Skirting issue of dress code

I had to laugh at the story of call centre worker Joey Barge who had a novel solution to stuffy office dress codes. As Britain sweltered in its highest-ever June temperatures, Joey, 20, wore a smart pair of shorts to work. But his grumpy bosses sent him home to get changed even though his female colleagues were keeping cool in summery dresses, skirts and vest tops. To make his point, Joey, from Aylesbury, went back in a fetching pink and black frock he’d borrowed from his mum. This time his bosses let him stay and changed their policy to allow men to wear three-quarter length shorts. What I take from this little tale is – never underestimate the power of a great outfit. Looking at some of the antics taking place on Ladies’ Day at Ascot, I reckon it should be renamed Dipso Day. I guess the hot weather allows for a little relaxing of the rules, but when you see women lying face down in the grass or glugging Champagne straight from the bottle, maybe the time has come to crack the whip and stop horsing around.