Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-05-01
A Dawnins Change in Mems un
ehanoeabie Fashions7


Isn't it rather curious, when you
stop to consider it. that while wom-
ems Fashions change SO radically
from year to year that each sue
cessive season seems 10 bring with 1t
the reproduction Of some definite
period" some suvh marked and per
fectly latent difference in model or
cut as to make any particular season
a man recalls fairly stand out in his
minds eye. as far as his women
folk" are concerned, vet for decades
one might almost say there has been
little to distinguish one years fash
ions for men from another? Coats
a little longer, perhaps: shoulders
little broader or a little moreover, as
the case mey be. There have been lit
tie variations, perhats. in the manner
of waistcoatS worn by certain indi-
viduals, a little more color In the
scarfs of one season than another,
but of radical changes there certainly
have been none. The man OF the
western civilization Is known far and
wide by his cylindrical trousers, his
ugly hats, his graceless coats. his
armor-like neck-harness. which In
cludes the stin collar. and in recent
days. the perfectly meaningless, mar
row scarfs.
Indeed. for the past few years
tremendous artificiality has been the
note most loudly sounded in the
mems wear of the moment IN the
western world. But isn't 1t true that
I, the Orientals alone have for years
possessed the true secret Of dress?
Vyhfln ring tho
changes of mode from season to seas
tinue in the thraldom Of the inart1s-
tic, the dwellers in the Far East have
been wise enough to appreciate the
fact that loOseness and grace are the
real requisites Of perfect dress. 1t
is only within the most recent times
that. carried away by the inroads
of the so-called western civilization.
our brothers in the East have be-
, gun to adopt the absurdly stiR and
conventional habiliments decreed by
the European mode. Men Of ancient
days. Egypatins. Romans, Greeks. the
dwelers in the old Hebraic regime.
for example, must have teen comfort
able in their clothes as no modern
man can ever be at ease in the close
fitting garments of the young CEN
tury."
Not content, however with outlin-
ing. more CT less truthfulIy. our "hu-
I man form divine" in most combining
cerements. albeit they are Of wool. We
have, we Americans. been padding
and building up or clothes Of late
until our coats will almost stand
alone" they contain so much extran-
eous matter. and we have succeeded
in producing for ourselves q perfectly
artificial shape" that h quite unlike
anything, in either heaven Or earth.
We now have many Of rs, great
broad shoulders, curious excressen-
ces at the top of our sleeves that
move when We swing our arms AID
look like nothing so much as pin
cushiOns-strange formless coats that
hear little CT no relation whatever 70
the human figure and which through
all too frequent cartoons and also
through the numerous insists" Of lily
, instructed tailors. have become in
, deed the laughing stock Of men who
know. although they are terhaps the
admiration Ct the seeker after novel
| ty- The clothes worn by our men q
year or 10 ago-at least what may ne
termed the general run Of clothes
. were certainly a far cry from ths
gracefully hanging garments q by
! gone centuries or from those worn
even now by many Orientals. Arc
We ashamed Of onr bodies. We Ameri-
cans. that we must disguise them
so?
| Happily. however. a decided change
, marks the fashion Of the moment in
| mems clothes They are simplicity
itself and quite devoid II padding or
make up" Of any kind. The sh0ui-
ders Ct the cvercoats. for instance.
are sui slightly narrower than the
natural shoulders and are made quite
soft 80 that the body Of the coat
hangs gracefully In comfortable
folds from the shoulders. These same
a.