Soaring cotton prices threaten to put further pressure on inflation amid a chorus of warnings over the likely impact on price tags.
Devastating floods in Pakistan - one of the world's largest producers - and fears over this year's crop in China have sent cotton prices surging to 15-year highs in recent weeks.
High street fashion giants Primark, Next and Debenhams have flagged cost pressures as tightening global supplies threaten to push up prices.
The cotton crisis comes at a bad time for retailers, who are already battling against a range of factors, such as higher freight costs, wage inflation in China and the impending VAT hike to 20% in January.
Retail experts at Verdict Research are forecasting that clothing inflation will hit 4.4% in the UK this year - the highest level for 24 years.
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