"Oh God ...here comes this prat again". Inwardly sonant, the uncharitable thought forms in my mind whenever I see a certain local man who goes around everywhere wearing wooden clogs ...and trying to look as though it were the most natural thing in the world. They are an obvious nuisance to him, but as he clomps awkwardly and loudly around the aisles of Tesco you can see from his smug expression and his quick glances to see who's looking that he enjoys the attention more than he minds the inconvenience. I sometimes worry slightly that I may produce this same reaction. You see, I often wear a beret ...in fact I own three. To make matters worse I am addicted to ties, and wear them throughout the winter whenever I am going to be out of the house for any length of time. A tie, worn on any but a formal occasion, is regarded in modern England as rather undemocratic. I can see the who-does-he-think-he-is? looks that are directed towards me, particularly by young people. If you dress in anything other than the sad, shapeless uniform of Blair's Britain ...grubby trainers, jogging trousers and a "fleece" worn over a "top" ...you are assumed to be giving yourself airs. The trouble is that there has been a great sartorial shift in recent times. To me this is ordinary day-to-day costume, but most people would now consider such a get-up to be formal. At the same time true formal wear has almost disappeared and is worn only for court appearances. I have noticed, with some asperity, that it is not even de rigueur at weddings and funerals. Meanwhile, the kind of clothes that would once have been worn only for decorating, or changing your engine oil, have become normal street wear. As for headgear, well, one's options are few these days unless one is content to be seen wearing a baseball cap. Berets are seldom seen today but were quite common when I was a boy ...I think because men had become accustomed to them during wartime army service. A beret is a rare form of hat, and all hats have become unusual. This doubly rare form of headgear is therefore bound to attract attention. Yet I hope I may claim to wear berets simply because I like them, not, as in the case of our clog-wearing friend, as an ostentatious affectation. Photo taken by Mrs B at The Book Barn, Bristol's huge secondhand book warehouse, now closed. Beware of buying jackets at H&M. I have two and the sleeves are too long on both.

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 6, 2010) Senior Chief Information Systems Technician Justin L. Pendergraph, from Olathe, Kan., inspects Information Systems Technician 1st Class Nicole M. Trone, from Somerset, Mass., during a uniform inspection aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48). Ashland is part of the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo, by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky/Released)