Resident agony aunt Coleen Nolan has advice for a confused reader who’s got a girlfriend but thinks he might want more than just friendship with someone else

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I’ve always heard and read that the Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag is meant to be a bit of a ‘Tardis’ when it comes to packing for a short break/overnight stay.

Seeing as I’m a serial over packer, I wanted to see what you could really get inside, and if it was a good as everyone else has been saying – especially with two bank holidays on the way.

Usually, I’m that girl that packs a million pairs of pants for a short trip, so knew that was the first thing I’d have to cut down – along with an obscene amount of beauty products…

Hypothetically, when you go away for the weekend, you need at least a light jacket, two pairs of jeans (but one will be packed, and one worn, along with the jacket), jumper (also worn), top for the evening, few pairs of pants, pyjamas (unless you enjoy sleeping in the nude), beauty bits, toothbrush… So that’s what I did.

Into my £14.90 gingham printed Round Mini Shoulder Bag, I shoved as much as I could inside.

Round Mini Shoulder Bag (Gingham)

The Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag (Gingham) is a stylish and practical accessory made from seersucker fabric with a charming gingham check pattern. It features a water-repellent finish, dimensions of 11" (width) x 6.7" (height) x 3.9" (depth), and a capacity of 4 litres. Despite its compact size, it offers surprising storage capacity, making it perfect for everyday use.

Buy Now for £14.90

The moment I forced my jeans in the bag though, I was in trouble as they’re so thick – so it looks like I’m just travelling with the one, and my trusty Tide pen to get rid of anything I might spill on them.

Once they were removed, I started again and managed to get in one t-shirt, one blouse, makeup, FOUR pairs of pants (yolo), toothbrush (out of shot), charger, and essential skincare for a short trip.

Missing would be my skincare, swimwear (should that be required), and another pair of shoes/boots.

Whist I would agree the bag is spacious for sure, for me, I’m just not buying the fact you could use it for a short break – unless the weather was going to be consistent. At most, an overnight stay at a mate’s house and you need to transport the essentials to and from the pub back to theirs, but it’s not one for longer than that – soz Uniqlo. What I would love to see though is a slightly larger version – just a few inches more and I think it could be on to something.

To the 36 people that have given this design the full five-stars, Mandy hailed it: ‘Amazing quality, beautiful design.’ She went on to add: ‘Fits a lot of things inside the bag. This is my first bag from Uniqlo, I knew I had to get it when it came out in this beautiful pattern.’

Mrs B agreed and said: ‘I’ve got this bag in so many colours. It’s brilliant, looks smart, comfortable to wear, and secure. Holds a ridiculously large amount. Great quality too.’

‘I bought this bag for my wife as she already has a couple of these round mini shoulder bags but she wanted the pinks one. And she absolutely loves it,’ mentioned BillKMC.

Another five-star reviewer called JChem said: ‘Fantastic bag to have. Even though by looking the size seems to be quite petite, but the volume and the amount of stuff that it can take in, INCREDIBLE!. Love the design too and it is waterproof, definitely the best fit for London’s weather.’

So if you can pack really light, then I would say this could just about fit in all the essentials you’d need for a weekend, but if like me you also need to pack more – then opt for splitting a cabin bag – but at least take this as your day bag because you really can pack quite a bit inside.

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The next time you head to Morrisons, you might notice something – or someone – new among the aisles.

In a UK first, the supermarket is introducing robots to help out around the store.

The ‘Tally’ robots can be spotted in three Morrisons stores – Wetherby, Redcar and Stockton – and will primarily be used to check stock.

Tally, which comes from US tech company, Simbe, can roam up and down the aisles, with no assistance, collecting data.

And don’t worry, it’s clever enough to swerve a human if you cross it’s path with your trolley.

On LinkedIn, Seamus McHugh, head of European market development at Simbe said he was ‘delighted’ to have Simbe in Morrisons – after already being used in nine countries, including Germany, Portugal and France.

