REUTUERS UK REPORTED THIS WEEK

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The question asked by Reuters was “Teen-age boys, are you tired of embarrassing questions about when you last changed underwear?” As Japan’s space scientists may have just the answer — a line of odour-free underwear and casual clothing.

Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese astronaut to live on the International Space Station, is testing the clothes, called J-ware and created by textile experts at Japan Women’s University in Tokyo.   “He can wear his trunks (underwear) more than a week,” Schultz comment “OH NICE” said Koji Yanagawa, an official with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Wakata’s clothes, developed by researcher Yoshiko Taya, are designed to kill bacteria, absorb water, insulate the body and dry quickly. They also are flame-resistant and anti-static, not to mention comfortable and stylish.  Well they need to be if you wear them for a week!

Japanese astronaut Takao Doi gave the clothes a trial run during a shuttle mission last year. Even after a vigorous workout, Doi’s clothes stayed dry.   “The other astronauts become very sweaty, but he doesn’t have any sweat. He didn’t need to hang his clothes to dry,” Yanagawa said.

J-ware should reduce the amount of clothing that needs to be sent to the space station, which has no laundry facilities. Toting cargo into orbit is expensive, so having clothes that stay fresh for weeks at a time should result in significant savings.   The Japanese space agency plans to make the clothes available to NASA and its other space station partners once development is complete. A commercial line also is in the offing.

Taya also is working with clothing manufacturers Toray Industries and Goldwin. on clothes that have a microscopically thin chemical layer in the materials.  Wakata, who arrived at the station last week for a three-month stay, said on Sunday that the clothes appear to be working.  “Nobody has complained, so I think it’s so far, so good,” Wakata said.

So it is something different and can’t wait for the results - is it nearly April the 1st are they a bit premature with the joke?  Apparently not!

Coleen is back with her fashion makeover show that puts real women in the limelight. Today she is looking for a real woman to model for an H. Samuel diamonds campaign.Coleen is back on the television plucking unknown would be models from the suburbs and putting them forward to represent well known high street brands.  The first episode saw Coleen hitting the streets up north casting in Manchester, with over 5000 applications on line she selected just 60 “real women.

The video is available on ITV.com on Coleen’s real women but only for one month and counting down.

The Real Women go weak at their knees and who can blame them as Mr Cowie is one lovely looking hunky man.  The Real Women are made up, dressed up and even the odd hair cut!  The photo shoot is romantic and has the back drop of a steam train.

But if you miss the video as it has gone hope you enjoy these bits of Mr Cowie and he is not wearing many clothes so it is a bonus.

Can’t see his face but trust me it is Mr Cowie