The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-03
THE MASCULINE COSTUME.
Habiliments That Are Inconrenient, Un-
physiological and Absurd.
Miss swisshelm Ia the Chicago Tribune


| Miss swisshem Id the Chicago Tribuns.l
Fashion never invented more un-
physiological garment than that which,
for a quarter Of a century, has been the
distinguishing glory. Of the wiser sex.
Tens Of thousands of men suffer from
wearing 1t agoniss quite as acute as any
that women infiiet upon themselves by
their suicidal dress, and 1t is probable
that doctors know the cause or aggra-
walton OF their trouble, just as they
know the cause Of the ailments of wo.
men, and feel that the patient would
endure any amount OF suffering, and
death itself. rather than wear unfash-
ionable garments.
| We have much talk Of the ineonveni-
ence OF ''pullbaeks," but who ever saw
a man lift anything from the ground
without taking both hands to draw up
his pantaloons, so as to make room for
the bend Of his knees, and feeling that
he risked his suspender buttons, and &C
commodated his motions to the fear OF
losing them? Day by day our most
sensible men get into, garments which
Interfere with motion to any but an up
right position, quite 80 much as the
most ultra "pullbaek" worn by the
silliest butterfly OF fashion. They
also distort the outlines Of their
| figure quite az much as do wo-
men. Suppose one Of them were
made with lower limbs Of cylindrical
form How would he feel about itf
How would he use a pair OF legs as thick
at the ankle as above the knees2 Yet
this Is the shape they all make them
selves. They also put on long boots
and pantaloons over them -thus con-
around the body. and keeping 1t in 3
foul vapor path. There is no more ap-
propriate covering for mans foot and
leg than cavalry boot: but ii should
be worn with knee breeches and the
top fastened up to the belt. Pantaloons
and long boots are not made to go to-
gether; and the pantaloon, in any case,
Is an awkward continuance, always flop
ping around the ankle, impeding loco
motion and catching dirt.
Next, consider the physiological prop
critics of modern shirt, which covers
the chest with slab Of linen as imper-
vious to light and air as marble head
stonel Consider the neck band, which
must not lack more than the sixteenth
Of an inch Of strangling the wearer. and
must be as hard and solid as the brass
collars worn by our Saxon forefathers in
the British Isles as o token Of their sub
lection to their lords, just as their sons
now. wear their counterpart In evidence
OF their bondage to their French dieta-
tors Think Of the wristbands. which
more resemble handouts than dress .
and the paper or linen collars, with
their poison dressings, to which sensible
men have sacrificed their lives.
Look ut the buckram pads used to
give the appearance OF unnatural
breadth to the shoulders, which project
| like the roof of an overshot barn. and
leave the sleeve hanging by the caves,
giving painful impression of insecurity
or invisible brackets to support that
particular architectural designl The
amount and quality Of buohram mason
~ to keep up this false appearance must
be very injurious to the muscles of the
cloth worked into q collar aids in the
facilitating process.
| Why should q mans shoulders. and
chest, and neck, be shingled any more
than q woman g waist weatherboarded
In both cases that inflexibility ia sacri-
feed to false and spurious taste. The
idea suggested is that OF a mixture, and
women are sad earicatures Of humanity.
Women bear their bondage more east
ly than men, for one never sees a woman
in public try to relieve the pressure on
her poor. pinched sides, but one seldom
talks ten minutes with man without
seeing him run his fingers around be-
tween his pinched neck and infiexible
collar Of servitude. The muscles are
always demanding room to expand and
| contract-always want space in which
to move-and this Fashion does not
allow. The man tries to relieve the
| cramped muscle, but must obey Fash
ion, and SO is idgety, and Eshows his
discomfort.
| But the most absurd part OF mans
attire Is his head gear-the unaccounta-
BILE things he wears on the tip OF his
head, alike in prairie storm or an over
heated railroad car. The badness OF
| about one. third at forty does not teach
them anything. They go on sacrificing
hair and head to hat; and shiny, stiff,
air-tight steeple on his Uranium is the
browning glory of a mans life.
Take 1t all in all, cannot see that
women would gain anything by adopt
ing masculine costume, and think the
brethren may be at ease in their pos
sessions. Even Mary Walker declines
its adoption, and no other woman is
likely to dispute with such prize.
THE HYGIENE OF THE VOICE.