The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-18
MEN WHO WEAR CoRSETS.
CHARMING EMBROIDERED CREA-
TIONs OF PINK AND OTHER
HUES.
An Interview With n Maker-sOme
Customers Hope TO Heighten Their
Beauty-Others TO Improve Their
Health.

foiu A4VNutlls ADdL great center "a an
glo-saxon civilization. the news comes
that corset-making for men is an extern
sive industry there Men who need the
aid Of corsets to heighten their personal
attractions always have them made TO
order unlike the majority Of women.
II appears that there is a considerable
class Of men who are not AZ all ashamed
Of the practice of wearing corsets. 1t is
defensible on two grounds. one is that
they are an aid to elegance and beauty,
and the other that If properly made they
are beneficial to health by keeping a weak
frame erect, and giving the lungs and
other organs a better chance TO work.
The argument that the frightening Of
personal attractiveness in the male by
artificial means is a noble object soon
carries one into profound philosophical
discussion. When among the lower ami
mails the males are commonly the more
gay and beautiful, why should man, who
must necessarily resort 10 clothing, be
somber and unsightly? The desire 10 have
violating clothes is remnant of an
instinct which was strong in man. The
wearing Of corsets seems but a modest
development Of the instinct of self-adorn-
ment. Why should it be considered un-
=
ment for beauty in male attire is main
tained, the garments Of to-day must be
entirely discarded.
That mems corsets are often things of
beauty is proved by a London makers
statement that he had in hand one pair
of pink satin decorated with fluer-de-lis
and another of Nile-green satin adorned
with lotos flowers.
%
many Americans. especially New York
ers, wear corsets. but so great is the
tyranny Of public opinion in this coun-
try that they guard the secret as they
would no other. A man with an unusu-
ally well rounded figure, gracefully
broadening from the waist to the Shout
ders is always to be suspected of wear
ing corsets You have a good opportuH-
ity to detect them when he ascends
staircase, as they are apt TO impede up
ward progress.
In the German and Austrian armies
corsets are very frequently worn by Off
GERS. In their case it is certainly not
for hygientc reasons, because they are
most stout, straight backed fellows. Their
end Is purely the Tightening of their per-
sonal charms. and they attain it, at least
in the eyes of their countrywomen No
where is the primitive superiority of the
male so we'll maintained as by a young uni
formed German officer in the presence
of a few German maidens.
Budget recently had an interesting con-
versation with the most fashionable cor
set-maker for men in London. Here it
MANY men," said the corset-maker.
ARE sent to me by their medical adj
visers, and l have, in. fact, one medical
man himself among my customers. or
course. / attend to them personally 10
see that they have no trouble about the
fit of the corsets."
But those are not all your customers,
Mr.. Everett, are they? The handles who
wear stays to improve their figure are
much more amusing than the men who
are perfectly justified in wearing stays
as a support Tell me about the handles"
Il have some of the latter, as well,
though, let me tell you, it Is not at ALI
that any of the men for whom / work
are troublesome or fastidious, as the la
dies, about their stays. But they take
way They come here by appointment,
as rule, and the only sign that they want
the matter kept quiet is that they mark
their letters private. Some men don't
like coming here, and l arrange to go
to them. Now and again young gentle
men explains that he wants to improve
his figure. No even this sort of custo-
mer does not tight lace. l simply make
the corset fit. that is all.
What is the average width of mans
corset waist? Fifty, hundred, or there
abouts?"
mo, not quite that though measured
a fat clergyman the other day for a pair
| the waist. Clergymen are good customers
| of mine. A good many officers in the army
and navy get their corsets from me. I
! sent a pair to India only the other day.
! They were made of this material"
And from among the pretty patterns
! MIR. Everett drew one of lovely pink
| ish silk, embroidered with tiny French
| feur-de-lis-and held il up. Think of the
waste of loveliness! Out in his wild, an
| tidy bungalow, somewhere on the Indian
! hills or plains, H. MS warrior donning
! his pink silk fieur-de-lis embroidered
stays. 1t is disgusting. from the aes-
/ thetic as we'll as from the practical point
| of view! Another pair that had not yet
gone home to its owner was shown to me;
| white brocade with gooseberry green
floral pattern. 1t had shoulder straps,
was terribly heavy with steel and whale
| bone, and measured-twenty-one inches
/ around the waist.
THAT one tight-laces anyhow" 1 said.
ooh. no; he is very slight man. It Just
DO all these men who go in for stays
in a business-like, serious way choose
these lovely silks as part of the Serious
mo. most of them choose a very plain.
strong material of a simple color Gray
is most often used. and black now and
then. Black has the drawback that it
| marks the linen. A man wears his stays
! between his vest and hts shirt, so black is
not on the whole good color
And do they implore you to hide the
fact from the men, even from their own
| household, that you supply them with
StaySY
"Far from it, They do not want it
| published. but they are not in the least
nervous about keeping it secret from their
own people. Only the other day a. lady
came in here for whose husband I had
| made a pair of stays. He was 50 pleased
with their fit that ne sent his wife in
order that she might be measured for a
pair
Now Mr.. Everett. as to the price Is
it ruinous?" 10
MEMS stays are more expensive than
! WOmCn'S chiefly because there is mora
material in them. BUT I can supply a
| thoroughly good pair at S. and, as a rule
they are just $3.50 more than ordinary la
dies stays. OF course, l make for each
customer specially. 1t would never do to
| keep mems stays in stock"
DIMENSIONS OF THE UNIVERSE.