Opinions: Should mutton dress as lamb?

KATHY LETTE, writer: The schoolgirl fantasy has passed its amuse-by date. Having been one myself, I can reveal that the reality is not the budding breasted nubile nymph, but padded trainer bras and sheets smeared in acne lotion.

DAI LLEWELLYN, editor, Voila: A grandmother dressed like a schoolgirl would look a little grotesque, but there is no doubt that the odd girl dressed like a schoolgirl beyond her school years is sexy. It certainly gets the boys going.

MANDY SMITH, model: I wore my schoolgirl outfit, a dress with a little white T-shirt and over-the-knee socks, on television last night. It's silly to say it's paedophiliac fashion - I think it's great fashion, it is so pretty and comfortable. Older women who try to look very young look silly. I think there is a limit on how women should dress.

SEYMOUR SEGNIT, broadcaster: As long as the mutton stays honest about its muttony-ness, and isn't embarrassed. You've got to do it with style and panache, and if you're a bit old or fat you just have to do it with a bit more flair.

SALLY BRAMPTON, fashion writer: You'd look horrible if you wore school uniform if you were aged anything over 18, and you'd be certifiable if you wore it over the age of 35.

PAUL PENN-SIMKINS, historian: It could be most misleading - you think you're dating a 22-year-old only to discover she's 40. It could amount to a contravention of the trades descriptions act.

BARBARA WINDSOR, actress: I love 'em, so I'd say yes, why not. Terrific] I wore my school uniform till I was 18, I even wore it to work. I'd still wear uniforms now for a bit of camp.

STEWART LEE, comedian: Schoolgirl fashion is short skirts and bubblegum surliness - a total Proustian erotic throwback. But until catwalk models sport stick-on acne, wired-up teeth and an attitude problem alongside short skirts and popsocks they'll never get to the core of what makes schoolgirls attractive.

KATIE GEISER, 17, head girl, Durham School: No. People shouldn't be pushed into pretending to be something they're not. I think uniform's great, though. I love mine - it saves the hassle of getting up in the morning and wondering what you're going to wear. Some girls wear very short skirts, but the boys jeer at them.

MARK KRAY, sheep farmer: No amount of sauce is going to turn that mutton into a lamb. The best you could do would be to marinade it in a nice bottle of plonk and stuff in sprigs of thyme.