Evening star., 1939-04-21

ClOn pcr1OO at Lne SeaSnOcc IN the
United States knows how free and
easy the population. both transient
and permanent, becomes in the
matter of sidewalk garb, within GER
tain precincts. Here in Oahu the
bounds of tolerance for the scant
attire of surf bathers are virtually
co-extensive with the island. Bath
ing parties in motor cars, travelling
many miles to reach the beach, are
often to be seen. And it Is not un-
common to find ones self sitting in
a street car or a bus next to ber-
mouse clad person beneath the skirts
OF whose bath robe or what not may
be seen evidence of a close approach
to state of nature.
I am not informed whether there
Is any rule governing this matter
of street car riding and urf-bathing
costumes. But If there is such a
rule 1t Is observed chiefly in the
breach. And nobody appears to OBJ
ject. 1t is barely possible that some
OF the near-nudists one sees in the
street cars and buses are not
headed to or from the beaches at
all. but are just on their way from
one place to another. Just car
riding.
Well, anyhow, the sartorial scene
In Hawaii Is free and easy. I have
not yet seen any scantiness of at
tire In the shops, among sales ladies
or sales-gentlemen-and, by the
way, they are honest.to-go goodness
titles that I have given these servers
OF the public need; they are in all
truth and in every respect ladies
and gentlemen and they do a splen-
did job OF catering to the worlds
requirements and tastes.
But on the other side of the
counter may often be seen scantily
clad person, masculine or feminine,
who has devised some clever means
OF carrying cash in a garb that
would seem, in this respect, to be
superior to the shroud of the we'll
known saying. And again nobody
wonders. nobody stares, unless the
attraction is exceptional. Some fig
ures I have seen in Honolulu that
would attract attention anywhere,
in any environment or circum-
stances-not alone through pulchri-
tude, but often through magnitude.
There is at this present time here
in the hotel where I am sojourning
a person. of such magnitude that /
would 60 10 miles to see on a beach
in a sand-and-water costume. Per-
haps it will be my fortune to wit
ness the spectacle before I depart for
the more conservative Eastern part
of the United States. It must always
be remembered that this is part of
the United States.
Mems Shirts a Riot of Color.
One of the most popular items of
wear for men is the aloha shirt. It
is a fantastic garment, a bewilder-
ing conglomerate of color and de-
sign. If worn in Washington it
would probably cause a riot-that
is, if worn there by the same per-
son who wears it here without the
least sign of self-consciousness and
without attracting the least atten-
ton. 1t looks to be very like Jerome
K. Jerome's notion of an Irish
stew-a bit of everything left over.
Human figures and landscape fea-
lures are mixed with geometric
puzzles. Cubist and futuristic pat
terms vie with natural objects for
space in the scheme. Every color is
used. have tried to recognize some
sort of standard of conglomeration,
but without success.
To see one of these shirts appear
on the scene in a hotel dining room
is almost equivalent to the imme-
diate loss of appetite. But I have
noticed that nobody has ever stopped
eating just because an aloha shirt
has appeared. 1t would be fatal to
yield to such an impulse when it is
quite certain that in another hour
or so an even more extravagant con-
glomeration of lines, angles, squares,
circles, lunettes, trees, critters and
mad-house sunsets will make its ap-
pearance. There is one comforting
thought with respect to these
clothes-storms. They will probably
not last long. They are, I am told,
already on their way out.
Hats? No, they are not bother1
some in this matter of taste or en-
durance. For there are very few
hats. The uncovered pate is rather
the standard for both sexes-save
that the elders are still rather in
clined to conventional coverage.
Not that humanity goes darting
about here in Hawaii with stream
ing locks or with shining pates. The
head is decently covered, however
covering may be lacking elsewhere.
The right trick is to wear a some
what gaudy handkerchief, deity
twisted into the semblance of a
pirates head cloth, perhaps with the
ends dangling down the back of the
neck. That adds a further touch
OF color to the scene. Nor Is there
any evidence of slavish adherence
to particular color scheme. The
brighter the natural covering of the
pate perhaps the brighter the cloth
scarf wrapped around in a deft
manner to suggest a turban.
1t Is all just in the way of good,
clean fun. Not that there is any
evidence OF a sense of humor be-