This is what happens when Americans go abroad:
Mr. W. W. Umberhauer, a Philadelphia banker, had to change a suit of clothes yesterday on account of the peculiar effect the pattern had on horses in the Strand [in London] and other thoroughfares.
Mr. Umberhauer is a guest at the Hotel Cecil, and the suit is the latest thing in checks for American business men. The pattern is a sort of “loud” square worked in deep black and heliotrope, with a tinge of bright red. Mr. Umberhauer claims that it is “the warmest thing in Europe” in colour.
If any artists are reading and want to send me a sketch of what this fashion disaster might look like, be my guest.
At the “Zoo” on Monday Mr. Umberhauer, in the company of several friends, noticed that certain reptiles shrank away as soon as he approached the cages. Snakes, leopards, tigers, and even lions trembled when the visitor neared the rails.
Next time you find yourself at a Bearbnb, one of these suits will ensure a good night’s sleep.
These incidents were attributed to coincidence until cab-horses in the hotel courtyard and in the Strand “shied” at the sight of the suit.
In Europe, even the animals think Americans are gauche. Ouch.
It was at the earnest request of other American visitors that Mr. Umberhauer decided to reserve the wearing of his “speciality” until he returned to Philadelphia.
– The Evening Express, September 11, 1907
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Disclaimer: The modern era is far from the first to grapple with rampant “fake news.” As I am neither a historian nor journalist, I make no claims about the accuracy or lack thereof of the above sources. I assert only that they make for a good story.