How will I explain this to her teachers at school...?

I have given in to temptation and treated myself to some Kinky Knickers.

For those of you not already in the know, these came about as a result of a project launched by Mary Portas, and was documented in a series on Channel 4 called Mary's Bottom Line.

A couple of weeks ago, Channel 4 did a where are they now type programme. Within minutes of the programme ending, I'd ordered myself not one, but three new pairs of pants.

They come beautifully packaged, with some cheeky humour on the box guaranteed to make you smile. And, inside each box is a ribbon note telling you who made your pants.

So pleased was I with the beautiful lace knickers in each box, that I have already enthusiastically shown them off to one of my friends (although not whilst wearing them, I hasten to add!) when she popped by for a cuppa and a cheeky slice of leftover Christmas cake yesterday.

They are so comfortable. The fit is perfect and the style very flattering. And the lace? Well, it is absolutely gorgeous. Ready for a close up?

Such is the rarity of this kind of product being made in this country any more, that sourcing the right kind of stretchy lace in Britain had proved a big challenge to Mary and her team. She eventually tracked down a guy with a small factory in Nottingham (a city once famous for its lace making) who owned a machine that was up to the job. Samples were produced, sent back, refined and eventually a lace was made that satisfied Mary and her crack squad of supervisor seamstresses.

There were lots of things about the original programme that inspired me. The supervisors reminded me of my own mum and her stories of factory days. And, the follow up show was great - interviews with the young trainees one year on, simply thrilled about having jobs and creating something so beautiful that happy customers write them thank you letters.

So that is why I gave in and had a splurge to treat myself. The quality of what I saw, and a liking for the people behind it.

Was it worth it?

I'd say a big yes!

Definitely the best pants I have ever owned. That is not to say I am about to go and buy lots more straight away, but I will definitely be treating myself to the odd pair every once in a while. I think that for the quality of materials used and the careful craft of the people making them, the retail price of £15 is pretty good value for a special pair of pants. And, yes, I'll admit - the bonus that it is supporting a factory here in Britain is a nice one. But the real reason to buy them is that they are seriously good.

I'm even considering buying them as birthday presents for close friends. What do you think? Is it a bit weird to buy your mate a pair of pants? I know I would love to receive a pair. At the very least, I'll be boring all my friends about the ones I have just bought!

There has been one small downside to all this.

The biggest girl can read. She reads everything. And now, `kinky knickers' is a phrase that has entered her vocabulary. Keen to put it all in context for her, we've talked all about the programme and she understands what the project was all about and how great a thing it has been for the young unemployed people who now have skilled jobs to enjoy. Heck, we even talked a bit about the economics of it all (yes, I was panicking about her saying the word `kinky' and wanted to switch her attention to something else). But that doesn't take away from the fact she finds the phrase `kinky knickers' a catchy one.

Now how do I explain that to her teachers when (and it will happen) she says it at school?