Dear Mary… | 22 April 2006

Q. I work in a City office, staffed mainly by young, trendy middle-class males, most of whom like to sport the silly fashion of trousers almost dropping off, exposing vast expanses of undergarments, in some cases almost bare buttocks! We girls don’t have a problem with this, but are disgusted by one young man who is obviously wearing the same underpants for several days, in fact almost two weeks — not a pretty sight. How do we politely approach him with a view to suggesting he become more hygienic with his personal grooming?
S.J., London NW2

A. One of you should send a round-robin email. ‘Lost within the office, an unopened packet of Calvin Klein Anime woven black-and-white boxer shorts bought as a present and mislaid somewhere in the building. Has anyone seen them?’ Later the sender can stroll past the offender’s desk and casually inquire, ‘Did you see my email? — Not that they’d be any use to you.