Monday 11 January 2021

Goodbye snow

 Overnight the snow has disappeared apart from just a few places on East Witton Fell which I look out on from my sitting room window.  I haven't put my nose out of the door but obviously it is much warmer.  No sun though - just a dull, grey sky.

I am sad this morning because I have had to ask one of my Carers not to come any more.   She also works in a Care Home and several of the staff have tested positive for Covid.   She has tested negative - for now.  But I just dare not take the risk.   She is sad not to come and I am sad not to see her - she was a brilliant carer and I counted her as a friend too.

Right - let's get away from Covid - it does dominate our thoughts, the News, the Papers -  let's think about shorts for men - we can't get much further away than that can we?  Kevin Maher writes in The Times today that an Employment Trubunal in Manchester  - a man  it was ruled had suffered sex discrimination by being refused permission to wear three quarter length trousers - and yet his female colleagues were allowed to show the same, if not more, leg every day.   Now what do you think to that male readers?   And, if you are still of 'going to work' age are you going to get out your 'long shorts' to wear in the next hot summer?

I was immediately reminded of my dear late farmer.   Once when we were holidaying in Texas it was extremely hot.   Most of the men in the group were wearing shorts.   I popped into a shop and bought him a pair.   Did he wear them?   No he did not.As far as I could see his legs were fine (I fancied his legs as I fancied every part of him) in fact a lot better than most of the legs on show.   But no.   Cap on head, trousers on legs - the norm and he was sticking to it.   There is a different dress code I think for men and women.   I did touch on it the other week with stiff collars - but at the time women wore long skirts.   Short skirts have been all the rage for a very long time.   I remember a particular occasion in 1970 when I wore a yellow mini skirt and a navy blue silk blouse - adored both.    Plenty of leg showing.   So fifty years of short skirts and yet men still only wear their shorts on holiday - certainly not in the office.

We must conclude that men love to see women in short skirts - well we all knew that didn't we?   But they are not keen on showing off their own legs.   I wonder why.


30 comments:

thelma said...

Maybe because they are hairy? What a lovely subject Pat, some men wear skirts now and of course there is always the kilt. Mini skirts were always a problem when you bent down as well.

the veg artist said...

Did it say what type of office, as in did they deal with others/public outside of their group of workers? I wouldn't have a problem with men in (long) shorts if it was just amongst a small group, but if I visited an office as an outsider I wouldn't expect to see a man in shorts. Split standards perhaps? Also, there are shorts and there are shorts. Men can be quite bad at differentiating between what might be judged tasteful and what is just gross. Just saying! (I think thelma's kilts idea could be the answer!!)

Anonymous said...

I suppose it depends on the setting if its business attire I think men in shorts wouldn't look professional unless it is a causal day. On the other hand I cannot get my 16 year old son to ever wear trousers even when we got freak snow in Austin Texas yesterday and the temp was 2 Celsius, 37 Fahrenheit! Your little red haired friend Jenni from Austin

DUTA said...

It's risky not only with carers but also with cleaners, gardeners or any person employed for several hours in or around the house. If one can manage to do things on one's own - that's the best!

Minigranny said...

Postmen need a mention here! When I was young they all wore a uniform with a peaked cap
and now shorts seem to be their badge of honour, whatever the weather !

Derek Faulkner said...

In my managerial days in offices, I always found that women got away with a lot more in respect of dress sense than men. It used to frustrate me terribly that on sweltering hot days I was still expected to wear a buttoned up shirt with a tie and yet women in the same office stayed cool by wearing blouses that covered very little of their breasts. I did rebel one day after being told to wear a collar and tie and did just that, but with a pair of knee length shorts! as you can imagine I got spoken to by my boss.

EM Griffith said...

All of our postmen wear shorts in hot weather and many men working outdoors do, too. Women might wear dresses or skirts in a bank, but what would your impression be if there was a male bank manager wearing shorts on the job? We went to a doctor, a woman in her 50s (it seemed), who was wearing a mini skirt over leggings with a crop top that showed inches of her tattooed torso with a belly ring. She didn't inspire a lot of confidence for us. Right or wrong, impressions matter.

Jean said...

Hairy, knobbly knees, most of which are not pretty?
My ex (and my current as it happens) had/has great legs. My best friend's husband also had great legs, not too hairy or knobbly. There was one occasion when the two men (and us) called to see my mum and dad and my mum was thrilled. As she said, she might be past the buying but there was nothing wrong with window shopping.
Our postman has only this last few days abandoned his shorts for walking trousers and firm boots, more's the pity......

Librarian said...

It's been the coldest night here so far this season, -7 Celsius when I got up at 6:15 in the morning. No fresh snow has fallen, so what little was left is gone now as it has been a beautiful sunny, if cold, day.
It has been said already - there are shorts, and there are shorts. I must admit that when I still used to go to the gym (in pre-Corona times), sometimes in the summer the men would show more than I ever wanted to see of them; strangely enough, never the ladies - their sports outfits were covering more than their everyday summer clothes.
Common sense is best; do we really need rules and regulation for each and every little thing, I wonder.
So sorry to hear about your carer. It must have been a tough decision, but a sensible one.

