A short note on fashion

British men are not, as far as I am aware, in general noted for their fashion sense.

(I nearly wrote English men, but I suspect that Welsh, Scots and Northern Irish men are just as bad.)

There are, of course exceptions, as there are to any rule.  But - let's face it - have we men really moved on very far from the trousers (with braces on show) rolled to mid-calf and knotted handkerchief on the head that was once de rigeur on the beach?  Nowadays it's more likely to be a lurid Hawaiian shirt straining over a bulging stomach, shorts, and sandals - with socks, of course.  But that isn't usual away from Spanish beach resorts and in the gloom of an English (or Welsh or Scots or Northern Irish) January.  Well, not all of it.

Photo: The Guardian

It must have been three, or maybe four or even more, years ago that postmen in one English town set themselves a challenge.  They wanted to see how long in the winter months they could wear their summer uniform shorts.  Now it is standard practice for posties to wear shorts all year round.

And the practice has spread.  Only the other day I met a man walking his dog, dressed (the man, not the dog) in fur-lined hat with ear flaps, a thick anorak, walking boots (with thick socks) - and shorts!

When the Old Bat remarked that it was a crazy thing to do, I pointed out that when I was a lad, boys wore short trousers all year round until the age of 13 or so.  Teenagers in those days would never wear shorts except when playing football.  But fashions are bound to change over half a century!