The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1889-03-08

loose coats, with the legs bare. The
use of small clothes came IN with com
plete armor When men began to
clothe themselves in full suits of mail
it became necessary to wear closely fit
ting garment of soft leather to prevent
the skin from being chafed by the met
al casing. In this way an under cloth
ing of leather carefully fitted to the
body originated aud it was worn after
the a-mor was removed. Long stock
ings or tights and gloves thus came in
to use. These garments were first cut
and sewed into shape, but finally they
were knitted or woven into the form OF
the limbs they were to cover. These
small clothes displaying the human
figure became so popular that they re-
mained in favor for a great period of
time, and to this day sculptors and ar
fists lament that 90 picturesque Il cos
tune has given way to the present style.
The question now comes up again ::
Shall knee breeches and long stockings
for men to be revived9 Oscar Wilde
first became the apostle of the revival.
He travelled through the United States
y few years ago to show himself in
what is now known as 'court costume"
because it is still the dress of ceremony
in some European countries. The
stockings and breeches necessitate
large baggy coats and long hair, or pc
rukes stimulate it. 1t is said that some
Of the young men who are attempting
this revival in New York were driven
to it by their lady friends, who were
constantly raving about the legs of the
tenor in the opera, while others declar-
ed change to be necessary, because
they had been mistaken at balls for
walters and footmen, who we're dressed
in conventional claw hammer coats
and white neckties. Some of the gild-
ed youth might be honored by such
mistakes, but then it is much a matter
of individual taste.
The dress for men, of the time OF
Louis XIV, of France, and Charles III,
of England, was extremely brilliant.
The gayest colors and the richest stuffs
and such profusion of gold lace were
in use that men were as gorgeous as
peacocks and entirely outshone the
ladies. Men in sober black vastly en-
hance the brilliance and beauty of fem
inine apparel when contrasted together
IN ballroom, but man is coxcOml
by nature, and when permitted, moth.
ing delights him more than to array
himself in guady uniforms or gorgeou:
regalia and parade the streets. 1t will
therefore not do to permit the dudes tt
dress in colored velvets and satins.-
These should be reserved for the fail
ones.
| There is another consideration which
comes up here. This is a fast age
dominated by steam and electricity
Men who have to catch early trains ol
must dress in great hurry to get of
to their daily business, have no time
for coaxing their legs into long stock
ings. One may imagine the delicate
caressing manner with which woman
will don her hose and gloves and ling
er with pleasure over the fancy, but ,
man finds far more dispatch in thrust
ing his bony shanks into the bifurca
tions of pair of trousers, and thi.
practical view of the subject will g
far towards preventing change of Gus
tom in the premises.
1t has been claimed that the spinGl,
legs of the dude will make poor show
but the skill with which the defects o
nature may be remedied by padding
removes all concern on that score
Anybody's lank and slab sided anatom,
may be converted into the graceful pro
portions Of an Apollo or the muscular
majesty of Hercules with buckle
of ordinary sawdust. 1t only require
a little art to make the external show
but the real true man is something diff
ferent. To him it makes little differ
ence whether there be breeches or pan
taloons.-N o. Picayune.