Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1907-03-15
MALE DRESS REFORM
iT is hOPEtESSLY HAMPERED BY The
STIFF WHITE SHIRT.

The Way This Garment Interferes
With Both Health and Comfort.
Some of the Absurdities of the Pres
ent Masculine Style of Attire.
The necessity by which men feel CO.
creed of proving to the world that they
wear white shirts lies at the basis of
oil the difficulties of the dress problem.
Until the garment becomes extinct
1t is hopeless to attempt the reform of
mems dress on the lines of health and
comfort.
1t will OF course ultimately disap-
pear, for it Is but the mark of a stage
in the evolution of dress, just as the
vermiform appendix is a useless evolu-
tionary remnant in the body. But the
question is whether we ought to await
the slow course of evolution or to use
our common sense and abandon the
ancient garment at once.
Why do we wear white shirts? Ages
ago it was only the wealthy who could
afford to clothe themselves in linen.
The possession of linen underwear was
tlen mark of social position, and
there was an obvious advantage in
making public display of it.
We may put down three-fourths of
the discomfort of the hot summer to
the account of the starched shirt. II
prevents the very process devised by
nature to keep the body cool-the evap-
Grafton of sweat. In so far as 1t him
ders this natural process in summer,
the white shirt favors disease. But in
winter it is II fruitful cause of illness.
In winter the mere wearing Of a
white shirt would no doubt leave a
man no better and no worse If he were
content to wear it for his own satisfac.
tlon. But the curious law of evolution
comes in and compels him to wear 1t
tnsuch a way as to do himself physical
injury.
Wherever evolution Is at work it
leaves vestiges-literally, footprints.
Probably it is millions of years since
the vermiform appendix became use
less organ, but it still survives. All
evolutionary survivals appear to be
harmful. The appendix is the seat OF
appendicitis In the inner corner of
the eye there is the remnant of a once
useful third lid which now only lodges
dust and causes irritation.
The lord chancellor's wig was once
comfort in ancient drafty legislative
chambers and now merely serves to
make Il sensible man look ridiculous
and give him headaches.
People who drew up laws were long
ago paid according to the number of
words, bIt the multiplicity Of words
1ow only causes confusion. So the
white shirt that was once badge of
wealth and culture, being no longer of
value for that purpose, is only cause
of discomfort and disease.
1t is necessary to cut piece out Of
the vest and the coat, just over the
most important organs of the body. in
order to prove to our neighbors that
we wear white shirts. Consequently
In the winter time we expose the lungs
and the air passages to the cold wind
and the cold rain.
From the point of view of health
nothing could be more stupid. Bron-
chitis is one of the most deadly of all
diseases in this country. Bronchitis Is
simply Inflammation of the bronchial
tubes. This Inflammation is excited
by chill, chilling of that part of
the body left exposed in order to show
that we wear white shirts.
The white shirt, In fact, might ap-
pear In the tables of the registrar gen.
eral as the cause of SO many deaths,
perhaps 100000 year.
And does 1t really improve a mans
appearance? By virtue of the associa.
tlon of ideas it certainly does. Usual
ly men who do not wear white shirts
are not given to cleanliness. The man
who wears white shirt washes his
face and hands and brushes his clothes;
hence when we see a white front and
white cuffs we experience that pleas
ant sensation produced by general
neatness of the person and clothing.
But that few square inches of white
clothing over the chest makes q man
look better Is an absurd conclusion.
The ease for the white shirt has not
leg to stand upon. The garment is
uncomfortable, unhealthy and unbe-
coming And as it has lost the only
useful function 1t ever possessed-that
Is, Its symbolism of exceptional wealth
we ought to discard 1t altogether.
The difficulties of this course are very
great no doubt What we want is an
"antiwhite shirt society,"" which would
agree to wear, from some prearranged
date. dress designed wholly with re-
gard for comfort, health and beauty
7. +. Manning in London Gossip.