MALE DRESS REFORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20367, 23 September 1929, Page 8

MALE DRESS REFORM.

REFLECTIONS OF BROWN. ? CHANGES THAT NEVER COME* FEMININE DOMINANCE. Stimulated by the thought of the canoe sbirt and the Boy Scout pantj which the Dean of St. Paul's and other dress reformers refrained from wearing, Brown of Auckland discoursed upon the subject with almost as much enthusiasm as can be aroused in him by the sight of a lusty row of beans. He began by dragging in tho Scottish philosopher by the heels, just to show, doubtless, that in the hum-drum struggle to pay his rates and taxes and to keep his pecker up in this weary ago, he has not quite forgotten tho intellectual enthusiasms of his youth—the golden time when between football matches he read or thought he read the list of "soundbooks" drawn up by the profound influence of the day. Brown actually produced his "Sartor Resartus" in which he had inscribed his name with a date more than 20 years old—more than two decades, heigh ho!— and quoted things about man's earthly interests being rill hooked and buttoned together and held up by clothes, about society being founded on cloth and how the unclothed human being resembled a forked radish with a fantastically carved head. Disregarding an interjection that the philosopher was more concerned about the soul and spirit of man, Brown forged boldly ahead. Order o 1 the Day. " Well," he proceeded, " the summer is at hand and we shall see what all this talk about dress reform amounts to. I have been watching the windows, and the windows speak with tho same authority as an order on a warship which says 4 white,' or 4 blue' uniforms. The windows are giving a little more latitude. They are permitting colours for men. They are sanctioning a little less formality, but unquestionably there is to be no real departure from convention." Most of U3 shall be as conservative as male fashion itself and should a rebel or two start revolutionary efforts in Queen Street we shall, of course, call them cranks, even though, in our heart of hearts, they may have our moral support. " And do you know what is the real power behind the order of the windows? " The ancient order of tailors," suggested Brown's audience. Woman Once Again. " Nothing of the sort. It is woman. The domination of woman. Modern woman has been strong enough to enforce female fashions to serve her desire for short, light clothing, but she has also been, and continues to be, strong enough to compel male fashions to remain as they are. Oh yea. It is our mothers, wives and sweethearts, is not our sisters, who determine the nature of our clothes, general and particular. The hand that stirf the porridge rules the world of clothei, so to speak," said Brown with the grimace hft calls a smile. " The method varies. I have no doubt that certain strong women who, if they had been men, would have led armies or been terrible sergeant-majors, say to theii husbands 1 ' You need a new suit. Meel me after lunch and I will buy it for vou.' To which the man says in a small voice, 'Yes, dear.' " But the usual method is suggestion. 'You deserve a nice new suit, dear.' ». Oh, yes, you do. I do like to see you smart. No, tho Bummer is coming, and old suits look so worn in bright weather. You can wear out the old one I in the garden, or give it to the mission.' As a Business Asset. " By the time she has finished, her man is lost. Yes. He supposes he ought to get a new suit. Ho remembers having read that a smart appearance is half tho battle in the city. Show a prosperous front and the dear old public responds. Nothing succeeds like success or pretended success. And tho psychological effect on the wearer. The new suit, gives a better senso of well-being, he reflects. He is thereby brisker. And the moro brisk, buoyant and confident a man is the better chance he has with making the client provide for his needs and his old age. Seen it repeatedly. Only the independent man can afford the comfort of old clothes. He does not say these things, nor perhaps think them in detail, but notions of the sort float through his mind. " Then in reply to her question ho says ho thinks he will have a grey. Sho murmurs that she always liked him in a smart blue. Blue he says is always warm. She hints that tho best way of meeting the hot weather is to wear light underclothes And so on and so on, until tho man again clad in tho three-piece suit of convention is battling through the heat of summer. A Foil for My Lady. " And I'll tell you auother thing," said Brown. " Tho woman's own pride and sometimes her vanity is the reason. Sho wants her man or her menfolk to cut a singularly good figure even though they lack the classic lines which are essential for good dressing. And further, sho knows that a well-cut suit of fine, sleek, broadcloth is just the thing to sot of! her own dresses. She knows. The man s clothing is her own background. Think sho would want to take tea in town with a husband in bare knees or baggy drill? On the other hand sho often is quito eager that for camp or beach he should dress the part of the backwoodsman or be a mild edition of the negro minstrel. Onco again the purpose is to achieve dual harmony of dress. " That is the reason why the dress-suit combines to show a bold white front to tho world. Woman feels that it helps to set off her own fine feathers, even though the poor bloko in it feels he " in a hot prison. "No. Woman rules through convention or fashion. And perhaps it is just as well. How easily we go ' bush.' At the -•same time I object to feminine dominance. By the way, have you noticed that in many shops and offices tho girls now wear uniforms in jades and whites. A really sensible overall and a good safeguard against the danger of inkpots on their silk. Onco moro feminine initiative without any easing of the curb rein on the male, though in one place I saw a lot of architect's draughtsmen wearing the frocks cut after the stylo worn by ' Old Garge' 100 years ago."