Get shorty!

Indeed while many Brits wrap up warm to try to reduce their energy bills this winter, there seems to be an unusual fashion trend defying the seasonal chill. Against the rise in demand for fleecy hooded blankets, winter woolies and all the other clothing you would expect in winter, it seems that there has been a surge in the sales of mens shorts. Could it be that our menfolk are merely pre-empting a spring or summer break and are just buying in advance, or could it be that this ‘postie’ driven fashion initiative has become a must-have or must-wear for the male of the species?

Either way, the evidence is there for all to see, just yesterday I mooched around my local frost laden park mid-morning and it was a bit like wandering about Santa Ponsa in late May. Those in the retail business, when asked about this modern phenomenon just shrug their shoulders and put it down to people desperately looking forward to a holiday in the sun sometime in the future. This theory is evidenced by a surge in foreign holiday bookings - but, it has to be said that apart from the Covid lockdown for a couple-of-years, traditionally many people booked their ‘hols’ around now. Very strange! Whilst I’m on the subject of fashion (sort of!) apparently the traditional neck-tie is and has been disappearing from a man’s life for quite some time.

Indeed, Mr Bulletin Reader - when was the last time you affixed any type of tie around your neck when it wasn’t strictly necessary? Unhappily, it doesn’t just end there either…oh no. As I am a member of my local tennis club, I have noticed over the past couple of months some of my fellow middle-aged male athletes have taken to wearing tights under their shorts - yes tights! Dear Lord what is the world coming to? There they are dashing about the court like teenage girls from the posh school up the road and if truth be known, it has become somewhat of a worry for some of us. Anyway, putting that stylistic aberration to one side, there must be some reason why there has been a reported “…four-fold increase” in the sales of men’s shorts, but it seems that the trend for year-round shorts is a relatively new and growing fashion option for men. Personally, I think that the option of shorts or no shorts has to be an individual choice, but I would plead for a certain amount of discretion to be used, particularly as a chaps legs are generally not the most attractive part of his/our anatomy now are they?