In Auckland the togs go in the beach bag, and the labels are mostly local New Zealand is a small market with an outsized swimwear habit. A coastline that is never more than a couple of hours away, a strong surf-life-saving culture, and a climate that rewards a good pair of togs from Northland to Otago have all …

Timing the purchase is how you stop overpaying for togs The single biggest lever on what you pay for swimwear in Australia is not the brand or the store — it is the week of the year you buy. Togs follow a predictable retail rhythm: full price when the season turns warm and demand peaks, then steep, reliable markdowns …

When the duvet you love in January starts working against you The first genuinely warm night of a UK summer tends to expose the same problem: the winter duvet that felt perfect in January is now a sweat trap by midnight. Kicking a leg out, flipping the pillow, throwing the cover off entirely — these are the small hours …

What should you actually look for in a pair of girls togs? In New Zealand, "togs" simply means swimwear — and for a girl, that single word covers everything from a school-lesson one-piece to a beach two-piece to a full sun-suit for a long day at the lake. The word is so embedded that Kiwi kids grow up with "don't …

Kitting a boy out for an Australian summer Buying boys togs in Australia usually starts with a specific job to do: a new school swimming term, a club nipper season, a beach holiday, or simply replacing a pair that no longer fits a fast-growing kid. Each of those jobs points to a slightly different garment, which is why …

The one tog rating most UK homes never need to look past For a centrally heated British home, a 10.5 tog duvet is the rating that quietly does the job for most of the year. It is warm enough for spring and autumn, comfortable through a mild winter with the heating on, and only really struggles at the two extremes — a …

Picking a 13.5 tog duvet for a genuinely cold bedroom The decision usually comes down to one thing: a bedroom that gets cold overnight once the heating goes off. A 13.5 tog duvet is the standard UK winter weight, and for most people in an unheated or poorly insulated room it is the right call. But "13.5 tog" only fixes …

Buying at City Beach: the sale rack versus the new-season wall The same pair of togs at City Beach can carry two very different price tags depending on when you walk in. A current-season Billabong or Roxy bikini at full price sits at one number; the same style, a few months later on the sale rack, can be a third off or …