Tied up AND Hosed down
Society dictates that men and women wear clothing that's seemingly senseless and sometimes sadistic.
Neckties may not be the scourge of men, pantyhose are to women. They don't really snag
In a gray-suit business world in which each man is a clone of the next, businessmen cling to one piece of clothing that allows them to stand out — the necktie. Neckties may not be the only
or itch, and the only thing the wearer really has to worry about is spilling soup on a $40 item from Brooks Brothers.
Fashion aside, however, the necktie serves little more function in the clothing world than being an annoyance. And like pantyhose, it is a societal norm that has been around for years. But most students would rather throw fashion to the wind and not tie a piece of silk around their neck for the sake of looking good.
"I hate ties," said Lonnie Lichtenberg, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore. "They're annoying and they're kind of funny looking."
Lichtenberg, like many KU students, just doesn't understand the function of neckties. Shoes, socks, pants, shirts and even hats are worn for a reason other than fashion. The necktie, however, is not.
In Giannri Versace's book No Neckties, an effort to rid
A prisoner to a piece of cloth.
the world of the choking menace is pleaded and described in a four-word quote from Socrates: "Man is a prisoner."
As time progressed, the necktie evolved, or deevolved, into a bourgeois sign of elitism and an emblem of the businessman.
The necktie entered the world in the 17th century as a "mark of military conformity and propriety."
Enter the necktie as people of the world know it today.
"The tie emerges into the 20th century as a trim and taut sign of the business establishment," according to the book.
So little has changed over the years
Scott Haeffner, Shawnee junior, said he didn't envision wearing a tie in the future on a day-to-day basis. In fact, he owns only one tie, which he uses for all occasions.
"The only one I have is a Fred Flintstone tie. I wear it whenever I have to get dressed up, like weddings," he said. "I haven't gotten any negative comments."
The tie apparently has transformed from a symbol of
David Nations, salesman at Campbell's Clothing, 841 Massachusetts St., said that although ties still were a popular item, he saw a trend of people going away from them.
"I think the fact that there are so many jobs where people are dressing down and being more casual has changed them," he said. "Some say, 'What's the point in wearing one?'
elitism to a mode of expression.
Nation said that ties still were selling well at Campbell's and that the consumer was focused on fashion.
But others do see the point, and for those who must wear a tie, fashion is foremost.
"We're seeing larger exploded patterns," he said. "They've settled down in the last few years. We're even seeing stripes again."
John Katzer, Ottawa freshman, said he enjoyed wearing neckties and looked forward to the day when he would wear one each day.
"I don't wear one every day, but I like it when I have to," he said. "It adds to what you're wearing. That way it's not like you're just putting on a shirt everyday. And besides, suits don't really have a function either."
"There's nothing better than taking them off at the end of the day." Stephanie Guerrin, Lenexa senior.
T they tear, they snag, they itch, and they never seem to fit just right. Pantyhose are the scourge of women. Few are excited about the prospects of being confined by nylon tights, but most say they wear them because society expects them to
"I hate panyhose because they're just restricting, but you have to wear them because if you don't, it looks tacky," said Leslie Pritkin. Chicago sophomore.
Susan Malone, Linwood junior, said she only wore pantyhose when she had to.
"I wear them when the situation calls for them," Malone said.
Even though some women hate wearing pantyhose today, stockings and tights have been a part of the female attire for about 400 years.
And historically, women loved them.
In her book, Dress and Undress: A history of women's underwear, Elizabeth Ewing writes that Queen Elizabeth was the first woman to wear silk stockings in 1666.
The queen received a pair of silk stockings from an attendant as a New Year's present. Ewing wrote.
Ewing wrote that the queen was extremely pleased with the silk stockings, preferring them over her old cotton ones.
"I like silk stockings so well, because they are pleasant, fine and delicate, and henceforth, I will wear no more cloth stockings," the Queen said.
Silk stockings were the rule until the 1940s, when the DuPont Company introduced nylon.
DuPont invented nylon in October 1938. About $27 million was spent developing the new wonder fabric. The company introduced its stockings to the public in 1938 at the World's Fair in New York.
But other American women would have to wait until after World War II.
"All of the industry was focused on wartime production," said Cathy Lynn Gasser, textiles professor. "Women really wanted them, especially young women who were dating."
The first nylon stockings went on sale to DuPont employees only in February 1939.
During the war, stockings were considered a frivolous use of valuable nylon that was needed for the war effort.
Because of stocking shortages, women started going
We don't look good if you don't look at us.
bare-legged in summer and winter. Women used leg makeup to paint mock stocking seams up the backs of their legs to make their nude legs less obvious.
By the 1960s, stockings were out of fashion. The invention of the miniskirt made wearing them impossible, because the skirts were so short that the elastic bands used to hold the stocking up could be seen. Pantyhose, underpants combined with stockings, were invented to make wearing the mini skirt easier.
Today, as they have been since the 1940s, women are expected to wear pantyhose in some
Both Malone and Guerrin said pantyhose were good because when they wore them, they didn't have to worry about shaving their legs.
Malone said pantyhose were good for covering up blemishes and scars.
Stephanie Guerrin, Lenexa senior. "There's nothing better than taking them off at the end of the day."
"In the winter time, I wear really thick tights and they're great," Guerrin said. "Two, three days, I'm fine."
May 1, 1996 Page 10A
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