The statement is often heard that a man is made or marred by the clothes
he wears. This is frequently said with a view to emphasizing the
importance of being presentably appareled, but it has a meaning beyond
this. To a certain extent we are really made, or we may more properly
say marred, by the clothes we wear. Civilized costumes have become what
they are through the dictation of the creators of style, the
clothing manufacturers. Every year the styles change through the
commands of those whose profits are increased by this continual
variation in the fashions. It is said that a woman would rather be out
of the world than out of style. Therefore, each year she discards her
old-style costumes and buys the latest modes.
We have to recognize, however, that clothing is a necessary evil at this
period of human progress, so-called. There was a time when clothing was
worn entirely as a matter of protection or as a means of adding warmth
to the body. There was no thought given to the necessity for covering
the body, for every part of the human anatomy was as commonplace as
nose, fingers and toes. But now clothing is commanded as a means of
hiding our bodily contour. Prudery has come in and branded the human
anatomy as indecent and consequently it must be covered.
Now in considering what we should wear we are compelled to adhere, at
least to a reasonable extent, to what we call style, but beyond this
our first thought must be for bodily comfort. And in speaking of comfort
we mean not only the warmth essential to this but also the ability to
use every part of our bodily structure with as little restraint as
possible. If we could wear a costume which would permit us to feel just
as free and untrammeled in our movements as we do when without clothing
such a form of dress would be ideal. Our movements should not be
restricted by our clothing any more than is absolutely unavoidable. The
ordinary skirt, supposed to be a necessary part of feminine apparel, Is
in its nature an evil of first importance. Every step taken by a woman
wearing such a garment is hampered; she is continuously handicapped by
her skirt. If a man were compelled to walk through tall, heavy grass
all his life he would get some idea of the extent to which the feminine
skirt interferes with the freedom of woman.
Numerous other defects of our costumes interfere with bodily freedom.
Take our tight and ungainly shoes. Here is an abominable instance of
our slavery to style. In most instances the foot is made to fit the
shoe, and the suffering that is endured by many so-called stylish people
for the purpose of making the foot fit the shoe would be difficult to
describe. A shoe should fit the foot. The more nearly you approximate
the same freedom when walking in a shoe as you do when barefooted the
more perfect the shoe. The toes should not be squeezed out of shape. The
great toe should follow the straight line of the inside of the foot
instead of being bent over to the position normally occupied by the
middle toe. All the toes should be allowed to spread out in the shoe,
at least to a reasonable extent. Furthermore, a shoe that really
fits should feel comfortable the first time it is put on. There should
be no necessity for "breaking in" a shoe.
The artificial heel added to the ordinary shoe is another curious freak
of fashion. If the Almighty in perfecting the human foot had found a
high heel necessary it would have been provided. The artificial heel,
especially the very high heel commonly used on shoes worn by women, is
an insult to Nature, to the Creator. Some day, when we are really
civilized, high heels will be unknown. I am convinced that the
Omnipotent Creator knew his business thoroughly when he created the
human foot, that the sole of the human foot, heel included, was made for
locomotion, and that it is impossible for human ingenuity to improve
upon the foot. In other words, if you can secure footwear that will
enable you to walk with the same freedom that you can enjoy when
barefooted, you will then have attained perfection in foot covering.
Sandals and moccasins allow the feet the same freedom as one enjoys
when barefooted. The sole of these forms of footwear has the same
freedom in gripping the ground and adapting itself to the
requirements of every step as the bare foot, and it is a curious and yet
significant fact that whereas more or less foot trouble is the rule
rather than the exception among civilized peoples, yet those races who
wear moccasins or sandals, or go barefooted, never have flatfoot,
broken arches, bunions or other defects of this type.
Passing to the other extreme of the body, our tight hats should be
condemned. Hats should be as light as possible and should not be so
tight as to interfere with the circulation of the scalp. Many bald
headed men owe their loss of hair to tight hats. The stiff collars worn
everywhere at the present time mar the natural contour of the neck,
make an erect position more difficult, and are one cause of the round
shoulders that are so common everywhere to-day. The suspenders worn by
men have also an influence of this sort. They are inclined to pull the
shoulders forward and make it more difficult to maintain an erect
position. The flat-chested man will not feel his suspenders, but the man
with a full round chest, properly carried, is under continuous
pressure from his suspenders.
If I were to select an ideal costume for men I am inclined to think that
I would go back to the Roman toga, to the flowing drapery of the
Greeks, or to the Scottish kilt. The kilt is undoubtedly better suited
than the robe to the colder weather of Northern Europe and America.
These costumes not only allow a reasonable amount of freedom for all
bodily movements, encouraging rather than discouraging the correct
position of the body, but they also allow free circulation of air to
the central portions of the body. As a hygienic feature this is of
tremendous value. The air coming in contact with the skin is of value
at all times, but it is especially required in these important parts of
the bodily organism. Many weaknesses are brought about through the
unhealthful covering and restriction of these parts. Trousers are not
by any means an ideal garment. To be sure, they are a vast
improvement over the long skirt, but they are not by any means equal in
healthfulness to the costume of the Scottish Highlanders.
In feminine apparel corsets are perhaps productive of more injury than
any other part of the costume. The injury wrought by tight lacing is
now everywhere understood, and in recent years large waists have become
stylish. This tendency of the times will ultimately mean the elimination
of the corset.
When fully clothed we should have the same freedom of movement as when
unclothed. The most perfect costume is our "birthday clothing,"
the clothing with which we came into the world, the human skin. To be
sure, in cold climates bodily covering is necessary for warmth a part
of the year, though in warm climates, or warm seasons, the more nearly
we avoid restrictive apparel, the more happy and more healthy we are.
