"I'M probably too old for hoodies ..." writes columnist Julian Cole (Evening Press, May 19).

Never!

I have four favourite sweatshirts - rust, grey, aqua and lilac. They all have hoods, are ideal for throwing over my colour co-ordinated physiotherapy outfits and bought at a very respectable York store.

The aqua one was a present from a young family.

My redeeming features are not wearing the hoods up, not possessing a baseball cap and having an unexposed midriff.

Incidentally, exposed midriffs have been fashionable since the year dot.

A school friend had a couple of numbers run up by her mum, in attractive spotted material, consisting of tops, skirts and boleros which left the midriff bare (I should have loved one too, but my mother said "no").

In my opinion, men of all ages look better in jeans for leisure wear and manual work than in tatty, cast-off suit trousers.

Margaret Lawson,

Aldborough House,

The Groves, York.

Updated: 09:40 Friday, May 27, 2005