Never fear; it will not be necessary for you to sacrifice the household pet. However, if you are going to buy new sunglasses, besides having the correct UV protection to meet EU regulations, try to make sure that their frames are in tortoise-shell. It will be faux, of course, since no hard-headed reptile deserves to be sacrificed - even for the sake of protecting your eyes. But tortoiseshell is very much the look of the moment, its rich brown, mottled surface making a striking contrast with the dense solid mass of the lens (preferably black or the very deepest bottle-green). As for the shape, think early 1970s and the kind of enormous sunglasses behind which Jackie Onassis attempted to hide from the paparazzi.

They ought to provide you with just as much privacy should you step into a barrage of flashbulbs.