The Portland daily press., 1879-12-12
[Harper's Bazar.l
New York Fashions.
Gentlemen's Clothing.


little change in design or fabrics. The coats
are somewhat shorter, the vests are very high,
and are usually without q collar, especially
when rough materials are used; trousers are
WON smaller in the leg. The choice for coats
of business suits lies between the double
breasted sack known as the reefng jacket ana
the close-fitting English morning coat; these
coats may be fastened by one or three buttons,
according to taste, and the pockets have flaps.
The entire suit-coat vest, and pantaloons-ls
made of one kind of cloth in neat pattern Oh
checks, or some handsome mixture OF quaint
colors, and occasionally stripes are used.
The semi-dress suit worn when paying visits,
for day receptions, at church, etc., has frock-
coat and vest made from the same piece OF
black "worsted diagonal while the trousers
are neat pattern of stripes usually, and rath-
er dark in color The frock-coat of this suit is
what gentlemen call the Prince Albert coat; 1t
is now made shorter than formerly, is fastened
by three or four buttons, according to the taste
OF. the wearer, and .ie fronts have silk breast
facing. The vest, of the same material as the
coat, is cut very high, and has collar; 1t IS
usually single-breasted. The cloths for trou-
sers show stripes in twilled effects OF mixed
gray and black, while others are nearly all
black or else blue-black; sometimes threaa
of green or of blue is irregularly woven III the
dark fabric. The stripes are fourth OF an men
wide, or else they are in shaded lines that make
the stripe fully an inch broad. Dark plum-coi-
or and brown stripes alternate IN stynsh cioths
When light pantaloons are preferred 1or dressy
occasions instead of the dark ones suggested
by fashionable tailors, they are chosen in the
gray shades, not in the purplish lavender
shades formerly worn.
The only change in full-dress suits is that
the swallow-tail coat is slightly shorter tnan
vest are made from the same piece OF black
cloth which should be the West of England
cloth with dead finish. This English broad
cloth is preferred to the glossy French broad
cloth formerly used for dress SUITS. Inc aIesS-
coat rolls open very low, and the black vest al
SO opens low to disclose the shirt bosom. Inc
trousers are of black doe-skin, and are small IN
the legs.
Overcoats are worn moderately long, and
NAV be either in sack or surtout shape, as the
wearer pleases. Brown is the popular color,
though other colors are worn. The materials
are fur beavers and Elysians of all the coiors
in which these cloths are imported.
Shirt fronts remain very plain. they are
made of three thicknesses of linen, smoothly
pressed, without pleats; sometimes a single
cord or else cluster of tiny tucks is stItched
down the Tapped edge outside OF the eylet,
holes made for the studs! For weddings and
other full dress WHO VI
broidery like a stripe, trims the front. The
newest standing collars come very near togeth-
er in front, and are Just tipped over IN pointS
at the corneres. Another stylish collar, called
the Salamis, is upright all around, meets at
the button-hole, and then slopes away to form
small V-shaped opening at the throat. The
reverse of this is the Atlas collar, which has
wide open space in front, and stands erect all
around. Turned-down collars are still pre-
ferred by many gentlemen, but are worn quite
,-,lx x-ifh on
Cuffs are wide, with square corners, ana are
made merely to meet, not lap, so that they can
be worn with linked sleeve buttons The Ia
vorite jewelry for studs and sleeve buttons re-
mains the white enameled gold that looks like
linen thread; dead gold jewelry is also
used. Scarf-pins are shown in unique French
designs, both in gold and silver. Canoes are
also liked for gentlemen's sleeve buttons.
For dress ties those of narrow black satin
folded an inch wide are as often sold as those
of white lawn. This is an English fashion that
has been gradually coming into vogue here.
The ends of these narrow ties-both black and
white-are hemmed straight across, not
pointed, and there is no hem-stitchlng or en-
broidery on the white ties.
Cashmere colorings in the gay Oriental de-
signs SO popular for trimming ladies' dresses
are chosen for gentlemens scarfs and mufhers.
Gentlemen of very quiet tastes, who DO not
follow all of the English styles adopted by men
of fashion, do not object to this gay neck wear,
because their vests are now cut SO hlgh that
very little of the scarf is seen at ALL the white
shirt front is never visible except with the low
cut vests of ful-dress suits Satin is the favor
ite fabric for scarfs. Silk is now very little
used.
The fashionable black dress hat has the
crown slightly bell shape, six and half inches
deep, with open D'Orsay curled brim. Young
men choose low-crowned hats with narrow
brim well rolled, while older gentlemen wear
wider brims with similar D'O 'Orsay curl. These
silk hats cost 81 or IS. The undress hat for
business wear is the Derby stiff black felt hat
with very low crown and the stylishly narrow
brim rolled with the open D'Orsay curl used
for silk hats; price $3.50. Seal-skin caps are
shown with or without visors; the former are
preferred for driving. They are also, in the
new English shapes, with the visor to turn up
and the band to turn down.
There is tendency with gentlemen toward
wearing lighter Shoes instead of the very
heavy thick double soles of the English shoes
so long in vogue, the soles are now only mod
erately thick, and the toes are moderately
pointed rather than square. The buttoned
Shoe remains in favor, with its low square heel.
Calf-skin shoes are for general wear. Patent
leather shoes for the street are affected by
fashionable men who initiate English styles,
but this leather cracks in our dry climate, and
is soon defaced, while the humid English eli
mate preserves it. In place of pumps, the dress
shoes now used are buttoned CATERS OF patent
leather with black cloth tops.