The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-07-06
HERE IS new idea
Woman's View of What Mascu-
line Dress Should Be.
Possibility That the War VIII Bring
About Such a Transformation as
She Seems to Think Would
Be Desirable.

The war has brought many changes
in the world, and 1t is certainly hoped
that mere man will now take a tum-
BILE and let the uniform of the soldier
suggest to him q new mode of dress.
We see daily the trim figures of "our
boys" with the neat-ftting uniform
coat, baggy trousers to the knee and
the legglngs that so well set Off the
leg.
Mans present dress is always a mat
ter of ridicule, is unsightly and should
be changed to something more sensi-
BILE and economical.
Let us build for Mr.. Man a new
kind of suit, a woman writes to the
editor of the New York World. At
first he will howl and say no, but IL
women will persevere and say you
must, he will, and in the end be hap
py.
First, his figure. The abdominal
belt is mans only excuse for the cor
set. He wants 1t and he needs 1t far
more than woman, and if only for sup
port alone. Put him into a regular
woman's corset of waistline height
and long hip and reduce that ugly
stomach several inches.
He will not look foppish, but will
have that military cut we all admire.
He will naturally feel i'll at ease and
compressed for a few days, but that
will disappear and a feeling Of real
living will follow, for his lungs will
expand, the muscles be tightly sup
ported and vim replace langour. The
corset was originally worn by men,
so let us put them back into their own
garment. Women are on the average
far healthier than men, and they are
daily incased in a corset.
Now we have a figure to work on.
Next, put him back into knee pants
and long stockings. Is anything more,
becoming than the Knockers of old
days7
Think of the cloth saved and that
ugly bag in his long trousers forever
eliminated. Then the coat tailored to
curve to his figure, lapels a thing Of
the past, and instead the military col
lar effect.
Goats to be cut shorter and vests
done away with entirely. Think Of
the saving of cloth In the suit alone.
Even his shirts, while in effect the
same as now worn, could be shorten
ed as in a woman's shirtwaist, and Of
far less material, so as to conform to
a narrower figure. Make a change in
his shoes and go back to the old CO.
lonial type Of narrower lines and a
higher heel. What is prettier than
the old colonial shoe and buckle?
Prevailing cloths would make up
becomingly for business and street
wear, but the possibilities for evening
dress are unlimited. His evening
clothes are hideous. Silken breeches,
flowing waists, ETC., lend untold posi-
bilitieS at a dinner or function.
And the comforts on a hot summer
white duck Knockers and an array Of
shirts. White pumps and stockings to
match, and thousands of yards Of wool
saved. And a far better dressed man
In the bargain.
Every man down in his heart wishes
he could change to something more be-
coming and with greater possibilities
of variety. And every man who reads
this will fervently hope that someone
will start the ball rolling, for he has
not the nerve himself to captain the
movement.
Nine out Of ten will quickly fall into
line and dress accordingly and feel
happy to think that someone started
a dress reform.
I trust the world will air a woman's
views about mans dress and that
wives and sweethearts will follow your
lines and shame the man into a we'll
dressed being.