Fashion visionary Dame Mary Quant passed away yesterday leaving a legacy in her wake.

As our readers will tell you, living through the war years and coming up during the swinging-sixties, the mini-skirt pioneer injected some needed fun into the fashion of the day, revolutionizing women’s dress and shaking up the establishment with her unique contribution to British fashion. Metro readers will surely miss her.

Speaking of shaking up the establishment, (Metro, Thurs) some readers are bemused to the reaction of television viewers who lambasted Channel 4’s program Naked Education.

After the furor, one Metro reader found it wasn’t sensationalist as they expected, pointing out how likely it is that young people have seen more nudity than that and well, if this is bad, what about porn?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Mary Quant brought fun and freedom to the youth

■ Iconic fashion designer Dame Mary Quant, who has died aged 93 (Metro, Fri), was born to parents hailing from Welsh mining families during the bleak days before World War II.

She was evacuated during the Blitz, got educated and lived through the tough years after the war.

Mary decided to live her life as she wanted. In an interview in 2012, she was asked whether she was ever surprised by how successful she had been.

‘I mostly felt, my God, what a marvelous life you had, you’re very fortunate,’ Mary said. ‘I think to myself, “You lucky woman – how did you have all this fun?”’

She didn’t let the greyness of the world in her early years infect her spirit, and she brought fun and freedom to the youth of those times.

Thank you, Mary. We’re desperately in need of your open spirit in this fearful, materialistic, money- and self-worshipping world. Bring back the real fun.
Muriel, Kingston upon Thames

■ Mary Quant was a visionary who understood the desires and practical needs of the people.
G Gordon-Wilkin, London

A poor (Naked) Education?

■ Reading the headline Naked Fury! (Metro, Thu) about the complaints generated by Channel 4 show in which adults strip in front of schoolchildren, I was expecting something outrageous.

Naked Education is described by host Anna Richardson as aiming to promote body positivity and ‘educate the nation’.

Rather than being outraged, I was left bemused at the hysterical pass-the-smelling-salts reaction of a 1,000-or-so individuals who objected to 14-year-olds looking at a naked person in the furtherance of education. The human body is nothing to be ashamed of, and I think it’s of educational value for children to not feel ashamed or anxious of their own bodies. Well done, Channel 4.
James, Ealing Common

■ Having watched Naked Education, it wasn’t in the least sensationalist. The young adults – not children – were clearly ill-informed regarding the average body type and also had issues with body image and the culture that pushes perfection.

I feel sure that the programme, the reality of the bodies exposed and the sensible discussion that took place helped to dispel some of the myths.

Could I suggest that, instead of getting angry at a programme, those who have complained should direct their anger at a society where it’s possible for children to have easy access to the pornography that leads to all this misunderstanding? All the young adults admitted to having seen such pornography between the ages of 12 and 15 years of age.
Colin Hayward, London

Caring profession ≠ poor pay

■ Sad to read the predictable but unfair comments by James and Vicki (MetroTalk, Thu) about striking junior doctors, who are not only underpaid but leave university owing tens of thousands.

Vicki says by going on strike, they show themselves to be uncaring. This is offensive as well as wrong.

Being in a caring profession does not mean you should not be paid properly. It angers me to see colleagues not being treated with the respect they deserve.
30 Years A Nurse In The Nhs, London

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