The BBC’s six-parter British Style Genius began on Monday night with an episode focusing on the phenomenon known as the “British High Street”.

Joy-sapping moments included a Topshop production person delighting at how they had cost-effectively replicated a pretty vintage thirties fringed shrug for Kate’s range, thus stripping it of everything that had made it special, and Phillip Green, Katie England and Kate Moss in a highly staged production meeting at Topshop HQ. “Two-fowsend??” squeals Kate over the sales units. The genius on the high street is making money.

The director and execs must have been kicking themselves over the pay-off - Phillip Green boasting that they were going to “take on” New York, when in reality the opening date for Topshop in Soho just keeps on moving backwards… ouch!

The other five programmes are looking up though, with themes of tailoring, rebels, country (hooray and pass the gin!!) and the ’street’.

“Picture by Mario of his sweet boyfriend. He made this picture having fun in the woods.”

From the Butt website.

Navy? Check. Stripes? Check. 24 inch waist? oh goddamit.

At the Formosa Dining Rooms, late 2007.

Boy by Band of Outsiders AW08 shot at the home of Paul Fortune. Available in London at Dover Street Market.

Arundel Square, Islington.

Courtesy my dear friend, the artist Karen Logan.

I don’t have the most shapely legs. My entire shopping career has been dedicated to hiding this fact. I don’t need Trinny and Susanna to tell me that a pair of well made platform pumps and a good quality, high denier tight will do wonders (nor did I need the self-proclaimed “editor-in-chief of a major fashion magazine” at the George and Dragon last night to tell me that empire line is good for the boobier among us, but gosh! thanks!!!).

But sometimes an ankle boot is just too damn good to let slip by, which is how I feel about this Minnetonka fringed number which I’ve skirted for an age.

I know it will chop me off and add inches to my calves, but I just don’t care. I can wear rolled down a la this post on The Moment, and pair with the darkest indigo straight jean and a navy cabled golfer cardigan from Inverallan Hand Knitters for winter days… Or perhaps with a navy and white striped T and a string of beads to channel “California, 1965″.

Sold.

Tonight at the Whitechapel Gallery there’s a private view of Eva Vermandel’s photographic diary of her time in the studio and touring with Icelandic band sigur rós.

Eva’s folio of portraits includes Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Stella Vine, and some years back she shot Mr Gorman, surrounded by his then-girlfriend’s cats, for a book project on ‘interesting people’. I’m partial to her portrait of Alela Diane.

These photos are from her recent Versterker series:

Alongside the prints will be a short clip from Superduck’s forthcoming documentary about the band, for which he travelled to Iceland, Mexico, England and America. Lucky dog. The documentary screens in full in November.

Mrs Gorman is taking out a subscription to French Playboy.

New Lily Cole cover from The Fashion Spot.

Will this be enough to get me through?