Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-22
Actter from Boston.
BosroN. March Ii IL.

what has fashion to do with stiff, unpainly
pantaloons, coats without a line of grace or
beauty to them Now it would have been
worth while to talk about fashion in the days
when my court costume, which described to
you few weeks ago was worn. One could
find chance to grow enthusiastic over en-
brodered velvets and satins but what inspir-
alton could there possibly be in broadclotb.
French cashmere or Scotch chcyiotsy II is
the height of absurdity to think of such
thing.
All this was when | was laboring in gnor-
ance. 1t was before had been in NIacullor
Williams & Parkers wholesale rooms and
seen hundreds of pieces of cloth. no two of
which were alike, which were to make the
clothing for the male half of the population
the country over. There is something to do
besides just going into the tailor's and being
measured and having clothes made which
shall be precisely like those made for Smith.
Jones or Robinson. don't believe any wo-
man of us has more perplexing duty in pick
ing out her spring gown than her brother
has in selecting his spring suit. Camcls hair
bourette, beige on cashmere, are no more
Y,
castor. | know. for I've lately had to exam
inc into the merits of them al. and allow me
here to extend my sympathios to those Of you
who have yet to endure the ordeal of making
n selection. / wonder if l can help you any
In regard to the cloth, you are following us
just as closely rs you can, for the samples
which l saw were strongly suggestive of the
bourettos, which have formed the great part
of our gowns lately Some of these cloths
were so very pretty, and others so odd, that
l singled them out from the large number ms
being specially worth remembering They
are all intended for the business suits, which
are the most becoming Of all the suits worn
by your sex, and are mostly in Scotch che
viots, rough-surfaced goods. that are sufi-
cicntly Light FOR comfortable summer wear.
The prettiest of them are woven in alternate
basket and diagonal stripe in black brown.
gray OF tan color, with threads of some bright
color running through. Almost everything
| suggests II stripe, except Il few pin-head
checks, and the shepherds plaid, which is
coming in vogue again for pantaoons.
A novelty, which is rather striking and
which somehow suggests Joseph's famous
coat, which was the cause, you will recollect.
of a serious family disturbance. has the tar
tan" colors, red, blue, purple and green, wo-
ven in indistinct stripes so deity done that
no one color stands in prominence, but you
| get an odd effect of them all yet there is
nothing glaring about this pattern. it is-if
you can imagine such thing comparatively
subdued; certainly it is not loud nor glaring
| quite the refinement of color indeed
Another style gives plain black diagonal,
notified with blue silk threads; still another
is rough black cheyiot. mixed with dark
crimson The whole effect seems to he tow
ards rough, notified surfaces; very few plain
| goods are shown-for business suits. under
stand me-oXcept the blue hannels and che
viots for summer wear. | want to say word
in favor Of this blue cheyiot; it will largely
take the place of flannel, it will wear more
handsomely, not growing ''strngy' by use
For pantaloons, cashmere is always used
either English or American; the style, like
that of the cheyiots runs largely to striped
effects, either in the manner of weaving or
disposition Of colors.
Diagonals in black, or Il very dark, almost
invisible brown are used for semi-dress occa-
sions. and the inevitable black broadcloth for
dress suits. English kersey is the favorite
cloth for spring overcoats, in black. brown,
tan or gray; light ulsters are made of Scotch
cheyiot, in irregular plaid effects. SO much
for the cloths, now for the style of making
them. There is nothing TO say about dress
suits The regulation" costume remains
the same year after year. For semi-dress, the
frocl, coat of German castor or French diago-
nal, with vest to match, is worn with cassi-
mere trousers of some of the light shades
this costume is designed for morning recep-
tons, informal gatherings Of any kind and
morning weddings.
business suits, which are the most free and
easy unconventional costumes are made with
loose trousers, rather high cut vests without
collar and a jiunty cut-away sack coat
fastening across the chest with a single but.
ton. l like these business suits there is a
make yourself-comfortablc appearance that
appeals to me, and / think any moderately
good-loolSing man is handsomer in this cos
tune than in the formal frock coat or the Ger
emonious evening suit,
The buttons which are used for this iufor
NAL style Of clothes are by 10 means the least
attractive part of them they are of horn, il
various shades TO match the cloth, very hand
some and exceedingly varied another style
newer than the horn buttons, has raised rim
and eve. with n space between filed witt
cloth like the suit the button itself is black
and is oftencr used with suits made from tbs
pin-head checks.
The novelty in spring Overcoats is lgh
ulster, without any lining, of Scotch cheyio
. in pladed effects, and finished with the regu
lation belts and rows of buttons. These ar,
specially adapted for travelling; but if on
wants u more dressy garment, the long, loose
sack of English kersey, finished on the edg
with parallel rows Of stitching, and horn but
tons, is what he must have. Having told yo'
all about the novelties, | have something t.
say regarding WOODEN cloths, which should in
terest every retail dealer in the country, n
well as those who buy of them. 1t is fact
which ought not longer to be concealed, tina
n large quantity of sO-caed wooden good
which are sold and warranted rs AL wool,
are not by any means what they are represent
cd but are composed of cotton and wool mix
ed and carded together before being spun IN
to yarn. II is difficult to discover the frau'
in any ordinary way. for the two are so Gun
ningly mixed all simple modes of testing fail
: There is a chemical test which can be ap
piled. that will show the deception at once
) I saw several sample pieces of cloth at Mac
culur. Williams a Parker's which had bee
2 tested by this method, and the result was mos
t satisfactory. or unsatisfactory, perhaps
f should say, since it showed to what degre
cheating and fraud are carried in the manu-
facture of wooden goods There side by sid
lay the pieces of cloth before and after tn
test had been applied. IN every case the on
looked handsome and nice, the other wa
merely the cotton after the wool had bee
removed by chemical process, and shove
that the adulteration was from one-half
: one-quarter of the weight
Mr.. Parker, in showing them to me, sal
that the most experienced buyer could be de
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