Sir, The Lord Chief Justice has announced (report, July 13) that from January 1, 2008, judges will no longer wear wigs, wing collars and bands when sitting in open court in civil and family proceedings. It is expected that advocates will adopt a similar dress code to that of the judge.
Does it follow that, in the best traditions of the legal profession, the men will be adopting a form of dress – the tie – just as it is going out of fashion elsewhere. Or will we be open-necked in open court?
TONY HARROP-GRIFFITHS, London WC1
Sir, Before Jon Snow finally unscews the tie rack from inside his wardrobe (times2, July 10), it is worth remembering that right up until the 1970s, the correct way for boy or man to wear an open-necked shirt was to position its collar above the collar of his jacket, in a perfect semicircle.
Whenever I now see somebody on television with tie-less shirt beneath his jacket collar, it looks wrong.
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GODFREY HOLMES, Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Sir, Did James Landale have any advice for Matthew Parris (comment, July 5) about wearing a shirt with a suit but without the tie which the collar was designed to accompany – with shoes of any colour?
ROGER BLOXHAM, Saxmundham, Suffolk
Sir, Perhaps James Landale has not travelled to Spain and Italy where it is quite usual to observe men in smart business attire wearing brown shoes.
WILFRID LEGG, Paris