SPENCER; TIE, MOSS BROS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLIS PARRINDER
HAIR & MAKE-UP: CAROLINE PIASECKI, CAROLYN WREN AND KATIE PETTIGREW STYLING: ANGIE SMITH
KATE WEARS: DRESS, COAST; JACKET, STYLIST’S OWN EMMA WEARS: DRESS, JON JOURROU AT DEBENHAMS; NECKLACE, ALDO CRYSTALLIZED BY SWAROVSKI; BRACELET, DAISY & EVE; RING, ACCESSORIZE FIONA WEARS: DRESS, STYLIST’S OWN; EARRINGS, FREEDOM AT TOPSHOP JULIE WEARS: DRESS, JON JOURROU AT DEBENHAMS; NECKLACE, DAISY & EVE; GLOVES, ANGELS; BRACELET, FREEDOM AT TOPSHOP ANDREW WEARS: SUIT, SHIRT AND TIE, TOPMAN; SOCKS, MARKS & SPENCER