The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-04-19
The Dress Suit.

The Dress Suit.
when Mr.. DANIEL T. RYAN. the foreman
cutter Of this city. visited London to exhibit
the great subject Of discussion at all the
meetings and banquets OF the English tailors
In which be took part was che dress suit. Mr..
RYAN and his hosts were Of one mind In urg-
ing that the genius Of the tailor should espe-
cially turn It's attention to the devising Of .
new fashion OF garments for mems wear on
festive occasions ut night
In the first place. they called on tailors to
assert their right to set the fashions them
selves. As Mr.. MoGFoRD, the President OF
the Society Of Foremen Talors, expressed 1t,
1.-The world was prepared to receive what
they gave them, and there was no reason
why they should not control their customers
much more than they did now" The tailors
are too modest, they do not assert themselves
enough. said another speaker. They ought
to dictate the modes for men as WORTH does
for women. contended Mr.. RYAN.
They all agreed that a beginning should be
made with the dress suit, which. 1t seems, IL
altogether distasteful to artistic tailors. who
have long secretly desired to overthrow the
prevailing fashion. which still rules despite
thCiI oOJcCliOuS xu0 bWollOWsLbll CO8L OI
black broadcloth, the simple low cut waist
coat. and the black trousers are worn at
evening throughout the civilized world. and
the changes In tho cut Of the garments are
30 slight that man can get along with the
same suit for several years. The tailor must
go on cutting substantially the same pat
terms from year to year, and II he does not
rebel. say Mr.. RYAN and his English sup
porters, they may last generations longer.
Thus the artistic ability OF the profession
loses its best opportunity to display itself.
WORTH can win fame by modelling costumes
which are set Off by the light of the ball
room, but the tailor is compelled to construct
garments monotonous and altogether unob-
trusive in color, and OF an almost unvaryinR
pattern. He must even use the same mate
rails generation after generation.
Besides. the tailors resent the tyranny OF q
fashion which forces them to array all men
alike for occasions Of evening ceremony
They are troubled greatly because both those
who walt and those who are attended upon
wear garments Of the same general color and
cut. They cry out In the words Of Mr.. Moo
FORD. for :" a proper dress suit separate and
distinct from the walters livery" That Is,
they want to 80 far revive the old class dis
tinctions in dress that mans clothes shall
at once Of themselves indicate that he 10 q
guest and not in the employ OF the host.
But suppose that the men who most wear
dress suits should demand that they be SO
dressed as to DO distinguished from workers
In other employments than that OF waiting
from tailors, for instance2 In tho old days,
1t must be remembered, the tailor was the
object Of much ridicule. He was called the
ninth part OF man. mine tailors make q
man" Is saying which has come down to
us from very early days, and still the
schneider, or tailor. is the butt In many q
German comedy. Even walters and lackeys
formerly held themselves above tailors. OF
course the prejudice was unjust. but tailors,
whose craft have suffered from such Ill treat
ment. ought to be careful about speaking OF
men of other honest employments with con-
tempt; and good waiter Is rather deserv.
ing OF respect.
And yet, after inviting attention to their
own low estate In loss enlightened days by
snubbing the walters. the tailors ask men gen-
orally to adopt garments which they them
selves wear. and to give up those to which
they have been accustomed, and with which
they are content. Mr.. RYAN wants the tailors
not only to expend their genius In devising
new dress suit, but also to wear tho clothes
on their own persons so as to set the fashions.
He said at London dinner. given to him by
the tailors, that "when he looked at the body
OF gentlemen seated at the table before him
lie was convinced that they were as good
models for fine garments as any body Of mon
In the world" that the gentlemen Of the
nobility, for instance. were no higher shout
dered, lower shouldsred. larger or smaller In
tho waist In proportion to their breast meas
ure than these WERE" Hence, he continued,
there was every reason why they should
commence full dress reform on their own
persons. and with their own creations"
We do not doubt that he spoke truly as to
the fine physical proportions OF the tailors
present. But company OF walters equally
handsome could BIO gathered without diff
Guilty. mon who in form and carriage would
need to ask no odds from the taiors or the
nobility. Why not. therefore, set the new
fashion by arraying the walters In tho re-
form dress suit They would have the ad-
vantage OF being present on tho most Gle
giant occasions, where the reformed garments
could be observed and criticised by the very
men who have the most frequent use for the
dress suit: and snobs would object scarcely
more to changing their costume to follow