update: jumpers around waists

the clothes line

There are many great mysteries to life in the mid-Nineties, and none so strange as the latest fad to hit twentysomething women. This is a fad much ingrained into the wardrobe of every girl from John O'Groats to Land's End but is little understood by men.

It is the art of tying a jumper around one's waist.

A recent conversation with a male colleague revealed this deep vein of confusion, "Why," he asked, "do they do it? Everywhere I look, perfectly nice outfits are being spoiled." At that moment I stood up to reveal that I was one of the culprits, and had a little cardi strategically placed to hold up my baggy trousers.

This seemed to solidify his theory that some of us girls are "losing it" when it comes to dressing.

Well, this is most certainly not the case. There are many valid reasons as to why this is done, and all of them are perfectly logical.

The first relates to girly prudishness: see-through skirts and vpl are hidden successfully beneath a jumper.

The second is backlash from our schooldays. Nasty polyester-mix V-necks were the bane of many a schoolgirl's life, and though the jumper was compulsory, the rules could be bent if it was worn somewhere on the body - usually around the waist or shoulders.

Last, and perhaps most important, a jumper slung round your waist makes it possible to wear tight trousers, without the fear of unwanted scrutiny of your derriere.