Hankies, socks and your bird in a box!

Womenswear retailer New Look has put its unique stamp on Christmas this year with a seasonal outerwear range. Known as Cardboard, each garment costs &£79.99 and comes with a unique, free single-use travel voucher valid for any destination within five miles of the store. (Initially, the range will be on sale only in three branches – the company declines to comment, but the Diary has heard there were problems with the import quotas over the summer, and the bulk of the consignment was impounded in Peter Mandelson’s garage.)

Actually, that’s a lie. New Look is, in fact, launching a “Give Yourself for Christmas” initiative. Customers will be helped to choose an outfit, given a professional makeover and put in a box, to be sent to their loved one. (If your loved one is the type to leave presents under the tree till Christmas day, make sure you’ve a couple of mince pies in your pocket before they wrap you up.)

That’s all very well, but the Diary’s other half is expecting an Xbox 360 for Christmas. Somehow, a Diary in a box, no matter how nicely turned out, seems unlikely to be a popular substitute.