This was a tough nut to crack, at least by FT standards.  I don’t have regular access to other daily puzzles that are blogged on this site, but I suspect that the difficulty level here is not dissimilar from those seen under the setter’s other guises (Enigmatist/Nimrod).  A lot more imagination and lateral thinking today than you would typically encounter in the
pink ‘un, and - unusually for the FT - I felt the need to confirm a couple of answers post-solving.

Across
1 SHRINK WRAPPING - double def: i.e. a psychiatrist (shrink) could prescribe use of a straitjacket.  No easy intro to the puzzle here.
10 (champ)AGNES - took me longer than it should have.
11 LAZY SUSAN - A rotating table centrepiece, favoured by dinner party hosts of a certain ilk. I’m the proud co-owner of one myself (unused, random wedding present).  Yours for a tenner…
16 ESSEX GIRL (er, six legs)* - An epic definition! And good to see the word “loadsamoney” make a rare appearance in the FT.  For US readers, I think it’d be fair to say that Essex Girls and (New) Jersey Girls are sociological approximates.
20 SEIZE - the reference to “16″ in the clue had me fearing that we’d be in search of the French equivalent of an Essex Girl. Rather, it’s just a literal translation.
22 N(ON DR)IP - One of those clues where the definition (”Thixotropic”!) meant nothing to me, but the wordplay was much more benign.
27 ULTRA SLOW (Allow rust)* - Again the definition (”over many years”) ain’t much help,  but mainly due to its unspecific nature.
28 UKASE (hidden) - a perennially useful word for grid constructors everywhere.
29 LOLLIPOP LADIES - clever, but not a classic penny-dropping moment, in my book.

Down
2 H AND C, RAFT - “Taps”= H(ot) AND C(old) is cute.  I wasn’t familiar with the “US actor” of yesteryear (George) Raft.
3 IBSEN - NESBI(-t) rev. E. Nesbit is forever imprinted on my subconscious, due to the innumerable airings of “The Railway Children” by the BBC during my youth.
4 KELLY’S EYE - Bingo-lingo for #1.
8 GE,NITAL - (Latin,e.g.) rev.
15 WATER,TAX,I - move the “i” from Waiter.
17 SEMIVOWEL - tricksy if you don’t spot that the first and last letters of “Why” are the definition/exemplars.
18 I,DI(OT,TAP)E - an word unknown me, but confirmed online.
19 J,ON,QUI,L - “start of examination”=Qui(z). A major bone of contention for those who would argue that three-quarters of the way through something is pretty far from the starting point. (Oops: the idea is in fact QU(estion)1 - see comments)
23 NATAL - double def. Although, I tend to think of the place as a province rather than a “nation”.
24 POL(I)O - The word “condition” seems superfluous, other than for purposes of the surface reading. The reference to Polo mints could well have left non-Brits bamboozled.
26 S,QUA,D

A change of pace after yesterday’s Paul brainbuster. It still required two coffees, Mrs Stan and Crossword Buddy (http://www.loquax.co.uk/puzzles/) to complete however, which probably says more about the state of my mind than the level of difficulty.

Across

1 DECADE - sounds like “decayed”

4 BAND-I.T - Maybe a little strained to included mobiles as I.T

9 OMER - Had to look this one up - it’s a Hebrew measure of grain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting_of_the_Omer

10 SPIN DOCTOR - (NIPS)< DO (CT) OR - is there a general move among compilers to use up the Blair references quickly before we all forget who he was ?

12 FOREMOST -  FORT with SOME backwards inside - using the meaning of “van” as in “vanguard”

13 ACCOUTRED - ACTORCUED*

21 BATHROOM - Thanks go to ilancaron for bailing me out  - Bath = Spring, Room = Assembly

 26 THAIRM - TM for trademark with HAIR inside. Thank heavens for the shortage of 4-letter musicals. Thairm is the intestine used for Haggis - also for fiddle-strings.

Down

1  DEMONIC - COMEDI(A)N*

2 CAREY - George Carey the current Archbishop of Canterbury - Carey Street is where the bankrupcy courts used to be in London.

6 DE-CAMERON 

7 TROTS-KY - Abbreviation for Kentucky - If you have the Trots you are in urgent need of a washroom.

8 DIE FLEDERMAUS -  MADEFIELDERSU* A little German  goes a long way - comic opera by Strauss.

14 OCTAHEDRA - ACTORHEAD*

16 BRA-VEST - very much my sense of humour. Bra vo !

18 H-ACKERS - “Ackers” is Northern slang for money, allegedly from the Egyptian “akka”

20 DORTER - had to look this up - it’s where monks sleep. As opposed to “apricots”, which is where monkeys sleep …

Another excellent puzzle from Dac, with all stacking up in the end, some cleverly concealed definitions - very tough, esp SE corner, though this blogger’s cinematic ignorance contributed to that.

Solving time: 43 mins

* = anagram    < = reversed

ACROSS

5  W EASEL

10 CUSTOM    Pleasing double definition - this type of clue was more common in years gone by, I think.

14 DIS(c) ENGAGEMENT

20 IFS    Irish Free State (1922-1938)

21 FOUR-POSTERS        Excellent

24 FLANERIE   (free in LA)*    Anyone else looking first for (LA resort)*?

26 MAIL SHOT   “male”

DOWN

2 Hastings BAND A

3 BOA (stole!)   TIES

4 O (VERGE) NERO  US    The old is separate from the ruler, I think.

6 EMU LATE    Excellent misdirection.

8 LAMB (t)ASTE(d)      Misleading join at “Roast/meat”

11 BRIAN DE PALMA   p in (an admirable)* - took me ages to spot the anagram, not to mind solve it.   Those who know more about films than me might be able to say if the literal clue wording is also appropriate.

14 DROP SCENE   “seen”  by audience.

17 S (OFT) TOP

18 AR (S) ENA L     The most devious of all - I spent ages trying to fit ample in.   L = large as in clothes sizes.     Definition is “team”

22 E (ART) H    Art in he<       Really tricky - definition is “underground home”