Q. My wife and I have had a number of
people to stay at our seaside house this summer. We are writers and since most of our friends are what would be called ‘arty types’ we are usually a very relaxed party. Nevertheless I still feel ill at ease when hosting breakfast in pyjamas, which is usually the case, because of the insecure aperture of the traditional pyjama trouser. Should one inadvertently give offence, what is the correct apology? How do other men manage to keep the aperture from gaping when in mixed company?
C.B., Aldeburgh, Suffolk A. It is almost impossible for a pyjamawearer to avoid giving offence when helping guests with breakfast, stretching up to get things off the top of dressers, or squatting down to load croissants into the bottom oven of an Aga. The solution is not to wear men’s pyjamas but to purchase women’s pyjamas in extra-large size. In this way the male wearer has an elasticated waist which allows easy manual access to the area in question when nature calls, and allows free movement about a kitchen without any danger of unintended exhibitionism. The Toast catalogue does a good pair in a manly pattern.
Previous page