Never wear a cravat with brown shoes

‘Those unsuccessful interview candidates who have recently discovered that sporting brown shoes is regarded as being déclassé in the City should have perhaps first listened to the track Brown Shoes Don’t Make It by Frank Zappa,’ writes Tony Moon. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

Although I initially doubted the wisdom of Ed Balls accepting the invitation to appear on Strictly Come Dancing (‘I would drop Strictly like a shot’, 3 September, his representation of the death of New Labour through the medium of dance made for fabulous viewing.
Ian Grieve
Steyning, West Sussex

• Those unsuccessful interview candidates who have recently discovered that sporting brown shoes is regarded as being déclassé in the City (Report, 3 September) should have perhaps first listened to the track Brown Shoes Don’t Make It by Frank Zappa. The song was inspired by the revelation that President Lyndon Johnson made a similar error of judgment by wearing brown shoes with a grey suit while en route to a public relations event in Vietnam.
Tony Moon
Hove, East Sussex

• Many years ago a friend was told by an officer at Sandhurst: “Never wear a cravat. You’ll look like a bank clerk on holiday.”
Paul Gleave
Warrington

• The setter of the Quick Crossword of 30 August must be of a certain age. Clue: “Driver of float.” Solution: “Milkman.”
Wendy McMullan
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

• Only in the Guardian could the solution to the clue “food shop” be “deli” (Quick Crossword. 2 September).
Sarah and Jess Atkins
Thames Ditton, Surrey

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