ONE high school has introduced a trousers only rule for girls after banning indecently short skirts.

Meanwhile, at another, girls have been forbidden to wear hipster trousers because they can be just as revealing.

The Ipswich school is thought to be the first in the country to ban skirts altogether and I must say I can't blame them. My eyes have been drawn to many pupils locally who dress in black tights with micro skirts barely skimming the gusset.

Whatever has happened to uniforms? They used to be exactly that -- all alike and available from specified shops. Now pupils are just adapting school colours to suit themselves, and looking all the worse for it. The answer must be to specify the precise style of garments which must be worn.

I asked two work experience students in the office what they thought of such prohibition and was told their school daren't impose short skirt bans or there'd be a riot -- by both girls and boys!

How times have changed. When I passed my 11-plus, my parents were sent a list of grammar school uniform must-haves only available at Danbys on Market Street, which weren't cheap -- and there was no help to buy them.

Even in the 'swinging sixties' we were forced to wear gymslips with white socks until the fourth year (year 10) and then progressed, hold your breathe, to knee-length pleated skirts.

And God help the followers of fashion who turned over their waistbands to shorten them into minis! We couldn't even turn the brim up on our hats without fearing detention.

Not everyone will appreciate the rulings but once again it's a case of everyone having to pay for the irresponsible actions of a few.

Still on a fashion note. TV vision of the month was Corrie's Jack Duckworth in bright orange cycling shorts. It was like looking in the mirror!