March 01, 2013
Roderick Spode's Black Shorts
Drawn from life much more literally than I'd realized:
In the late 1920s, a peculiar confluence of fashion and fascism came together in England. The Men's Dress Reform Party, an outgrowth of the eugenics movement, agitated for men to dress in more beautiful, flowing clothing reminiscent of what they wore during the Elizabethan era. Mostly, this seemed to mean wearing shorts and kilts.When they formed in 1929, the group noted:
Most members wish for shorts; a few for the kilt; nearly all hate trousers. Some plead for less heavy materials and less padding; others for brighter colours; but the villain of the piece is the collar-stud. A wail has gone up throughout the land; man is clutching at his throat and crying.
(via Andrew Sullivan.)
Posted by Dr. Frank at March 1, 2013 02:30 AM