WOMEN IN MALE ATTIRE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10277, 12 May 1919, Page 7

WOMEN IN MALE ATTIRE

Many of the women war-workers are I expressing their intention to continue wealing men's attire on their return to civil life {says the London "National News"). "Our only trouble," said one of them, "is —What .will the-police sayf We have read of women having been prosecuted for masquerading in men's attiro before the war, and we wonder if the same will happen agairi now that the war is over."

The the police are alive to the probability of many women continuing to appear publicly in breeches and short coats, similar to those worn by men? wa sadmitted at Scotland Yard recently, and the police find the problem somewhat difficult.

I It was explained that there exists no statute to prevent a woman irom walking about in public in any cos,tume. She may, it wtar exactly th esame clothes 'as a 'mdzC'ln cases where women have been prosecuted the charge has been so framed as to show that she was guilty of conduct likely to lead to a breach of the peace, or that she was 'breaking some statute not concerned with clothing. The police instructions are not to interfere with women because of their dress, if the women are doing some form of work. But if, after work is over, they elect to walk about'in the town or on the eea front in. Men's dress they will run graye risks of being apprehended by the police.