@Burton,
I do suspect you of ‘extracting the amber waste fluid’ but ... it is a reasonable question. I would have thought given the large dinners and larger waistlines of any number of Victorian gentlemen that elasticated trousers are inevitable.
@Burton,
@Colonel Troutstrangler,
What do you think the Blues and Royals wear man! Are you suggesting they is all whopsies? You are a disgrace to your regiment and Horse Guards. I shall send you; revolver, bullet and bottle of scotch. Do the honourable thing.
Ah, okay.No, I mean that to engineer this situation, you'd probably need to start changing historical events in Elizabeth's reign. I don't think that pre-Victoria, or even during her reign, that attitudes could change as seismically as they would need to to have this happen. Attitudes took a LOOONG time to change before the whole liberalism movement of the 20th century.
Have you considered the effect that this increased demand for rubber would have on the South-East Asian colonies? The spark for global war may come not from Africa or the Balkans but from the Indies!