ESPN suspended 'Pardon the Interruption' host Tony Kornheiser (left) for two weeks for disparaging remarks against 'SportsCenter' anchor Hannah Storm. (AP)

Just what is appropriate attire when you’re a woman over 40 — and part of your job is to look attractive, particularly to young male viewers?

In the age of the cougar, that question hit the mat again this week.

In this corner, Tony Kornheiser, curmudgeonly co-host of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption and self-described troll.

And in this corner, SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm, whose fashion sense leans toward the short and the tight.

After Kornheiser mocked one of Storm’s ensembles (red sweater, plaid mini-skirt and those red boots) — calling it a “horrifying, horrifying outfit” and referring to Storm as “a Holden Caulfield fantasy” — ESPN on Tuesday suspended him for two weeks.

Kornheiser’s defenders are saying it was yet another case of political correctness run amok.

Storm’s defenders say it’s customary for sportscasters to have a bit of an edge and, besides, at 47, Storm has an enviably trim figure.

“The outfits I’ve seen are of a conservative nature — just a bit shorter than most women are able to wear,” says Susan Bigsby, a Boynton Beach-based certified image professional. “The boots balance the short skirts well and look current without being too trendy.”

But Heather Zeller, a regular viewer of SportsCenter and founder of AGlamSlam.com, a site that tackles issues at the intersection of sports and fashion, says Storm’s body-hugging outfits often detract from the sports highlights she’s presenting.

“I do think there are ways to show off her figure that are a little more tasteful than what she does at times,” Zeller says.

Kornheiser’s comments crossed the line for Zeller when he referred to Storm’s age. He said: “She’s got on red go-go boots and a Catholic-school plaid skirt. … Way too short for somebody in her 40s or maybe early 50s by now. She’s got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body.’

Says Zeller: “All women deserve to look and feel attractive at any age. But you still have to have a level of professionalism for the job. “

If Storm had swapped the red boots for black, or the plaid skirt for one in a solid color — or better yet, Zeller suggests, opted for a simple wrap dress — her look would be less come-hither, more consummate professional.

“There were too many loud pieces put together all at once, and I think that’s where the reaction came in.”

On the other hand, Storm reports for ESPN, whose target audience is young men, similar to cable channels who employ the so-called Money Honeys.

“I think (Storm) looks just as appropriate as some of the busty babes on the financial networks!” Bigsby says.

As for Kornheiser, he apologized on his radio show: “I’m a sarcastic, subversive guy. … I’m a troll, look at me. I have no right to insult what anybody looks like or what anybody wears. That, I think, should go without saying.”

Says Zeller, “He never filters what he says. He’s not getting paid by the Style network. … I think he should stick to what he knows, and that’s sports.”

As for the age-old question — what’s appropriate attire for women over 40? — we’ll undoubtedly revisit that debate soon enough.

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The Oscars — that Super Bowl of red carpet coverage — are a little more than a week away.

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