REGARDING Helen Mead's fascinating column on menswear (Evening Press, May 20): there was a time when long-sleeved shirts (useful for covering tattoos at posh venues) and Dr Marten's macho boots were everything to me.

Since then I have mellowed and dream of soothing moments relaxing in the company of kind souls in sandals.

Far from being a taboo subject - striking socks provide an additional interesting feature if the feet are knobbly and less than heavenly.

As for the sandal-clad GP in Tesco... who, at my age, cares whether or not the doc is 'desirable', or even wears brown, just so long as he conjures up the right potions to keep at bay a plethora of complaints.

Margaret Lawson,

Aldborough House,

The Groves,

York.

...E HAYES (Letters May 16) is wrong to chastise R Jackson for his criticism of the Helen Mead dross.

Mr Hayes' advice, "If you don't like it don't read it", is out of order, because we buy newspapers to read them, not to ignore them.

We are entitled to expect a reasonable standard of journalism and this won't be found rummaging about in Helen's knicker drawer.

Or will it?

Robert Holmes,

Thorganby,

York.

Updated: 11:08 Friday, May 24, 2002