IT may not be on the catwalks this season but one Worcester shop is experiencing a huge demand for quite an unusual fashion.

Made famous in the opening sequence to Sex and the City, the tutu seems to be becoming a fashion must-have in our city.

Material shop Rags in CrownGate first noticed the niche in the market before summer when girls kept on coming into the store asking for help in making tutus.

Owner Dawn Allen said: “We have sold literally hundreds of these over the summer, possibly even about 30 a week at least. They have just been flying off the shelves.”

Women aged from 18 to 25 are mostly opting for the eye-catching number, but some much older and younger are also snapping them up.

The shop’s even had a man buy one – for fancy dress purposes only.

“They are buying them for all sorts of reasons,” said Mrs Allen.

“I’ve had people come in who are going on hen nights, dressing as the Moulin Rouge girls and also as bumble bees. Girls just don’t seem to have wanted to make them themselves so that’s why I started making them.”

And Mrs Allen doesn’t see the trend dipping as we head towards Christmas. “We have had people in here already talking about Halloween outfits and fancy dress parties they are going to. I think it just brings a bit of fun to the outfit,” she said.

Such is the demand, the shop hasn’t even had to advertise the tutus, sales have all been from word-of-mouth or people spotting them for sale in the window.

“These days when people go to a party they want to try and look a bit different and be more inventive,” said Mrs Allen. “I think it’s also more fun to make up an outfit on your own rather than get an outfit everyone else has.”

As well as the ready-made tutus, Mrs Allen has also noticed a huge rise in demand for material with more and more people wanting to make their own clothes.

“Sewing has become more fashionable nowadays,” she said.

“We are finding a lot of women coming back into sewing and getting their sewing machines out, some who haven’t done it in years.”

Perhaps the credit crunch is biting or maybe people want a more individual look. “My advice for people wanting to take up sewing if they haven’t done it before is to be shown,” said Mrs Allen.

“There are a few courses available or maybe ask someone you know who is good at sewing. But it’s a great hobby to take up and I’m sure we will be seeing lots of great creations.”

What we’re lovin’

1. The tutu

2. Anything and everything purple

3. Benefit make-up now available

at Boots in Worcester

4. LBDs

5. Sales still on

What we’re hating

1. Wearing the wrong shoes when it rains

2. Coming to the end of summer

3. First days back at school

4. LBD faded to grey in the wash

5. Getting home to find your new purchase just doesn’t fit.