The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-02
MISS BENEFITS FAC.

Why She Wears Mans Coat and Vest
and High Collar.
Miss Johnstone Bennett. the clever
young actress at the head Of Charles
Frohman's Madison Square road COM
pany, possesses a strong peculiarly that
almost borders upon eccentrieity. Al
though IN profession that keeps her
constantly before the public and COM
pels her to be self-reliant to an unusual
degree for a woman, she nevertheless
keeps tight grasp upon femininity-
except in one respect The young
woman who has met with so much sue
cess in the farcical character sketch.
Jane" has this weekness-she viii
wear a mans coat and vest, and its &C
compauying neck dress, high collar
and four-in-hand tie. 1t is no mere
passing notion, either. Look at any of
the photographs she has had taken dur
ing the last FIVE years, and you will find
the stand-up collar and all that goes
with it. Miss Bennett tells in the Chi
cago Tribune how it all came about in
this wise:
81 never could get woman's fun
merry of ribbons and laces to look well
about nv neck and shoulders, so
sought relief in mans high collar and a
four-in-hand scarf. To NE there was
dressiness ia masculine neckwear that
feminine bownots and whatnots could
not approach l am credited with be-
ing the first woman to start the fad,
but l was not conscious how far had
gone until / next adopted the coat and
vest of the liege lords. There paused,
and since that time have rested in nv
so-called dress revolution Except for
the extreme comfort and artistic effect
that | realized in my vests and cut
Always l would have discarded them and
returned to the conventional straight
jacket styles with which / was afflicted
before. The storm. that fashions vo-
taries raised about my ears, after my
debut in vest array, took every form of
misconstruction, but trusted to time
to set me Alright. knew that women,
as a rule, are like sheep-ready to fol-
low every drift CT the fashions tide
without the thought of the consequences
to themselves. / knew, again, that
there were women who would, in the
mad race after some new style, scram-
BILE and scratch to get to the front and
lead the pellmell in a new chase after
another craze in another direction.
These We're my convictions, and !
have had the satisfaction of knowing
that they were repeatedly upheld in the
interval. Why, look at the latest thing
my sex are guilty of mean this APP
preparation of a poor mans saspenders.
To me it is the ugliest idea possible and
totally at variance with the graceful
curves and folds of the natty vest and
coat. The only alarm that the absurd
suspenders now occasion to me as that
the men will take to wearing supporta-
bles in the same way. But l feel that
the length of the average mans coat
tails will be preventive against the in
PRODUCTION TO the public eye of MS prop
erly concealed braces.
Nothing was further from my mind
than the sensation which my departure
in costume created. l had consulted my
own tastes in the matter, and, being
well contented with the freedom In
movement that the new attire vouch-
safed me, braved the talk and have
quite survived. Perhaps had l been in
private life instead of an actress my
fad might not have been noticed, and,
being ignored, might have passed away
into oblivion, unwept and unsung. II
was unfortunate for fashions guiding
spirit that it remained for meek young
actress, then earning a salary of only
$50 week, to unwittingly steal a
march On it. While the whole business
has amused me all along haven't been
proud Of the distinction, especially
when the evolution has dragged forth
the anything but picturesque suspender
from its well-chosen obscurity."