WOMEN across York will be swooning over Brad Pitt's knees tonight. The heartthrob displays his lower extremities throughout the $200 million Hollywood epic Troy.

This, Brad confidently forecast in the Evening Press last week, will cause a fashion revolution. "Men will be wearing skirts by next summer - this is my prediction and proclamation."

Unconvinced, the Diary decided to canvass the views of the experts: men who defy convention and already wear skirts.

First up is Bill Embleton, jovial host at the Punch Bowl, Stonegate. The Kilmarnock supporting landlord wears the Scottish skirt at the drop of a sporran - a kilt in McDonald tartan.

"I haven't tried a skirt, I have tried a kilt," Bill insists. "It's a different thing. Skirts are for women."

Since he was a wee bairn he has worn a kilt on Burns Night, at family get-togethers and while watching the Scotland rugby team in their valiant defeats by the English.

"I really enjoy wearing it," confessed the man who dresses as Braveheart William Wallace on charity fundraising days. "It's really, really comfortable."

Underneath, you must wear "what you were born with and that's it".

Would he mind if male Brad Pitt admirers started wearing skirts to the Punch Bowl?

"I don't think you would get many men in York wearing skirts. I don't see many David Beckhams around here."

Our next call was to the Rev John Manchester, Vicar of St Mary's Priory, Old Malton, who always looks fetching in his clergyman's frock.

"We don't wear skirts, we wear cassocks," he admonishes. "It's our ecclesiastical uniform. We wear trousers underneath, for a start."

Sounds a bit stifling in the hot weather. "Some people wear shorts." Is he one of them? "No I am not!"

Mr Manchester has just returned from a two-week jaunt to Troy which he thoroughly enjoyed. Even so, he cannot see the male skirt catching on again - in or outside the Church.

Finally, we checked in with Mike Bennett, of the Richard III Museum, Monk Bar. He dons a skirt when he portrays the crooked king.

"I wear a tabard and tights," corrects Mike. "It's more like a smock dress.

"I can't say I'd wear it in any other context; it comes with the job.

"But in terms of comfort, you couldn't really go wrong."

Why not market Richard III outfits? "We did have a look at selling codpieces, boxed," he revealed. "But they were too expensive."

STILL with ancient Troy, Lesley Jefferis is in touch.

"I was interested to see your reference to the film Helen Of Troy in Tuesday's Diary as I had just been regaling my colleagues in York Library with my memories of this film," she writes.

"I was seven when I saw it in 1955 and it made a lasting impression on me. I particularly recall a fetching outfit worn by the actor who played Paris - a tiny turquoise skirt with matching underpants.

"My small chums and I amused ourselves for weeks by re-enacting his touching death scene with Helen.

"The film inspired me with a life-long interest in ancient history (or should that be men in skirts?) and I even named my daughter Helen. In fact the Fifties was one long feast of Roman, Greek and Biblical epics - Quo Vadis, Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, Spartacus etc.

"I can't wait to see the new film, though it's not Brad Pitt I want to see in a skirt, it's Orlando Bloom. He was pretty tasty as an elf, too!

"And there's another swords and sandals extravaganza coming soon, Alexander. My cup runneth over."

THIS Troy special has left no room for our final despatch from the Psychic Experience museum. Find out how we explored our auras next week. If you can wait.

Updated: 10:51 Friday, May 21, 2004