Dressing the Part

In your dealings with women, clothes can be more important than any of us imagines.

Remember above all that your clothes must be you. Your personality must shine through them as though they were the filmiest of gauze. This can be done without ostentation, with never a breach of modesty, and without revealing a single unseemly contour of the body.

The Tweedy Look

Tweeds are always good, whether worn as an ensemble, or simply as a sport coat with flannel trousers.

Choose a tweed that is rough and manly, though not so rough that twigs or bits of underbrush are woven into the fabric.

A good test of a tweed is to brush the arm gently over a bare female shoulder, if one is available to you. If there are audible scraping noises or rumpled feelings, choose a softer weave.

"Should I Wear Shorts?"

It is not enough to ask yourself, "Are my knees good?" because in most cases we are too close to our knees to judge them impartially.

The wise gentleman regards his knees as though they belonged to someone else. Thus he often comes to the conclusion that he should wear long trousers, or at least pedal pushers.

If, on the other hand, you can show a really "good leg" it is safe to wear shorts and also riding breeches, which are almost equally revealing.

How to Handle Chest Slide

To every man, however trim, comes a time when his massive chest seems to expand downward. This is not caused, as some believe, by overindulgence, but is a result of faulty design of the human body.

Originally engineered as a four-footed creature, man was never intended to walk in his current semi-erect position. The inevitable result is chest-slide, or paunch.

This is often combined with our powerful hip, or sitting muscles, developed by brain workers everywhere. It is these muscles that enable us to sit for hours without tiring.

Together, these form a pear-shaped silhouette which is both attractive and aerodynamically sound and that, if it were not for the critical attitude of women, would be universally admired.

True, some men have tried to make a virtue of it, and others have developed ingenious ways of coping with the situation, including a skillful and attractive method of side-saddle dancing.

"Davie, is that you around there, too?"

"Yes, pet. Everything all right?" "I don't know. Seems to me we've developed a list to starboard."

"Must be this new step, pet."

Some, indeed, are even faced with a dwindling of feminine admirers. The faint-hearted abandon hope and seek companionship among their cronies. This is not necessary.

There are several methods of combatting chest-slide.

1. Don't admit it.

Retain the same trouser size, sucking Dressing(continued from preceding page) in the powerful abdominal muscles until the belt is fastened. This is effective, but can lead to broken seams, jammed zippers, and occasionally a strangled expression.

2. Let science help.

Luckily science has come to the rescue with a number of fine commercial devices. These are emphatically not girdles and should never be referred to as such. They do not perform the same function as the female girdle, which also helps to hold up the stockings. Few, if any, of the male devices have garter belt attachments for supporting the socks.

Nevertheless they are often referred to as "supporters" and often consist of a loin cloth arrangement combined with a wide band of elastic. They are designed only to help your own steel spring muscles give you a trim athletic appearance.

Choose a good tight one. It will be slimming, bracing, and will feel wonderful when removed at night.

How To Deal With Shoulders

All of us human males, hard workers that we are, are forced day after day to "keep our shoulders to the wheel."

Literally, though, it is not our shoulders that we use, but our minds, which means that it is an entirely different part of us that is held to the "wheel," or actually the chair.

In spite of skillful use of the remedies described above, a certain bulbous appearance may persist, and though this does not actually reduce the size of the shoulders, it seems to.

Women stubbornly refuse to recognize this as a badge of honor and are often caught gazing at fellows with second-rate minds and seemingly broad shoulders.

Do not be discouraged. A good tailor can supply shoulders of whatever width you desire, and at little extra cost. There is bound to be a shock when you first remove your coat, but we must assume that by this time your woman companion will admire you for your mind and your strength of character.

Garters?

So often men ask, "Should I wear garters?"

The answer is not a simple yes or no. In fact, all males fall roughly into two classifications: those who should and those who should not wear garters.

If your appeal is to the motherly woman, and if you are clearly the lopsided-smile type, then forego garters -- and go farther, too. Spurn anklets and semi-self-supporting socks and choose long drooping hose. There is nothing like a bunch of knitwear sagging pitifully over the shoe-tops to bring out the motherly instinct.

If on the other hand you are the glossy-finished male, given to sleek hairdos, Sulka ties, French cuffs, and a superior expression, by all means wear garters. The taut argyle does wonders for the well-turned ankle, and may win you admiring glances.

Let the Bareheaded Beware

How often do we hear today that the hat is unnecessary? True, the modern felt hat performs no useful service. In cold weather it leaves uncovered the neck and ears, the only parts that need covering. In rain it soon becomes soggy, and in hot weather it is hotter than no hat at all.

Is it for looks then that we should wear hats? No, only the bald look better hatted.

Why, then, wear a hat? It is the chivalrous thing to do. A hat is worn not to keep on, but to take off. Remember the twinge of envy you felt when you last saw a homburged colleague doff his cover to a pretty friend? Have you not felt the tacit sneer of the hatcheck girl as you passed her, tipless?

Wear a hat if you would tickle a woman's fancy. It is easy to see that they prefer the fellow with the rising and falling fedora.

A hat will be a good investment.

The Necktie

A necktie is not a license for self-expression, an excuse to play the peacock. Choose a simple dark knit tie, or a mud-colored print with small floral design. These combine restraint, self-effacement, and serviceability.

If in doubt about patterns, make this easy test. Let a drop of any standard meat gravy fall at random. Give it time to dry. If it blends well with the pattern, if you cannot find it, or if the overall effect seems to be improved, place the tie well forward on your rack.

Begin early to discourage gift ties from your feminine admirers. They will expect you to wear them. The best method is to swear that you make your own. You cannot wear ordinary ready-mades.

"Doesn't take a minute, really, once I get my kit around me."

"But why, Davie?"

"The old tubes, you know. Sprig of asafetida in the lining works wonders. Antispasmodic."

Suspenders?

Suspenders are often necessary for men with such powerful waist muscles (concluded on page 66)Dressing the Part(continued from page 42) that the body below the belt line slopes inward. Try to explain this to women!

All women have an unreasoning prejudice against suspenders, in spite of new models in bright attractive colors and interesting flowered designs.

If you can, wear a belt. If you cannot, be patient. Scientists are working on the problem now and experimental models are in production. If the strapless bra is already a reality, can the braceless pant be far behind?

The Basic You

And yet, after all is said and clone, it is not the clothes, but the man underneath that really matters.

Do your best to dress well, try and try again to please your women friends with all the gay little deceptions that make modern haberdashery such an art.

But when the chips are down, it is you, the basic you, that counts. Think of ornamentation, yes, but remember to build a firm foundation and you will have a structure that lasts.

Next Month:

"Be Well Rounded"

In your dealings with women, clothes can be more important than any of us imagines.