The ideal costume in warm weather, therefore, would be no costume, but
conventions demand that we cover our nakedness, and this command should
be followed in a manner that will restrain our movements as little as
possible.
The question of color is an important factor in clothing. This is
especially true in summer when exposure to the sun makes it
especially necessary to consider our comfort. All dark-colored clothing
absorbs the heat and the sun becomes very oppressive to the wearer.
Then, too, black and dark-colored coverings shut out the light, another
objectionable feature. In my reference to sun baths in the preceding
chapter on Blood Purification I placed special emphasis upon the value
of light as a vitalizing and stimulating factor in life and health.
Ordinarily we not only smother our skins so far as the air is
concerned, but we also shut out the light, hiding our bodies in a
cellar, so to speak. Our bodies need light as well as air and for
this reason dark colored clothing cannot be recommended. For warmth when
in the sunshine during the winter, black is very effective. When out
of the sunshine black is cooler in winter than light-colored fabrics
because it quickly radiates the body heat. It is well known that a
black stove radiates the heat much faster than a nickel-plated or
brightly polished stove.
White or light-colored garments are advised in summer, both because they
are cooler and because they permit the light to reach the skin. The
Arabs, Bedouins and others who live in unforested countries where they
are much exposed to the tropical sun use turbans and flowing robes
of white as a means of keeping cool. Pure white is often unserviceable,
because it quickly becomes soiled, and therefore gray and tan-
colored garments are recommended.
It is easily possible to absorb too much sunshine, especially in the
lower latitudes. The various races of the earth enjoy a degree
of pigmentation of the skin corresponding to the intensity of the
sunlight in the latitude to which they have become accustomed through
the course of evolution. Equatorial races are black, far-northern races
are blonde with very fair skin, and those occupying mean latitudes are
either brown or olive-hued. Brunettes or fairly dark-complexioned white
men can stand more sunshine than the blue-eyed, fair-skinned types
of Scotland, Norway and Sweden. Where the latter are exposed to
intensely strong sunshine in latitudes further south than their natural
home, and especially when visiting the tropics, where the sun's rays
are nearly vertical, some special protection from the excessive light
is necessary. Then the upper or outer clothing should be white or
light-colored, but an undergarment of some opaque or dark-colored
material should be used to shut out the light. In the case of tropical
animals Nature provides a light-colored or tawny growth of hair,
with an underlying black or heavily pigmented skin. The white man
when in the tropics or when subject to the chemical rays of the sun in
midsummer would do well to follow Nature's example, wearing light
clothing outside with black- or orange-colored or other opaque
underwear. The hat should be white or tan or light-colored on top, but
with a dark-colored lining extending under the brim. Blonde types
spending the summer in a latitude like that of Texas or Mexico would
do well to consider these suggestions. Sunlight is essential to life.
Sun baths are invaluable and ordinarily our clothing should be such as
to permit the light to reach the skin. But when the sun's rays are
nearly vertical fair-skinned persons may easily protect themselves
and maintain comfort by following this suggestion.
As a general thing, during both winter and summer, one should wear no
more clothing than necessary, and that should be of a type to permit
easy access of air to the skin. For this reason the character of one's
underwear is important. Wool is undoubtedly warmer and more or less
suitable for exceptionally cold weather; yet for most purposes linen is
to be preferred because of its more porous character. Linen permits
of free circulation of the air, and when the underwear is woven with an
open mesh it is especially satisfactory. Next to linen cotton is
to be preferred, being likewise porous. The question of underwear is
one to be determined largely by individual taste and requirements, but
always it should be understood that one should wear underwear as light
as is consistent with warmth and as porous as possible. This principle
should also apply in the matter of shoes. Air-tight foot coverings are
highly detrimental as well as uncomfortable. Leather in its natural
state is porous and therefore a healthful foot covering. Patent-
leather shoes, however, have been made air-tight by a special
process, and are very hot, uncomfortable and unsanitary. The sole of
the shoe should consist of nothing but plain leather. So-called
waterproofing processes, making the shoe air-tight as well as
waterproof, should be avoided. Patented, waterproof soles are highly
objectionable. If you can have your shoes made to order see to it that
the sole consists of nothing but leather-indeed a single layer of good
sole leather is most satisfactory. Although such shoes will absorb
water they will dry readily, and the disadvantage of wet feet on
occasions is more than offset by the benefits gained from a porous
foot covering the rest of the time. Anyway, wet feet are unimportant if
the feet are warm.
A word about winter clothing. Heavy underclothing is entirely unsuited
to the temperatures maintained inside our houses during the winter.
We usually have a summer temperature indoors in winter and should wear
summer clothing. It is true that we require warmer clothing out-of-doors
in winter, but this should be used only when out-of-doors; we should not
wear heavy, warm garments both indoors and out. Therefore, while
the farmer who spends the day in the open would probably need heavy warm
underwear, the city man should dress approximately the same as in
summer when indoors, and add the garments necessary for additional
warmth when going out. Sweaters, gaiters and overcoats should be
depended on when going out-of-doors instead of heavy undergarments.
Clothing, as I have said, is a necessary evil. So far as possible it
should not hamper our movements and should not deprive our bodies of
light and air. Since it is necessary to wear clothing, I would strongly
emphasize the importance of taking air baths at frequent intervals.
When spending the evening in the privacy of your own room, studying or
writing letters, you have a good opportunity to enjoy an air bath
during the entire evening. And furthermore, when at home you should lay
aside your coat and use no more bodily covering than is necessary. If
you cannot take sun baths at a special hour each day, then I would
advise that when taking your walk out-of-doors in the sunshine you wear
clothing of such a character as to admit the rays of the sun, thus
enabling you to enjoy a sun bath during your walk. A special suit of
clothes, made of natural-colored linen, with a thin light shirt, light-
colored socks and no underwear, would answer all purposes admirably.