The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-04
WELL DRESSED FOR 500
For That Sum a Prudent Man May
Clothe Himself Neatly for
Year.
The Subject Discussed by One
Qualified to Speak Whereof
He Knew.
Included In the Estimate II n Swallow
Tail-These Prices Prevail
In the East.

'How much does it cost q man to drea
well?" a New York News reported asked of
an elderly gentleman who has been a clerk
on q small salary all his life, but who was
never seen by his friends in shabby or ILL
looking clothes.
II am glad you asked that question: he
replied, '.if, as l suppose, you are going to
write about it. There is one branch of this
subject, however, which has not been, it
seems to me, adequately treated. That is
the actual outlay for clothing necessary
for a man who will always appear we'll
dressed.
'Of course, the term wei. dressed is one
that may be interpreted in many ways. It
is not exactly a question of degree, or not
entirely 80, anyhow. A man may be we'll
dressed in one condition of life, or under
certain circumstances, who would, in the
came clothes, appear addressed if the cir
cumstances we're different. The sense in
which / use it is the one in which the ordi-
nary salaried man understands it.
Il don't know anything about statistics
of salaries. Who does? 1t would be hard
to say what the average salary is. But l
mean by the average salaried man the one
who earns enough to live in comfort with
out extravaganza and without actual priva-
tion and whose position requires him to
maintain the appearance of Il gentleman.
He cannot afford to be shabby, and he can
not afford to be overdressed. He, above all
other men, must follow the rules of
fashion, that a man should always try to
dress in such a way that nobody will notice
what he has on"
His garments. of course, would be no.
ticed If they were worn by wealthy men at
their clubs, or at the opera, for they lack
the finish which expensive tailorS manage
to give to their productions. He cannot
wear coats from Poole's. mol are his trou-
his clothing is made is imported and of the
best quality, and il he will pay q little at
tention to the subject he can have his gar
nents to ht him we'll and to be always in
the prevailing style, or nearly enough SO to
attract no particular notice.
such q man looks, or ought to look, like
a fairly prosperous business man, and rs
the saving of five or ten dollars is decidedly
an object to him, even once or twice a year,
he is vitality Interested in the question of
the cost of his clothing. The difference of
$50 a year to him means the difference be-
tween being able to maintain his position
and being unable to maintain it.
1.-THE first item is that Of overcoats. Ev-
cry man in this climate should have Mt least
two; one for winter and one for spring and
fall. II he has not, he not only makes
himself conspicuous at times, but he risks
his health, for there are days when q heavy
top coat cannot be worn with any comfort,
and when a light one cannot be dispensed
with. Now, q winter overcoat may be
bought for 500 that will last for two years,
and will look we'll at the end of the second
winter. 1t will not answer, probably, for
the third years wear, but it will do, in the
third year, for those violent stormy days
that go far toward running good clothing.
His spring overcoat need not cost more
than SIS, and will, like the heavier one,
last him for two years. There is. ordinar-
lily, only a short time each spring and each
fall when a man needs such q garment as
this, but when that time occurs he really
needs it, as much as he needs any other
garment.
For his under-coats. vests and trousers
ne must, of course, have more variety, not
necessarily for the sake of appearance,
though that is a great object. but because
OF OH me ID difference ference d in temperature: Begin
the fall, to last him through the cold
weather. This will cost him $33, and prob
ably won't be worth much when he comes
to change for the spring suit that Is to last
him till cold weather comes again. This
spring and summer suit will cost him $40,
uAA liz " U SdlSultbo vi wearing IL GlG
second season, any more than he will his
winter business suit. excepting that either
one of them might do for stormy weather.
That, however, Is a matter of care that a
great many men will not bother about.
II have assumed that a man needs two
business suits a year, and that is a good
supply for the average man, but two pairs
of trousers will very likely not be enough.
Almost everybody wears out trousers faster
than either coats or vests, and almost
everybody wants a little more variety in
his trousers than he does in the rest of his
suit, so it is necessary to allow for an occa-
slonal extra pair. Suppose we say three
extra pairs in two years. That is perhaps
rather close figuring, but, remember, l am
telling about a man who figures as closely
as he possibly can, consistently with the
which he is bound to maintain.
4 hese extra trousers will cost him SO n
pair.
"This amount of clothing would, per
haps, be sufficient for a great many men,
who are either hermits, devoting themselves
to study, or to the domestic circle, and
never leaving home excepting to go to bust
ness. but that would not be the average or
ordinary man. am talking about a man
least to go occasionally to the theatre or to
church., or to show himself in places
he will not care to wear the same
clothes that he wears in the store or office.
For what We are likely to call a Sunday
suit he will want a frock coat and vest and
to match. For these he will pay
about $50, but they ought to last him. if he
viii buy an extra pair of trousers at 81. and
# he will take proper care of them, at
least three years.
THAT will make a very fair outfit of
clothing for an ordinary business man, but
will go a step further and assume that
avery man ought to have a regulation even
|ng dress suit-a swallowtail coat and dress
and vest. To an Englishman or to
! society man this part tf his wardrobe is
Is much a necessity as anything else he
wears, but to the great majority of Ameri-
IAN business men 1t seems like a superfiuous
Injury. 1t is certainly true, although YOU
tont see it very often in print, that very
nnny men even. men of means and posi-
ion. look uron an evening coat a. an evil
of foppery and ostentation, pardone.
perhaps, in a young man, or a man
With social ambitions, but hardly excusa-
de in a practical man.
II look on this as a great mistake. | be-
ieve that the dress suit, 40 called. ia a
,reat civilizer. No man can put on a uni
orm without at least remembering the
of the service which that uni
orm represents. The dress suit is the
inform of society, and when n man puts
t on he can't help feeling that he ought to
10 on his good behavior. Even the pos
ession of such n suit has a certain eleva-
influence, even If the owner does not
ave occasion to wear it more than four or
I've times n year. Moreover, a good Dire ss
- - 10 n thf,,s, thai ,.slt louA A.