The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-05-30
MEN WHO WEAR CORSETS


EIoN PAPER lNTIMATEs.
and German military O6scsrs
Wear Corssts-Ths Sorts Of Men Whs
Resort To Bracing Of This Kind-rhrss
Glasses Of Wssrsrs.
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 m
American interviewer, and only American
men of fashion were accused OF having q
weakness for this feminine necessity. The
fact 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 IL,
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 i'm number, and known only to q
few, who keep this knowledge to them
selves. A stranger therefore, has to rely
entirely upon hfs own resources. A well
known manufacturer of corsets on Broad
way was recently visited by dapper lit
tie Englishman who was only about five
feet TAN, and he carried cane, and wore
q high sink hat, a surprisingly tall collar,
a red necktie and a pair Of white leg
gings. He was not shy about his needs,
as an American would be, but mincing up
to pretty young saleswoman, said:
"Can get a corset here'
"For your sister''
"Nor' exclaimed the young fellow, lift
ing his eyebrows in surprise; "for my
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 1t was
not he was only astonished. He spoke to
the manager, and was informed In a 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 onei" he asked.
mo, 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 hold
customer when he gets him. In this
country men like to appear masculine, IL
they have anything manly about them. A
clerk must not smile when he Is artlessly
told by a customer that he wants to order
a 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 IN 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 IL 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
corsets-those who wear them for their
health or physical comfort, the idiots who
wear them with the idea that it improves
their shape, and the dudes that wear them
so that their coats will set upon their
backs without a wrinkle. The first are
70 ha
expression of 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 50 slim
that their waists any way could be
spanned with the hands, but this is not
considered, and they wear corsets that are
drawn so tight that they look like sau-
sage with a string tied around the middle.
The men who wear corsets for the sake of
their tailors are usually of that contempt
ible class known as Washers.
When man begins wearing corsets it
is hard TO tell where he will stop. II he
begins careful inspection of his person
he is apt to grow very dissatisfied with
the handiwork OF nature, and attempt, in
his clumsy way, to improve upon her.
He will end, probably. in making himself
look like freak or a monstrosity Of
some kind. Many man of good shape
has begun in a simple way TO improve
himself in the matter Of physique and
ended in becoming a monomaniac on the
subject. A well known tailor not far
from the Hotel Brunswick said that he
had never seen corset on any OF his
customers, but he knew very well that
several of them wore this article. Corsets
are not known by this name among the
men who wear them or by the manufact-
urers. The masculine corset is called the
compressor" or the ''patent elastic sup
porter" Military men are fond of corsets,
it is said, and many Of the regimental
swells consider one of these articles q
necessary adjunct To their wardrobe.
Many of the corsets worn by men are
made in Germany, where they are In great
favor among the officers of the German
army. A great deal of trouble is taken
by some Of the men to have their corsets
made in rich and fowery designs. Some
are made of brightly colored silks and
trimmed with rich lace A woman ia
more apt TO learn whether q man wears q
corset than one of his own sex. Especially
Is this the case when the man Is waltzing.