New-York tribune., 1920-07-18
Britisher Wear Coat Shirt?
No, Stree; 1t Simply Isn't Done!
Englishman, Firmly Against American Style, Wants
to Slip Garment Over His Head, and He
Wants the Collar Button to Touch His Neck, Too
rom Tho rrsouns,s European Bureau

From Tho Tribuns's European Bureau
LONDON, July 2-"You can't teach
an old dog new tricks" is true when it
comes to the question Of how an Eng
lishman puts on his shirts. Just few
minutes ago the writer went into a
haberdashery shop in the Strand.
"Dosyou want your shirts cut Eng
lish fashion or American" asked the
filter.
"Why, what's the difference ?" he was
asked.
"You see, an Englishman won't have
a coat shirt; he wants to slip it on over
his head" said the shirtmaker "1n
fact, he can't make q coat shirt work"
The filter then told of several incl
dents about his countrymen who came
into this particular shop. The other
day one customer was thoroughly angry.
He had been sold q dozen American
coat shirts.
"I can't get into them" he said.
"All right, we will sew them up"
said the shirt filter
Another Englishman had bought
some American shirts and came back
with them in very bad temper
What do you mean by selling me
shirts without a collar buttonhole in
the back?" was his OBJECTION "Why.
had to cut hole through with a
penknife."
The polite salesman tried to show his
customer the benefit of the American
shirts; how fine it was not to have the
collar button touch the neck, But he
would have none of those kind Of
shirts.
Why" said he, 81 can't reach the
back Of my neck to put the button in''
"You don't have to-" said the. fitter
"put it in before you put your shirt
on"
Bars Hangers on Shirts
That made the Britisher angry.
II won't do it," he said. ~ always
put my collar buttons in after my shirt
IS on my back. And I won't have you
tell me how to do"
Though unconvinced on that point
the salesman tried to tell the English
man how fine it was to wear a coat
shirt; that it didn't ruffle up ones
hair when put on. mo, you can't sell
me those shirts. I comb my hair after
put my shirt on. Besides" said this
customer, "I don't want hangers on
my shirts"
The writer told shopkeepers that
coat shirts had not had long history
in America. "Well, you see," said he,
''an Englishman learns how to put on
shirt when little boy, and he won't
change"
This particular shop has customer
who has bought the same color shirts
for forty years, and he insisted on that
color all during the war. Another
customer for sixty years, now dead,
always bought one color Of neckties-
red
Races "Function''
One London paper has a paragraph
about Walter Hagen taking off his
sweater just as he was about to make
a drive. 1t simply isn't done here.
Rather serious criticism greeted the
first appearance of the American tennis
players because they dressed so slop
PLY. An Enlishman has his trousers
pressed for tennis just as he has them
pressed for dinner, and he usually
wears a beautiful blue coat with brass
buttons when he plays.
The writer asked an English friend
why he always wore silk hat and
cutaway to the races. "Well, you see,
it's function and must" he replied.
All these differences were discussed
by a group last night The Americans
rather convinced the Englishmen Of the
advantages OF American shirts, but very
reluctantly. One of the group whom
the Americans thought convinced
blurted out. "Well, you see, those coat
shirts wear out quicker in the laundry"
What can you do with that kind of
man?
W. PETIT Ridge, the English writer
and novelist, said the Americans would
better change the subject. So he asked
what was the difference between the
English speech and the American
Somebody said the American speech
was a bit louder. eyes, you have hit
essential word. Your 'the' and to-
etc"
Another Englshman said: 1--WE will
settle it this way. Your shirts are
better and speech worse. But in most
things we break about even. But do
you know what John Hay said when he