Growing up, I was pretty convinced that my mum had magical attributes. In Italy, that’s quite a common conviction to hold about one’s mamma. In the endless list of her superpowers, her ability to appear behind my back–particularly at times when I would have thankfully avoided her gaze–was quite high up.

Her voice, coming unannounced from an indefinite point over my head, never failed to surprise me. As most children do, I attributed this wizardry to a grown-up skill I had yet to master. Little did I know that my mother’s secret had more to do with fashion than the supernatural.