The Baltimore County union., 1881-02-05
TAILoR-MADE MEN.
Men Really Padded as Much as the wo
mon-How Natures Crooked wnys
Are Sometimes MaGo Straight
BY Sartoriai Art-Tho
Cost OF Fashion.
able Dress.

"The fact is that there are very few
men who are formed regularly. What
a professional cutter would call 'regti.
lar proportion is measurement OF &C
inches to the breast and 80 inches to the
waist. But those measurements are sell
dom met with" This was said to SIN
reporter in reply to inquiries as to the
shapes that are encountered by tailors
who make custom cioshing. Expert,
enced cutters say that they are obliged
to make allowance for peculiar forms in
almost every case. Many men have one
shoulder higher than the other. This is
particularly the case with those who do
much writing. The right arm is often
est kept continually on the desk, while
the left arm is rested and lowered.
Naturally, in such cases, mans right
shoulder is raised and his left shoulder
depressed. To remedy this slight de-
formity the expert cutter must resort to
padding.
"Talk about padding" said an old
cutter, "the men are really padded as
much rs the women. Put your hand on
the shoulder Of the first man you meet,
you will find probably that instead of a
bony shoulder blade, you will feel sof,
custom. Watch the men walking on
Broadway. You will notice that many
of them swing their arms under caves OF
padding. Look at the padding in the
breasts OF coats and vests. \ tailor finds
n man 'caved in, and he has to build
him out. This is the reason so many
high vests are worn. A low vest would
expose the fiat, pinched chest"
GLOW abou, the legS?"
"'rhc cutter who cannot conceal the
impcriections of mans legs is unwor-
thy Of his isprofession. Ifaman is handy
legged, the cutter will make him wide
and roomy pantaloons, in which his
crooked limbs may wander without de-
lection. If he is short-lcgged, the cut
ter will fit him snugly, so that his neither
extremities shall not offend the eye. II
he is long legged, the cutter adds 4 lit
tie to the length of his body and brings
him apparently into proportion. II is a
very common occurrence for mans
right leg to be little longer than his
left. Often one arm is little longer
than the other. Very often a mans oc-
cupation gives him i STOPPING position,
so that he seems almost humpbacked.
The expert cutter attends TO all these
pcculiarities and sees TO it that they are,
as far as possible, concealed"
"Do you ih nix that men are rs partic-
ular about their dress rs women?"
"When they care at all they are more
fastidious. The trouble with men is
that they do not always know what they
want. Women are more apt TO know
exactly what they want, because they
make study OF dress. They think OF
it from childhood. They see something
they like and say, "Alake it like that. "
They know how goods will look when
made up. But many men are unreason-
ably faSiidious. One thinks he has full
breast. When you measure him he puffs
and swells out 10 undue proportions.
When the coat is finished and he tries i
on he says it don't fit, when, the real
trouble is that he does not swell himself
out rs he did when he was measured -
II a man is punctilious about very neat,
close fit, the chances are that he will
complain that his clothes are too tight
when he tries them on. Then the man
who says he wants them easy and is not
particular about the fit is to be feared.
When he gets his clothes home his wife
or his sisters or his fcllow-boarders will
scrutinize his garments and send him
back To the unfortunate tailor"
"Do you find that men are much in
Aucnced by their wives as to the cut and
material OF their clothes?"
Influenced? Why, sir, it amounts
to slavery in many cases. have had
men make me contract TO please their
wives in The cut Of coat. They come
here filed with instructions. Thcyha
orders for the style Of cloth, the style Of
cut, the style of buttons, the lining
trimmings and price. When cut coat
for married man know that, in most
cases, have got TO please the wife
Frequently n man goes away perfectly
satisfied with garment and comes back
the next day running over with COM
plants. Then ] know who has been
criticising the work. Sometimes, when
know there is nothing wrong, 1 put the
garment away in 4 closet, never touch
il, and when send it back in few days
il is pronounced very much better and
all right"
The military tailors are the greatest
adopts in building up unpromising forms
to become models Of soldicrly appear
ance. They will take lean, scrawny,
consumptivc clerk and turn him out in
4 uniform that makes him quite 4 for
midable as we'll As prepossessing per-
son. With skillful appropriation Of
haircloth bagging and batting, they man.
age TO manufacture well.rounded forms
in almost every case. As for the theat-
rical tailors, their work is often i mar
vel of art. Actors with natural grace
fnlness Of form have sometimes served as
walking advertisements Of fashionable
tailors. Actors whose line of characters
requires many changes Of fashionable
dress are frequently asked to introduce
some new style.
"what does il cost TO dress 4 man in
the height Of fashion," was asked Of 4
Fifth avenue tailor.
"About s7oo year." was the reply.
"But IL a man is to indulge in $500 fur
coats and n variety OF fine silk neckties
and an assortment Of fancy pantaloons.
his bill will run up much higher. Not
withstanding all that is said OF the ex-
travagance Of woman's dress, IL costs