Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-01
MEN WHO WEAR CORSETS
NOT ALL AMERICANS, AS A FOR
ElGN PAPER INTIMATES,

Englishmen and German Military Officers
Wear Corsets-The Sorts of Men Who
Resort to Bracing of This Kind-Three
Glasses OF Wearers.
An English newspaper recently pub
lished long article on the subject of stays
or corsets for men. The little information
the article contained was credited to an
American interviewer, and only American
men of fashion were accused of having q
weakness for this feminine necessity. The
TACT that many men wear corsets has been
known for some time, but the statement
that the habit is confined to Americans is
entirely new and utterly false 1t is and
always has been difficult to get any posi-
tive information on this subject from the
persons who make the corsets or the men
who wear them. The former are reticent
from business point of view, while the
latter vehemently deny that they wear
stays because they are ashamed Of it,
which is to their credit. There is large
business done in this line, not only in this
city, but in many foreign cities.
ENGLIsHMEN WEAR THEM
Many Englishmen wear corsets, and
these gentlemen suffer more inconveni-
ence from this source, where they are far
from home, than from any other. The
places where men can buy corsets are
limited in number, and known only to q
few, who keep this knowledge to them
selves. A stranger, therefore, has to rely
entirely upon his own resources A well
known manufacturer Of corsets on Broad
way was recently visited by a dapper lit
tie Englishman who was only about five
feet tah, and he carried cane, and wore
a high SILK hat, surprisingly tall collar,
n red necktie and pair of white leg
gings. He was not shy about his needs,
as an American would be, but mincing up
to a pretty young saleswoman, said:
"Can get a corset here"
'For your sister,"
"No" exclaimed the young fellow, lift
ing his eyebrows in surprise; for N.Y.
SELF
''You will please" said the young wo-
man, drawing herself up until she looked
seven feet tall, mot attempt to joke with
me. You will find the bookkeeper in the
Office
The poor little dude would have been
panied if it were possible, but as it was
not he was only astonished He spoke to
the manager, and was informed in frigid
manner by that gentleman that the firm
had not yet found enough idiots in this
country to make it worth their while to
construct corsets with the front the same
shape as the back
well, can't you make one?' he asked
"No, sir, we cannot, and that settles
it."
The firms that make corsets for men
have only one difficulty. 1t is that of pro-
curing clerk with tact enough to Lold
customer when he gets him In this
country men like to appear masculine, if
they have anything manly about them. A
clerk must not smile when he is artlessly
told by customer that he wants to order
n corset for friend who Is precisely the
customers shape and size, and who is too
modest or too much engrossed in business
to attend to the matter himself. Some
times the friend in the background is de-
scribed as being an invalid and in need Of
the corset to hold him together when he
coughs. None of these statements de-
ceive the clerk, but he goes to work at
the order just as if he believed the Gus.
toner, frequently making pathetic in
Quiries regarding the precise physical con-
dition of the ailing friend.
THREE CLASSES OF wEARERs.
There are three classes of men who wear |
who wear them for their |
health or physical comfort, the idiots who |
wear them with the idea that 1, improve, |
their shape, and the dudes that wear thera
so that their coats will set upon their |
backs without . wrinkle. The first ara /
usually very corpulent men, 70 use the
expression Of a fashionable tailor. would
wabble too much without them. The
second sort are the simple minded fellows
who believe that slim waist causes the
breast to bulge out, and that this, with
pronounced hips, indicates SURPRISING
strength. Some Of these men are so slim
that their waists any way could be
SPAWNED with the hands. but this is not
considered. and they wear corsets that are
irawn so tight that they look like a sau-
sage with string tied around the middle.
he man who wear corSotS for tire eak> - |