u/not_who_you_think_99

I see the Ketl Vent pants have been mentioned quite a few times.

If someone who owns a pair is reading this, could you please be so kind to measure the actual width of the pants, if you lay them flat?

I ask because size charts tend to be all over the place, and Ketl's size chart would suggest two very different sizes based on waist vs based on hips.

And because, not living in the US, returns would be a nightmare. I'd normally not bother for a pair of pants / trousers, but it's not easy to find some which are as ventilated.

I'd be interested in seeing the actual size of the L or XL, men pants.

If you have another model, not the Vent, that would be useful, too. Even if it's a non-elasticated model, I can compare it to another non-elasticated I have.

Thanks!

I would rather avoid getting into too much detail, but, keeping it generic, I have the chance to make an internal transfer into another division of the same firm.

The job would be very very similar, so current bosses and team would see it as a betrayal.

It's the usual turf war in which, right now, there is some overlap between the two divisions but, realistically, sooner or later the message will come from the very top that only one of the two will be allowed to do what now overlaps. So we are in for a Darwinian fight over the next couple of years.

I was wondering if anyone has been through anything similar, and has any advice to offer:

• since it's the same firm, the non-compete doesn't apply
• I will want to make sure that the contract amendment makes it clear that I keep working for the same firm, that the (few) protections which kick in after 2 years remain in place, etc
• Any material I created (reports, code, etc) in theory belongs to the firm, not to my old division. In practice, I suspect my old division can still find ways to deny me access. Unless I email stuff to myself? I mean to my corporate email, not private one, of course
• I don't think there is too much to be said or done with my current team: I will tell them, they will hate it, but they will suck it up. After that, I will realistically not see them nor talk to them much
• It is possibly trickier to manage the communication with external counterparties: why did you move, what does this mean, etc

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

My partner has been due a tax refund for over 18 months. The tax return was filed with an accountant, and even the accountant is shocked that the refund is taking so long.

We are at our wit's end.

What are our options?

HMRC is uncontactable - by comparison they make Ryanair seem like an ethical company that cares about its customers.

The only thing that comes to mind is try to adjust the tax code, as if my partner were making additional pension contributions not via salary sacrifice.

Is our understanding below correct:

• she is a higher rate taxpayer - a salaried employee, not a business owner
• the refund due is ca. £ 1,500
• if she claims she contributes £ 6,000 into a pension (not salary sacrifice), then the pension provider would add £ 1,500 tax relief into the pension, and she can claim an extra £1,500 tax relief
• adjusting the tax code means the tax she pays every month on her salary is reduced, so that she pays £1,500 less tax in the year
• after the end of the year, she files a self-assessment, which will show she has underpaid tax by £1,500, but that will offset the £1,500 which HMRC owes her

Is this correct?

Also, is there a way to escalate a complaint?? To demand interest? Isn't there a maximum timeline by which HMRC should process these refunds?

UPDATE: I say they are uncontactable because, in practice, they are. We have tried calling them loads of times, at all hours, but never managed to get through. If you have been luckier than us, good for you. Just don't assume we haven't tried!

I think there is a lot of confusion, when discussing fabrics and performance in the heat, between breathability and wicking performance.

Cotton is often praised for summer use as a natural, breathable, fabric, but it is not wicking at all - it absorbs moisture rather than wicking it away.

How a fabric feels on your skin is subjective.

The mechanical and physical properties of the various fabrics are not - there is a reason why no professional athlete ever wears cotton!

So my question is: we all know that polyester wicks moisture away, but what makes it breathable? Why do some polyester garments feel clammy while others don't?

Is it to do with the weight of the fabrics?

The structure? Knitted vs woven? With whether they have a mesh-like structure? Eg some UnderArmour t-shirts have an almost see-through structure which allows airflow, while other polyester t-shirts seem to block all airflow.

I am based in the UK (won't order shorts from another continent).

I am looking for:

• men shorts, above the knee
• in lightweight, technical fabric (no cotton)
• clean look (no cargo pockets, no Indiana Jones nor tradesman look)
• tapered legs

I don't mean skinny heroin addict look, I mean normally tapered legs.

However, all the shorts I am finding have crazy loose legs. I could put on 15 ksg /33 lbs and the legs would still be loose.

The only options I can think of are:

• convertible, zip-off trousers, or
• have some ordinary, long trousers altered and shortened to the desired length

Any suggestions for shorts with tapered legs? I can't be the only one who doesn't like the elephant-leg look.

I have been to sports stores (cheaper ones like Decathlon and pricier ones like Snow and Rock) and golf stores (good for getting the technical fabrics while avoiding the Indiana Jones look). UnderArmour does a golf tapered shorts which are a bit better but still much, much looser than zip off trousers.

PS I'd say I have a normal, average build. I am not abnormally skinny. In fact, I have cyclist calves and some skinny long trousers are too tight on the calves for me (obviously calves not an issue with shorts)

I am based in the UK (won't order shorts from another continent).

I am looking for:

• men shorts, above the knee
• in lightweight, technical fabric (no cotton)
• clean look (no cargo pockets, no Indiana Jones nor tradesman look)
• tapered legs

I don't mean skinny heroin addict look, I mean normally tapered legs.

However, all the shorts I am finding have crazy loose legs. I could put on 15 ksg /33 lbs and the legs would still be loose.

The only options I can think of are:

• convertible, zip-off trousers, or
• have some ordinary, long trousers altered and shortened to the desired length

Any suggestions for shorts with tapered legs? I can't be the only one who doesn't like the elephant-leg look.

I have been to sports stores (cheaper ones like Decathlon and pricier ones like Snow and Rock) and golf stores (good for getting the technical fabrics while avoiding the Indiana Jones look). UnderArmour does a golf tapered shorts which are a bit better but still much, much looser than zip off trousers.

PS I'd say I have a normal, average build. I am not abnormally skinny. In fact, I have cyclist calves and some skinny long trousers are too tight on the calves for me (obviously calves not an issue with shorts)