So - as long as your child is not clinging like a limpet to the hem of your skirt or trousers - you can walk away on the first day and feel satisfied your most precious possession is in good hands.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | First day at school? Be positive

Girbaud, for instance, makes a wool and spandex skirt with an uneven hem, laser cutwork and random, permanent pleats.

NPR: Nanotech in Fashion: The Trend in New Fabrics

As we turn up the road through the village that clings to the hem of Tikse's sprawling skirt, we hear the-plaintive, summoning blasts on the traditional (yes, in the Himalayas) conch-shell horn.

FORBES: Feature