Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-20
BEJEwELED NEW WORKERS.
The Dudes of the Metropolis said to be
Wearing Bangles.

Wearing Bangles.
Men are beginning to wear bangles now
in New York, says New York letter.
Some Of them are not real men, and have
all the characteristics of dudes, but there
are others who are strong and muscular
and manlike, but who have given way to
the craze. 1t hasn't prevailed to any
large extent yet, as it is a little bit too
much for the average American to under
go. The bangles or bracelets are all alike.
They are closely-woven chains a quarter
of an inch or less broad, which are welded
on the wrist just at its juncture with the
hand. 1t is impossible to get them off
in most cases, though men with slim
hands manage to tug them over their
fingers. The bracelets are usually made
OF plain silver, though there are a few
gold ones. They are never ornamented.
The links are closely made after the
fashion of the average watch chain. In
Russian baths, in boat crews, on the
athletic grounds, and at the beach, one
occasionally sees mans naked arm
adorned by one of these chain bracelets.
The wearers clam that the bracelets pre-
vent disappointments in love and other
sentimental things. The majority of men
who wear bangles are pronounced Anglo
maniacs. The fashion, believe, was set
by the Duke of Beaufort, who came here
on visit to James Gordon Bennett three
years ago. His Grace is one of those Eng
ilshmen who take their pleasures sadly
and TRANQUILITY. He enjoyed sitting better
than any other man / ever saw. He was
quite as inert as James Gordon Bennett
himself when IN pursuit of pleasure. One
OF the Dukes most absorbing occupations
was to sit on the southwest corner OF Del
monico's every afternoon and admire his
hnger-nails. On his left wrist he had a
silver bangle, which was always promi-
nently displayed.
After a little two or three actors,
among others young Sidney Howard, Of
Wallack's, and little dude called Rene,
who supported Rhea last season, appeared
difidently but happily with bangles
which closely resembled that of His
Grace. Then two or three musicians and
one composer, who has since died, APP
peared timidly with the chains around
their left arms, and the fashion was well
under way. Bogart was also rather fond
of rings. He wore a plain gold ring on
the little niger of his left hand, two rings
on the third finger OF his left hand-one
serpent ring and the other known as a
'gloYe" ring. That is. a diamond
and two emeralds were set in
solid gold band. They
were level with the surface of the ring. so
that you could slip a glove over it with
projected. On the third finger Of the
Dukes right hand was huge black stone,
which was popularity supposed to be an
helrloom-an antique crest, or something
of that sort. The men who are afraid, or
have too much good sense to wear
bangles, but who are fond of iewelry, copy
the Dukes arrangement of his rings and
now 1t is no eXaggeration to say that
three-fifths of the wealthy club loungers
and well-tO-dO Wall street men wear
as many rings as the Duke of Beaufort
wore and in exactly the same manner.
This wearing of jewelry by men is a
sort ofleyiYal. 1t was popular years ago,
and then it became so snobbish and Vul-
gar that gentlemen could only be dis
tinguished from cads by simplicity of
style. Two years ago gentleman's at
tire for evening dress was so plain as to
appear almost poverty-stricken. His tie
was plain lawn and cost not more than 10
cents-satin and silk ties were then and
still are left to walters and serving-men-
the studs of his shirt front were bone, his
cuf-buttons were two plain gold disks |
linked together and his waistcOat had |
plain white buttons.
Curious enough, this perfectly simple |
attire was inaugurated by the bosom |
friend of the gaudy Duke of Beaufort, Mr.. |
James Gordon Bennett, who, it is said, |
copied the Prince of Wales. At that |
time the majority of men wore no rings at |
all, and their watch chains were scarcely |
larger than bit of thread. AS might |
readily be imagined, the snobs soon |
caught up with this fashion. It was so
very economical, it appealed to their |
purses though not to their tastes, and |
they soon adopted it. Then a lot of |
Knickerbocker Club men startled the |
men about town by appearing with |
a single stud. 1t was a Partisan fash |
ion. The stud was a cat's-eye surround |
ed by little diamonds, and was placed |
exactly in the centre of the shirt bosom. |
The cost of such a stud was anywhere |
from 5000 to $1,000. This was cOnsid- |
cred about right until the world found |
out how much the stud cost; then it was |
frowned down upon and called gaudy. |
But the single-stud idea took hold, and |
two months afterwards nearly every |
mans shirt bosom had a single gold stud |
a little bit smaller than a copper cent. |
That broke the ice, and during all last |
winter, and particularly this spring, we |
have had gold galore. A number of the |
enthusiasts who worship jewelry have |
carried the thing to excess, and the /
chances are that in year or two we shall |
have to come down to plain bone buttons |