Last year, the bots – which stand at 5ft 4in (the same height as an average UK woman) – found their way into American grocery chain, Tops. At the time, Scott Kessler, executive vice president of Tops’ parent company said: ‘[It can] check accuracy of prices, check accuracy of promotional tags.’

But, he acknowledged that ‘any new technology is a little scary at first.’

Shoppers in store at the time also said they’d been able to ask Tally where they could find certain items.

The new AI-tech begs the question then: how will this affect human employees?

Morrisons told the Grocer that Tally will allow more time for real-life colleagues to focus on customer service, but they’re the latest in a long-life of supermarket tech looking to improve on customer experience.

Last year, Sainsbury’s began testing out larger hybrid self-checkouts which featured conveyor belts as well as a bagging area. And in January, M&S began trailing new smart checkouts that calculate how much you owe, without customers (or staff) lifting a finger.

But shoppers have previously had some choice words to say about in-store technology, calling it ‘dystopian’.

In a post on Facebook, one user was upset by the idea of missing out on human interactions at the supermarket, saying: ‘Nope we DO NOT WANT THESE IN OUR SHOPS. 

‘I would always go to a till with a person, having a small chat with them and asking how they are doing – everyone has a bad day – can’t do that with a computer.’

And on X, another shopper lamented the ‘loss of the friendly interactions,’ adding, ‘is it worth it?’ 

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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more

The Western trend has been on our radar, and creeping into our outfits, for some time now.

Whether you’re a fan of the coastal cowboy trend and want to take it further, have binged the full Yellowstone series, or have a festival coming up and the theme feels quite fitting, we have found the perfect fringed coat to take the theme even further. 

M&S’ Suedette Fringed Jacket is the perfect layering item to see you through all seasons, and it’s more affordable than you think at £59.

The faux suede design has been crafted from polyester, and boasts a polyester lining too, which we love.  But, we can’t help but see the resemblance to Free People’s We The Free Fringe Out Vegan Suede Jacket that fetches £158, or the real suede creation that fetches a staggering £548. M&S has saved us over £100, or almost £500 – depending on how you look at it. 

M&S Suedette Fringed Jacket

This faux suede jacket has been crafted from polyester outer, and features a polyester lining.The long sleeve jacket boasts a relaxed straight fit, has a short collar detail, and fringing running midway along the back, as well as down the sleeves. Available in UK sizes 6 to 22.

BUY NOW FOR £59

We The Free Fringe Out Vegan Suede Jacket

This design is the faux suede version of Free People’s more premium real suede design – We The Free Fringe Out Suede Jacket. The faux suede design has been crafted from a polyester and elastane blend.It boasts a button front fastening, collar, long sleeves, as well as fringe detail along the back, chest, and down the sleeves. It also has a straight cut, longer length, and offers a relaxed fit. Available in numerous colours.

Buy Now for £158

M&S’ design has been crafted from polyester, similar to the Free People design, though the latter has been blended with elastane for a little extra give.  However, Free People’s faux suede jacket is unlined, whereas M&S’ creation is lined, which is a subtle detail we love and thinks it makes the jacket look more premium than its sub-£60 price tag. 

Both designs offer a straight and relaxed fit, feature long sleeves, a short collar, as well as fringing running along the chest, back and down the sleeves on both arms. 

The main difference is the length, collar, fastening and price, obviously.  The M&S Suedette Fringed Jacket features two slip pockets, falls to the hips and has a zip-up fastening. While Free People’s jacket is longer in length – falls below the crotch and to the thighs – and features a button-up fastening. 

M&S’ jacket comes in shade ‘blonde’, which we would describe as a soft stone hue, and is available in UK 6 to 22. While the We The Free Fringe Out Vegan Suede Jacket is available in five colours, including sand, tan, purple, grey and black, all of which are available in sizes extra small to extra large.  

The other main difference is the M&S jacket is much more affordable than both of Free People’s designs. Pair with a bohemian dress, white broderie anglaise design, denim jeans and a white tank top and cowboy boots, or an A-line skirt, t-shirt and neckerchief, the style options are endless. 

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