[Byron]

What a lot of confused twaddle these discussions produce.

I hope we are not to take The Guardian article seriously - it was written in May 2010 and at the end of 2011 it may be interesting to hear just which of these "expert" predictions have come to pass.

As for sport can anyone explain the short shorts of the England World Cup Team (soccer) of 1966 against their longer ones of 2011 ?

Has anyone compared Cassius Clay in the ring in his heyday with the boxers' shorts of today, worn almost down to their ankles ?

The only consistency seems to be with the rugby players - shorts worn short and tight for years.

As for women's fashion their dresses changed in Wartime stringencies so that there were short sleeves and higher hemlines, for obvious reasons. There remains a contradiction however in that men continued wearing baggy trousers with pleated waists and turn-ups at the legs.