School-ma'am chic is top of the class this season. JO HAYWOOD swots up on the latest look and asks York's fashion headgirls for their own top three must-have items.

MATHS was never my strong point, but even I can grasp this simple style equation: prim teacher + sex + Boho flair = the grade A look for autumn-winter.

Write that down in your exercise book now - I'll be testing you later.

While you're about it, you may also want to take note of what these veritable professors of couture predict will be the top three must-have items of the season.

When confronted with their multiple-choice paper, those fashionable folk at Fenwick in York opted for a poncho, cowboy boots and a tweed jacket, although not necessarily all worn at the same time.

The style gurus at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet put their money on culottes, Miss Marple tweed and anything plum.

"Prim is in," said a spokesman for the discount designer complex on the outskirts of York. "This season, trends are lady-like to say the least. But don't despair; they come with a sexy twist."

Style advisors Belinda Alexander and Gail Little - North Yorkshire's answer to Trinny and Susannah - are fans of the more ladylike looks that are already cropping up everywhere.

"It's a very good season," said Belinda, "because the new styles are going to allow to look more glamorous and grown-up. We can say goodbye to grunge for a while and say hello to wonderful womanly clothes."

When pressed for their three must-haves for autumn-winter, the dynamically dressed duo agreed that no wardrobe would be complete without a poncho, a pair of round-toed shoes, and anything in chiffon with tweed highlights (a chiffon suit with tweed cuffs perhaps).

Hang on a minute, if my arithmetic serves me right, that's nine must-haves already and the season has only just begun.

Forget getting a grade A, girls. Something tells me we're all heading for a D - from our bank managers.

Updated: 10:54 Saturday, September 11, 2004