The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-10
A New York Fool.
What an Idiot Brought Back When He
Returned From Europe.
m. Letter to washington Post. !

N. Y. Letter to Washington Post.]
The society man of the present day in New
York usually inspires sentiment of sympathy
or pity in the heart of the casual observer, so
very uncomfortable does he:look III trying to
be stylish. A man of, fashion some years ago,
when loose garments were the thing to wear,
presented an easy and breezy appearance, but
now he cannot be stylish without being IN
comfortable. The terms are synonymous.
This was brought forcibly to my mind to-day
by the appearance of the son of wealthy Wall
street banker. L don't suppose he would care
if his name was published, as he is used to see
ing it in all of the society papers. and is the ac
knowledged leader of the more exclusive socie-
ty men of New York. but won't give it this
time. His brother, who is in Washington dur
ing this session of Congress, never achieved
distinction as a society man, or in any other
tary of State who tried TO corner Peru. Nor
was his father ever much of a society man.
He, however, lives for nothing else. He has
just returned from England with an entirely
new and absolutely correct wardrobe, and has
already begun to exhibit it. he is short, but
fairly well formed. and he constantly wears
the single glass, while his accent astonishes
Americans-and Englishmen, too / fear.
When saw him he was coming around the
corner of Twenty eighth street into Fifth ave-
nue., and the windows of the swell little Knick-
erbocker club were alive with weak looking
faces, convulsively holding the single eyeglass,
and gazing eagerly at the latest imported
clothes. The young man Che is about 30) did
not walk easily He had on a pair of dead
black shoes, with untanned leather tops.
They were decorated by fancy stripes along
the side of the foot and over the toe, and were
so absurdly narrow that they looked like de-
formed feet and rendered the movements of
the young man far from graceful, though he
struggled hard to preserve appearances. His
legs were covered by pair of trousers that
were simply amazing, SO tight were they cut
1t would almost be impossible to sit down
without splitting them across the knee, as far
as can be judged frem appearances. They were
as tight as eel skin all the way down, fitting
round the ankle as snugly as a stock
ing. This remarkable expose Of a mans de-
velopment is not advisable when his legs are
not up to the standard. The trousers in ques-
ton were very light green with dark stripes.
Above them was vest that stretched from the
chin Just even to line with the hip bones and
was cut straight across. The vest was of light
material and looked odd, it was so extremely
short The cutaway coat was bottle-green and
ittedlik jersey. 1t was indeed a trial of
the tailor's art in one sense, but it is far too
tight to be becoming. The sleeves were nearly
as tight as the trousers, and the coat tails very
long, hanging as far down behind as the knee.
He wore a collar that Tapped over in front, and
was certainly higher than any other collar /
ever saw in America. 1t forced his chin up in
the air, and caused the sunlight to scintilate
on his single glass. Around the neck was
green scarf with hounds head in diamonds
for PIN Above it all was one of the huge
English Derby hats with great curling brim
and heavy crown. He wore yellow gloves, and
carried a stick with twisted handle by its
lower end, SO that the handle dropped nearly
to his feet. The vacant stare completed the
effect and he limped aloug while the others
enyied himl This is no ideal sketch, but
faithful picture of a leading society man in
New York in the year of our Lord 1882.