Time to do away with outdated dress codes

SIR – Kim Campbell, the first female prime minister of Canada, has said that wearing sleeveless outfits, often while sat next to men in suits, undermines the “credibility and gravitas” of female newsreaders (report, February 15).

This may well be true, and it is indeed often the case that female anchors dress less formally than their male counterparts. The answer is not, however, to force women to dress less comfortably.

We should drop the ridiculous and outdated expectations that force male newsreaders to be trussed up in suits and ties, even in the middle of summer. Men, as well as women, should have the right to dress comfortably at work.

Steven Field

Wokingham, Berkshire