ready ▁de ▁r igue ur ▁in ▁the ▁w ard ro bes ▁of ▁military ▁officers , ▁men ▁of ▁all ▁middle ▁and ▁upper ▁classes ▁began ▁we aring ▁them , ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁necessity ▁to ▁fit ▁in ▁with ▁the ▁fashion able ▁gent ry . ▁ ▁Usually ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" g ird les ", ▁" bel ts " ▁or ▁" v ests " ▁( as ▁" cor sets " ▁and ▁" st ays " ▁were ▁considered ▁femin ine ▁terms ) ▁they ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁cin ch ▁the ▁wa ist ▁to ▁sometimes ▁tiny ▁proport ions , ▁although ▁sometimes ▁they ▁were ▁simply ▁wh ale bone - st iff ened ▁wa ist co ats ▁with ▁la cing ▁in ▁the ▁back . ▁ ▁Many ▁contemporary ▁cart oon ists ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁pok ed ▁fun ▁at ▁the ▁repr essed ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁tight la ced ▁gentlemen , ▁although ▁the ▁style ▁grew ▁in ▁popular ity ▁non eth eless . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁especially ▁amid st ▁middle - class ▁men , ▁who ▁often ▁used ▁their ▁w ard ro be ▁to ▁promote ▁themselves , ▁at ▁least ▁ ▁in ▁their ▁minds , ▁to ▁a ▁higher ▁class ▁— ▁hence ▁the ▁d andy ▁was ▁born . ▁ ▁The ▁emer gence ▁of ▁w ool ▁as ▁a ▁primary ▁fabric ▁choice ▁for ▁men ' s ▁outer ▁gar ments ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁revolution ▁in ▁tail oring ▁that ▁allowed ▁fit ▁and ▁finish ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁the ▁ut most ▁importance ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁orn ament ation . ▁This ▁revolution ▁allowed ▁for ▁an ▁ideal ized ▁classical ▁sil hou ette ▁to ▁be ▁material ized