St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-16
HOW THE DUDES DRESS.
What the Typical American Swell Spends
in Personal Adjournment Swslls'
Tailor Bills.
The Yearly Amount ssBlown IMP by
New York Dudes--A Table of
Expenses.
Twenty-Three Thousand Dollars
Paid Yearly to His Tailor by the
Prince of Wales.

l.
Paid Yearly to His Tailor by the
Prince of Wales.
New York Star.
A little old man, whose 60 odd years has
added only wrinkle or two more to those
the pencil of corrective care has lightly
touched him WITH and who walked but
very little more feebiy than he did forty
years ago. One Of those little old men who
never seem to grow old. His knotted stick
and bundle are as much part of him as
the blind mans dog. This is Daniel Pratt,
known everywhere and generally as 1.-THE
ing Jew himself, in his palmiest days, did
little mole wandering than old Daniel, ex-
cept that the latter restricted himself pretty
much to one continent; and he not only
has done great deal of walking, but large
amount of talking, also. His oratery may
or may not be handed down to fame, but
as the originator of term descriptive
of a species of the human race, he is
entitled to niche in contemporaneous his
tory.
In the course of his travels Daniel one
day stopped at Massachusetts, town ia
nous as the seat of a great university.
Bundle in hand he trudged out on to the
campus and mounted big empty soap box.
Then he lectured. The crowd of students
that formed his audience listened for some
time in silence. then a tall, slim young
man, in loud Clothes interrupted the pro-
ceeding with the remark:
Daniel, you're crank"
The traveller paused in his harangue to
reply, Eyes, 1 am. And you. sir, are
dude"
The students roared with laughter. The
exact meaning of the before unheard of
term was never questioned. 1t is so eX-
actly fitted, in some inexplicable way, the
object upon which it was so summarily
cast.
That was how the word "dude" orgi-
mated. How it came into general use as
the name OF a peculiar species of man
which was heretofore vaguely designated
as Darwins missing link, is well known.
1t may not be generally known. but it is
nevertheless the truth, that there are
human beings ambitious to be ranked with
this new species, and to these, as we'll as
the general public. it may be of some in
terest to learn how much such persons pay
for their hobby, how much it costs. in fact,
to be dude.
Although Daniel Pratt was the creator
of the term dude. it is the traitor that
makes his existence possble.S Other
tradesmen help in a small way but it is
this artist that the dude depends On. In
New York the most fashionable tailorS
now have their shops and establishments
on Fifth avenue. the region to which the
species are indigenous or easily acclimated.
Of course real swell of dude. whose
pockets have a heavy golden lining, sends
to London for his gorgeous apparel, but he
is one In hundred. The ninety and nine,
whose pockets have only plain nickel
plated lining, go to Fifth avenue. In
reality they have to pay nearly as much,
and in reality it makes very little difference,
as all the leading coat builders come from
''the other side, you know"
In the first place, let us take our dude as
disappointed Nature left him. First come
the undergarments. These must necessa-
rily be of silk. No dude could wear any
thing but silk. The dudes favorite places
for the purchase of everything of this ma
ture are three shops very near Madison
square. almost all within the shadow of
the Fifth Avenue hotel. Suits Of silk uil-
derwear cost from SIP to $50, sometimes
even more. If made to order they come
little dearer. sometimes as high as $50 a
few even of the wealthiest dudes pay it.
A fair average price would be SIS. Few
of the dudes buy more than half a dozen
suits at one time, and usually not more
than twelve in year. Six for summer,
very light, and six heavier ones for winter.
Twelve suits at S25 would thus cost $500.
Next comes the socks. Two dozen pairs
year satisfies the most particular of dudes.
The socks, like the underwear, must be of
silk. and of many colors. The best silk
socks seldom cost more than S.. Twenty
four pairs at So cost 1912. The outside
footwear is the next item.
George Hoey can scarcely be called
dude, but it might be mentioned, in pass
ing, that he has contract with boot
maker on the Rue st. Honore. Paris, for
fifty pairs year, Therefore, in consider
ing the cost of equipping dude, one is well
within the mark in allowing him thrtv-six
pairs. comprising every kind, laced shoe,
button shoe, shoeletS and boot Shoes cost
various prices. The most fashionable
maker in New York, therefore the dudes,
sometimes charges S24 for single pair.
He shoes nobody for less than SIG, AL
lowing the dude, then, tllirty-siX pairs Of
shoes in a year, and charging him the low
price of SIG per pair, he would pay S576
York pay that much in year for his shoes?
you ask. Yes, a good many do. Look at
the books of any fashionable shoemaker.
Having dressed the dude so far at an ex-
pense of S1,O6S, the next necessity in the
wardrobe is the bosom shirt. The luXuri-
.ous dudes pay all kinds of prices for this
necessary part of dress. 1t must be made
to order, OF course. and rarely costs less
than SIS. Three dozen will be enough for
year, and the three dozen cost $3.50. Col
lars cost about 40 cents each only, and %
cents IS the lowest price. The styles
change often, however, and therefore many
are needed Five dozen in a year is a
fair estimate, and these at 25 cents cost SIS.
Forty cents is the price of cuffs. Three
dozen pairs would amount TO S14. 40. The
price of necktieS varies. Probably a fair
average price would be $780, and fully two
dozen are required in year. That is low
estimate. The cost is $50.
NOW comes the most expensive part of
the dress, the outer suit. An eX-king of the
dudes in one year bought thirty-six suits,
and sixty nine additional pairs of trousers.
But take thirty-siX suits as the required
number. A Fifth avenue tailor charges
nothing for the cloth in the suits, but for
the workmanship and his name. He has
all kinds of prices. One price to one,
another to another. For an ordinary btisi-
ness suit the price runs from 500 to SIS.
GETAWAYS, frOcks and dress suits cost more
Morning coats, after-dlnner jackets, smok-
ing jackets and coats and Jackets, divers
and suhdry. may cost anything. Including
every kind of coat, waistcoaT and trousers.
,11I In