Transvestia

comment at this point that this may be as good an ex- planation of the drabness of men's "uniforms", at least up to recent years, as any other.

Linen shirts were worn by both sexes from a time preceeding the Conquest, and the modern women's "blouse", believe it or not, was copied from the famous Garibaldi Red Shirt. And although the petticoat has largely been replaced by the modern slip and half-slip originally the petticoat was a man's garment, first an outside coat, and later an under-tunic. It is said that Henry V wore a "petticoat of red damask".

In the earlier years of the nineteenth Century we are told that the wig became rare and that the soldiers abandoned their pig-tails in 1808. But in 1965 we find the wig making a "comeback" especially among the women and a certain other special group of "girls".

SO- the next time you "dress-up" remember, there is some historical precedent on your side: the tunic, long hose, jewelry, blouse, slip, high heels, etc., but why go on just remember!

EDITOR'S NOTE: The explanation offered above for the drabness of men's clothing may be true, but other factors should also be considered. When they were be- heading nobles in the French Revolution it became high- ly practical and of real survival value to not appear to be a noble. So the fancy frills, materials and colors gave way to dark, plain, heavy clothes such as were worn by the peasant classes. Later the Reformation of Luthor and Calvia accentuated this trend by its extremely conservative and severe attitudes about many aspects of life. As we still live in a society descended from the Puritans many of their attitudes persist today.

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