Alexandra Shulman was British Vogue’s longest serving editor, and it’s safe to say that she really understands clothes. But not just the latest fashions or styles – it’s what our clothes mean to us and how they weave in and out of our lives that really interest her. Her wonderful tour of the wardrobe – from Chanel jacket to crisp white shirt to little black dress – is a must for all those interested in the secret language of clothes.

In conversation with Alex Clark, journalist, critic and broadcaster