New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-05
THE ART OF DRESSING WELL.
AN ENGLISHMAN TELLS WHEREIN THE
AMERICAN MAN MISSES 1T.

ago lie is a welldressed man himself, takes much
pains with his attire, and is w!thsl an authority on
Who says so - / asked. had heard the sugse;,
ton before but had never given the Suo'ec. aG ~
he sg pgsmptIy with shake b; s. Of ... Ri.
ton If it we're questioned further by me- HIS posi-
tiveness rolled me- and although as say II wss SUD
pendtule Of brain power and was therefore dnpre-
pared to enter tho list with him with tho hope Of van
Nev-York dudes IA well as could
"wel. don't agree with you,' said.
He looked surprised
You arc the first man ever met who didn't agree
with me, he answered snlly 81 never thought there
Ta to tell why . wS puzzled 5 %yse u S s G
satisfaction that couid hardly be exceed by the dis
eoyersr Of the philosopher stone or perpetual m'o@
Just wait Bit said j; : not so fast. Let Us SO
as sy for IT, hg Ssvs an
it is susceptible Of explanation
~ he D &S9 g my "a sS RS an lie H s0 S
ton ANY ANY oo fol can can make beg So sseon without be-
il $SH @oH't want to hear you IN, needn't. cont
on can see that Les change the subject nj scs
its dlvugence in due form
ter he ause yU sns s S
Il expect you've been reading Macauay's ESSAYS or
Il never heard that either of them was school.
master Sa If sS SsI pity there are not
Yes, yes SO it IS But never mind that. Let's
bark back to what we were talking about
Pm quite willing Now, then' in what way are
s nas nSf T ost dressd dear fellow you're the
Oafs n n5f sesns * 90 s" yGu me aa asked
"No, not that: ! don't mean that although It 6ts
To yS G%es6n would 3 dispose Of the Whole subject
and embrace the very mater which Won are seeking
who's talking like schoolmaster nowf said l;
Don't say yours trulyp" he exclaimed al ash
It as a favor. know a man who always brings It
out on every occasion, as II it were spontaneous
Il had no intention Of saving anything OF the sort.
What was going to say was not .,
rna 2n a5sG si as 5 sSGy Not your humble servant
S SS "s 70 i hep nt tbs s
quite right. / accept yonr amendment cheerfully.
Now, answer my question, If you please, and II you
II think I can" he replied confidently; ain the
first place. they have rules Of dress They wear
their clothes without any regard to appropriateness 70
the occasion or the hour of the day But that isn't
Wen, but 90 on and explain what You did mean
and what you do. But hold up minute. suppose
so we'll dressed as American ladies', II course
"Its the fashion 70 say so, he answered doggedly,
biting the end of his ppestem; al confess 1 can't
"NO? You're out Of Million 49, .
ard sooner be that than pretend TO BELIEF dldnI
Don't let us discuss it, then,' said; at would
go So IT wcnld' he replied; "you would never
vince me- and 81 h hGp %e GO sSH Cn YOU
he vS the pSRe sort 80 OF aa ts1
aSor u Gof the dcson that tall hat is Dc
all occasions and consequently put IL on directly they
arrive, without the least thought as to what their
aoh, come I expostulated, there are no people
so particular about getting themselves up to land at
Humphl' he grunted,. tossing his head "getting
themselves up, / daresay"
. Did yon ever arrive at Liverpool or NewYorH
on board frst-cass ocean liner" / asked him.
male sSa mai Re s ross on we RSud Se amusing
Il T Weren't 'i p You'd think they were going
TO s Phf an and tweed saw ps
lie. thought himself most tremendous Is. swell
don't think ever saw anybody at either garden
party or an opera in an Inverness cape said
Then look at the men yOn see in New or5-Pve
been therein round hard pOthatS and frockcoats and
What frock;coat and W9rning-c0st both on
3sucH I' a remarl, as That isn't worth Answering
he said mpatently 81 shall stiIl stick 70 what I
dressed One great fault is that they try to dress like
EngIshmen, and what with bad models, bad tallors.
STYLE and appropriateness is an utter and complete
failure. You can tell an American man anywhere,
1t is he exclaimed warmly, if he had some unseen
IT'S a funny thing said I. "but You began by
asking a me why il was. Now yon don't appear TO
But / do know he answered quickly, with
savage sort Of growl do khow-I was going TO tel
you y but you bo MoHd3t listen ,o,t w.u r on
nov 4 yOn like for Pm getting Just trae tired OF
Why IS il that Americans never look wen dTossed
It's because they don't fold their clothes-there IS
the Whole Mol -, thing IN a nutshell
Look at them. Any fool could tell they hang their
coats ana trousers up on hooks and nails. The cOnSe
q
od worn ont look when they are virtually hardly out
Why. I've. often heard that New-YorIS dudes have
temporary lad Bit just look at their coats "a and
jackets An wrinkles and creases and Fuckers Now
aoT mean Es IVY Ssi S P%h he s0 keep %
the clothes fodel In PeS-coats as we'll as trousers
well 90 to a second hand shop. DON'T you SEQ
the clothes for sale hanging gp' and he waved his
haven't much experience OF the latter business"
thing Is II Americans would either hire an English
brush their cothe for them take the trouble to fold
and brush them for themselves, they wouldn't have half
so much trouble II Disgusting their nationality"
" But loads of rich American gentlemen have valctss
said I / ..,, ., r,,.,., o.,m.,. ,,.u.. -,
men and nggers! What do they know Nothing.
Look at German. Italian and French masters If You
and dye hair shave and do massage But IL takes an
Englishman to fold and brush his masters Clothes and
IS.
on thinking of II. / had to confess that saw what
he referred to. And II called to mind a remark Of
Henry James's In Of his novelettes where
he speaks Of Enelshmans old clothes which always
looked now. and an Americans now clothes which
always looked old. lie did not say why it was for his
usually analytical mind had seemingly not thought it
worth lis while TO dsScct the question according TO his
usual methods Had he done so, IL Is quite possible
that he would have discovered the cause as my Eng,
sh friend lad done. However. II he likes he can add
to the next edition Of the story" The Modern Warn
ing think It s-"because one fold.d his clothes
and the other dldnt' or he can cothc the exploration
In any other language more sultd to his finishes
style.