Yellow Shoes said...

I was in Edinburgh years ago for a rugby match and many of the local men wore kilts and they looked great!

Derek Faulkner said...

I've always been peed off with the attitude of a lot of people who consider that it's not what you're capable of, it's what you look like. A doctor looking like the one that EM Griffith describes would bother me nil, her diagnosis of what was ailing me would be of far greater importance.

Sue in Suffolk said...

A shame about your carer. Now you've had your vaccine hopefully in a couple of weeks you will be well protected.

Debby said...

Your farmer and my machinist/jack of all trades have something in common.
He has never worn shorts since childhood either. I asked him why once and never got an answer. He just doesn't. Come to think of it, my sister's husband doesn't either. Although they both are most appreciative of their wives in shorts.

Tasker Dunham said...

I've been told on several occasions when wearing shorts that I have nice legs. Thank goodness we don't have to wear suits on the beach like in the nineteen fifties.

JanF said...

Men over here in the U.S. wear shorts a lot. As E.M. Griffith said, even the postmen. Here in the Pacific NW we see shorts even in the coldest weather. Our male doctor wears shorts but I think it would look very odd to see a doctor in the U.K. wearing shorts at the office. My husband rarely wears them, I don't really know why but even when he golfed in summer it was unusual for him to wear shorts.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I love the kilt but only on a Scotsman. Thanks everyone

Brenda said...

Sweet memory...I lived in the south for five years in South Carolina-teaching at risk kids and at a prison at night--the men lived in shorts...at the beach...ballgames...anywhere almost...I don't wear them...although when I go to Florida to family-where I will be moving soon-I wear the ones to my knee...I gave up swimsuits years ago...so even in the pool at my son's home, I wear the shorts...oh well...age...you are amazing, and I love love your blog.

Brenda said...

Agree about the person helping you. No one in my apartment, but when I take the trash or get the mail, people won't mask...alas...man has to come and replace kitchen light, so that will be a risk...it is dark, so perhaps, things will work out. Vaccine soon we hope.

Joan (Devon) said...

It's only horrible cold weather that stops my husband from wearing shorts (and flip flops). He'd wear them in the winter if the weather wasn't cold. At nearly 73 his legs are quite good. I don't have any problem with men wearing shorts to an office in the summer if they were on the same style as trousers and came to the knee.

gmv said...

Such a fun post. :-)

Susan Heather said...

Not much now but when I first came to New Zealand in 1965 and for many years the summer office dress code for men was shorts and long socks.

Bonnie said...

Men here in the U.S. wear shorts all the time in warm weather and when off work. The only men I see wearing shorts at work are postmen and delivery men. There may be others that I have not seen though. I am sorry about your carer but I absolutely agree with you. You can not take chances with being exposed.

liparifam said...

I've noticed slightly shorter shorts on a couple of men lately - they catch the eye because we are now used to the longer shorts. I was asking my son-in-law if this was a new trend, and if he ever thought the short shorts men wore in the 70's and 80's (think Jimmy Conners and the basketball teams) would ever return to fashion??

justjill said...

Our Postie wears shorts even in the winter. Although not every day.

Heather said...

I know I am traditional and a bit old-fashioned but I can't imagine bank managers, head masters, doctors, lawyers, etc., being taken seriously if they went about their various businesses wearing shorts, however smart. As for mini skirts, sadly I never had the legs for them.
I hope your carer will stay safe - I think I would feel the same in your position. It is not worth taking any risks right now.

Susan said...

My experience is in southern states most men wear shorts. Whereas in northern states not all men wear shorts. That said, when in the Caribbean people from all over the world seem to wear shorts, Speedos, bikinis ... anything goes. It appears warmer temperatures dictate less clothes. It is hard saying goodbye to a carer. I hope she stays well.

Joanne Noragon said...

My brother-in-law, who is barely younger than I am, did not wear shorts until last summer! My brother never wore shorts.

Anonymous said...

My mothers friend/companion? at 90 always wore longer shorts, but of course, dressed nicely in long trousers for her 90th birthday., the same year as his. Not long after they 'hooked up' my brother and my family hosted that big 90th lunch for her where she held court with him as guest of honour. Ever the 'once was a dancer,' Mum's choice of clothing when he visited her during the Australian summers was always little blue denim shorts, something I never witnessed "He loves my legs' she'd say. He died at 92 a year after his unsuspecting wife. My mother is still going strong and happy 93 next month. No mention of the shorts anymore, and we try not to mention 'the friend.. his being married meant it was all a bit fraught for us at the time. The adult children/grandchild's nerves were as frayed as the edge of the little denim shorts for a number of years!!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Nice to hear all your view on shorts for men at work - we are largely agreed I think. It would be interesting to read all this in twenty years time and see if anything has changed wouldn't it? Thanks for replying.

Brenda said...

Just read the comment I wrote about custodian coming to fix light...Lordy I am going brain dead in isolation...lol
I meant the kitchen is dark so I need the light...it will work out as I will stay in another part of the apartment and mask...forgive me please...