The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-22
THE CLOTHES OF MlLLIONAIRES.
Jay Gould and His Brother-The Best
Dressed Men in New York and Elsewhere.

Jay Gould and His Brother-The Best
Dressed Men in New York and Elsewhere.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
NEW YORK. Jan. I'll had an interesting
chat yesterday with some of the most fashion
able tailors of the city about the pecuiaFites OF
some of New ork's millionaires and noted men
in matters of dress. It is claimed that New
York tailors are the best in the world, and in
many respects their business is national in char
acter. People come to New York from all over
the country to have their clothes made
The tailor who makes Jay Gould's clothes tells
me that that gentleman is a rather extravagant
dresser; he never asks the price and seldom any
other question when he gives an order for
suit of clothes. Mr.. Gould considers his tims
more valuable than money. and it is his habit to
visit his tailor and tell him to make 50 many
suits OF clothes
81 guess you had better make me about four
suits of clothes this time" Mr.. Gould would say.
Then he will stroke his whiskers, look thought
full and add: Possibly you'd better make me
half dozen suits this time; have them done a
soon as you can. and if they do not prove whas
like will give them to my brother"
Mr. Gould leaves everything TO his tailcr'a
judgment; that person also selects Mr.. Goulds
neckties and underwear. The millionaire says
himself that he hasn't time to bother with such
details. His tailor explained to me that Mr..
Goulds brother, whom he had referred to, is
rather an erratic individual He is right the OPP
posit 9 of his brother Jay. for he cared nothing
for money; neither docs he know how to make
it. The millionaire seldom trusts him with very
much money, but he has carte blanche to go to
any of his brothers trades people and get what
ever he may need. He's exactly the samk size
as his brother, and suit of clothes that IT'S one
is equally suitable for the other.
Sometimes, when Mr.. Gould orders half a
dozen suits of clothes. and they are sent home
to him. there may not be suit that he likes,
and ne Immediately gives order for another
half dozen suits. He does not even thiuk to ask
the price. and never finds fault with his tailor.
His tailor say there are few men in New York
that dress better than Mr. Gould. People only
think about him money-maker. and pay no
attention to his attire. 1t is estimated that Mr.
Gould spends about Sc, 600 year on his ward
robe
Young George Gould does not spend over .
thousand dollars year on clothes He Is very
pain cloth, but he is very particular regarding
the fit. Mr. Goulds other son, Edwin is more
of a dude than his brother George, and Ia the
very liberal customer OF the two.
If the average New Yorker was asked who
spent the most money in clothes they would
answer Berry Wall, the king OF the dudes. But
hghness is almost coarse in his taste It is sell
dom that he orders over two suits Of clothes
Tney say that the man who spends the most on
his wardrobe is person who is seldom heard Of
although several times millionaire He Is Geo.
Kempt who owns q great deal of real estate in
New York, and is. nna4 of she largest land ouners
thousand dollars a year. He is a large, fue
looking man, whose handsome figure when
clad in q very ordinary suit of clothes would at
tract attention anywhere Since the death of
ex-President Arthur Mr.. Kempt is nearer the
hearts OF the New York tailors than any one
else. When he tries q suit of clothes, before
giving an opinion as to the fit he will go out
and walk around the block, and when he re-
turns he is able to detect every fault there may
give an order for thirty pairs of trousers and
dozen coats and vests. l am told that there is
no other gentleman in this country that spends
much as Mr.. Kempt. although Ed Stokes pos
sibly did before he killed Jim Fiske. Now
there are plenty of men in New York working
on salaries who spend more money for sclothes
than Mr.. Stokes. Half dozen suits of clothes
year now satisfies his wants.
Another man VINO used to spend nearly a.
much is John M. Smith. the owner of Gold
smith Maid. But of late days fortune has not
gone we'll with him. and necessity compelled
him to be more modest in matters of dress.
The Vanderbilt boys are good dressers but
into consideration. Cornelius 10 the best dresser
of them. But he rarely ever orders over three
or four suits OF clothes at time. Their father,
William H., spent great deal Of money with
the tallors, and he was q very hard to
please. II he had been poor man he could not
have been more particular about the price.
Chauncey NJ Depew is handsome dresser,
but not an extravagant one. Possibly $4,000 .
year will cover the amount spent on his ward
robe He always buys the very best Of clothes,
and he usually visits the tailor half a dozen
times in ordering one suit His taste Is excel.
lent He is very careful in making his selectio1
of piece of cloth.
George William Curtis presents such . mag
nifcent appearance that one would suppose that
he is inclined to be extravagant in matters Of
dress. but he is not. He is very easy ON clothes
and can wear a suit for a long time before il
looks old. On an average he does not order
over three suits of clothes year, but they arr
of the very best. Mr.. Curtis says that if hy
was to appear before the public frequently hs
would dress better. but as he leads rather 60
lie no one suspects but that he has larg.
wardrobe.
James Gordon Bennett used to be very ex
travagant dresser. but he is now in Europe al
the time. and gets his clothes there
Two of the leading tailors of this city, who dc
business all over the country tell me that Phil
adeiphia people DO not spend a great deal OF
money on clothes. although as a class they ars
considered well dressed. Boston is little
better than Philadelphia The littls
city of Buffalo has a number OF men who are
extravagant dresSers. Ambrose j. Butler, the
brother of the man who became famous over
the country as the "discoverer Of Grover Cleve-
land" spends small fortune on clothes He
comes to New York regularly once a month to
visit his tailor.
Chicago people are dressing better than they
used to, and there are a number of gentlemen
there who will average fifty suits year. Prob
ably the most extravagant dresser In that city
is George S. Everhardt the bucket-shop king.
St Louis has some well-dressed men, and the
most prominent among them in this particular
For it's size, Denver has the best dressed citi-
zens of any place in the West Edward 7.
Woolcott who is a candidate for United States
Senator from Colorado, gets aii his clothes made
in New York. and it costs him 5000 . year.
HARRY WALKER
Large Estates In New York
Letter in Philadelphia Press.
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