Fabric Bears Fruit

Floral patterns on women's clothes have always been with us but, as pretty as they are, they stop short of the real thing.

A picture or a print just doesn't stack up against the reality.

Di Zaster, the proprietor of St. Marys firm, Natural Dresses, plans to market clothing on which plants have been encouraged to grow through the discreet addition of nutrients.

Made from rayflon, a fabric developed at Mamre Laboratories by combining rayon and Teflon, the clothing will resist stains and will keep the small amount of water necessary for the plants' survival strictly on the outside.

The fabric will never need washing because it comes in a range of soil browns that will never show dirt. Nor will offensive odors be detectable through the delicate aroma of its mint clusters so, in times of water shortage, personal hygiene could be kept to a minimum.

Ms Zaster said that so far, herbs and creepers have grown most successfully on the fabric and her company is developing a miniature rose to add a dash of colour and fragrance.

She will also offer clothing for sexually harassed women. It will feature pockets of thorny blackberries, strategically placed.