Sarah Vine reflects on the intense media scrutiny female politicians face over their clothing, sparked by recent commentary on the outfits worn by women ministers appointed to a new Cabinet. Drawing on her own experience of being photographed in unflattering outfits during major public moments, she argues that while such scrutiny of women's appearance is unfair, it remains an unavoidable reality of public life, and expresses sympathy for those suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

Vine recalls several of her own sartorial mishaps, including an outfit worn on the morning of the EU Referendum vote a decade ago alongside her then-husband Michael Gove, which she describes as a combination of ill-fitting trousers, an overly tight jacket and a semi-transparent leopard-print top. She also cites other memorable fashion missteps, such as her outfit at Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall's wedding and a dress worn at a Buckingham Palace state dinner attended by the late Queen, using these anecdotes to illustrate how difficult it is to always look composed under public observation.