Not just fashion stylists shop in the men’s department for women’s basics (Mind the gap, G2, 20 Janaury). Some of us have known for a long time that women’s clothes are made from flimsy and substandard fabric that couldn’t ward off a summer breeze, whereas men’s clothes from the same shop are often better designed, better constructed and guaranteed to keep out the cold. When it comes to women’s jeans, the pockets can just about cope with a miniature handkerchief and a 20p piece. Coats aren’t much better with a total absence of zips on those silly little pockets, meaning that your keys and phone are liable to end up going awol. And don’t get me started on three quarter length sleeves and open-fronted knitwear. All this saves money for the manufacturer who doesn’t have to bother about zips, buttons, extra yarn and fabric, while women pay through the nose for rubbish that will need to be replaced far sooner than the clothes worn by men. None of this would matter too much if women’s clothes were cheaper, but they aren’t. Its time we stopped putting up with this blatant rip off.
Michelle Gibson
Cambridge
