The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-23
HOW PRESIDENTS DRESS.
Easy-GOinG Grant-Hayes the Kicker-Care
less Garfield-Fastidious Arthur.

Easy-eTotns Grant-Hayes the kicker-Care-
less Garfield-Fastidious Arthur.
Washington Special to Chicago News.
1t is not often the voice of the tailor is
heard in the criticism of public men. An ad-
ministration viewed from the standpoint of
tailor has the merit of novelty. A fash
ionable tailor established himselfhere during
Grants term, and his experience dates from
that time. 1--WE have never begun to sell as
many clothes here since Grant went out of
office" said he to day. II made all of Grant S
clothes. He was very liberal and easy to
please. The public men of his time were
great buyers of clothes. 1t was q common
thing for senator or member to buy dozen
suits year. Grants cabinet people were
very dressy"
''How was it under Hayes?"
I'VE never did but one job for Hayes That
knocked him cold. He came down one hot
summer day during his first year in office
and ordered us to make him thin sack coat
out of the very best gros grain silk The ma
terlal was expensive. 1tcost MS exactly S23
to get up that coat. We had heard that he
was close, and as we wanted to catch his
trade, we put the price at $25. That para
lyzed him. Oh, how he did kick But he
paid the bill. That was the last order we got
from him. He had the rest of his clothes
chopred out for him by his
old tailor in Fremont. He sent
his boys to us for resdy-made suits
OuJ we 'n6NeT Hidu0 luOAltg OuA vi bhC
White House under him. We had some of mis-
cabinet on our books, but there was very lit
tie dressing under Hayes The purchase of
clothes by public men fell off so per cent
ne yer expect again to see SO much spent in
my shop as when Grant was President"
How was Garfield"
HE was q very careless dresser. He did
not have much taste He was rather slow
pay when he was in Congress, but when he
went into the White House he began to buy
a much better grade of clothes and to pay
greater attention to his dress. The day he
was shot he had on very handsome suit we
made for him, price 500 Hayes would have
died before he would have paid that money
for suit of clothes"
do you do much for President Arthur"
'Not a dollars worth He does business
with his old tailor in New Nork-the man
who makes the suits for the members of the
Coaching Club. He is very high priced
man. He does not make the plainest bust
ness suit under $40. He was over here the
other day to take an order for the President.
He said he did not care anything
for the Presidents trade. He was so
hard to suit, He took up twenty pairs OF
trousers the other day, made to the Presi
dents measure and spent an hour with him
trying them on before ne could find a pair to
suit. He says the only way he can get along
with the President is to be right up and
down with him. One day Arthur spoke to
him very sharply about the fit of coat, and
the tailor turned his back on him. At least,
be said he did. Then the President said:
"'Oh, come now, don't take any ofense, /
can't afford to quarrel with you
"You see, a first-class tailor is pretty
Independent man; but while he is par
ticular with the President, he is very care
less with the work for the Presidents
servants. We used to furnish the White
house liveries, but the Job goes~to the New
York man now. The new livery coats of the
Presidents coachmen and footmen. made of
cream-colored hammer cloth, cost $125
piece, but, God bless you! they are the worst
fitting things l ever saw, except the clothes.
the Fremont tailor used to chop out Ter
Hayes"
DO you have any OF the cabinet for your
customers now"
mo. Since the hot weather I sell them
an occasional thin coat, but they all take
their cue from the President and go to New
York for their clothes, except Brewster. He
gets his wonderful garments in Philadelphia.
Chandler buys an occasional suit, though he
is a chain-lightniug business man. He wants
his exact moneys worth, but he is not hard
to please and always pays cash."