The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-29
JAMES wALDERE KIRK
THE ONE PERFECTLY DRESSED
MAN IN ALL AMERICA.
lions SweIIs Can Now Get Some
Pointers-MThe King, Talks to n
Herald Reporter on Matters of
Dress-His Latest Innovation is
the PocketIess OvercOat.

in dress because of their own poverty
of invention, is on a visit to Salt Lake.
Mr.. Kirk is supposed to be the one
properly dressed man in all America
the one, because as soon as his apes
adopt his newest fashion, he drops 1t
and introduces another.
The title king of the dudes" was
conferred upon Mr.. Kirk by common
consent when Berry Wall became
benedict, it being the presumption that
married man cannot be a leader of
fashion, and he was considered the
most fitting successor to the old-time
fashion plate of Newport and Long
Branch.
Mr.. Kirk will be in the city for a
few days, so the fashionable young
men of lions 400 can have the benefit
of his taste in matters of dress.
The latest innovation of the ''king's"
is the pocketless overcoat 1t was in
troduced by him in October last and
recently made it's appearance in the
New York fashion plates of December.
The king" made his appearance on
Main street yesterday arrayed in his
most faultless get-up, topped with his
pocketlesS oVercoat, and created quite
a sensation among the young swells
of the city, who followed him with
their eyes until his natty form was
lost to view as he turned into Third
South street on his way to the Knuts-
ford, where he is staying. The coat
was certainly something VERY new to
Salt Lakes well-dressed young men.
In the evening he entertained a
number OF them at his rooms with
the details of the latest STYLES.
Every man." said he to a Herald
reporter, who called during the even
1nE. should have a hobby of some
sort, and mine happens to be dress.
Dress is an art. and the man who
would be perfectly dressed must de-
vote much time and attention to the
study of it. He must have originality,
good taste and be able to distinguish
between what is outlandish or gaudy
and what is neat and gentlemanly.
He must not pay too much fidelity to
the fashion plate. but must study the
styles. nevertheless. That is the course
I pursue and my dress is always mod
ern.
What changes of dress should a
man make during the day? A we'll
dressed man may wear a checked suit
till after luncheon. In the afternoon
he should wear a GETAWAY in dark
check or other dark goods. or he may
don a tuxedo.
'In the matter of overcoats, he may
wear a light color until shutdown, pro-
vided that he does not wear light
clothes during the afternoon. A light
coat goes well with a dark suit
ut is very bad form to wear a light
coat over an evening dress suit. The
Inverness coat is the correct thing;
not the Inverness cape, but the loose
coat, with cape like sleeves.
So far as the styles are concerned,
the double breasted sack coats are
now coming in fitting closer to the
ter taste is displayed in wearing plain
and solid colors than large checks or
fancy goods. There are two styles of
getaways, the afternoon long wasted
short tailed coat, with pockets and
flaps at the side and one or two top
pockets. This is the very correct thing.
Vests for day wear are cut much high
er than last year. The coats of course
correspond and the overcoats, which
should reach only to the knee, are sin
gle breasted and also high at the neck.
All overcoats must be without outside
pockets. The reason for this is that
men are apt to thrust their gloves or
hands into their pockets and, making
them bulge out, spoil the appearance
of the coat.
Trousers, coat and vest should never
be worn in different colors. That is
of course very bad taste The trousers
and coat should be of the same mate
rial or if the trousers are different
from the coat, then the coat and vest
should be the same. White or fancy
vests may be worn in the afternoon
with black trousers and coat but never
with checks or plaids 1 notice the
toothpick shoe is still worn here. 1t is
no longer correct. In New York the
points are turned down. l also see the
dernier window collar as l hear some
Of your people call it, is still worn. This
is also back number. The gentleman
who is the best dressed man is the
plainest dressed and it was never
more true than this season. A gentle
man should not dress with the idea of
attracting attention but by being orig
inal, make his dress distinguishable
and it will be admired by those of good
taste. In the evening suit the coat is
not so long as last season. Then the
coat showed beneath the overcoat, a
very ridiculous fashion. I suppose it
was considered very English like the
turned up trousers, but both are very
passe. The shiny silk facing for a
dress coat is very bad form. If used
at all the silk should be dull and con-
form as much as possible to the goods.
For young men the round collar is good
form but middle aged or old men should
wear the peaked collar. No gentleman
of good taste will wear a white vest
with an evening suit. 1t is almost as
bad as wearing the inner vest The
vest may be double-breasted, cut very
deep, but the best form is the single
breasted collarless vest In the mat
ter of trousers the changes are never
very marked but this season they are
much smaller than last"
Referring to the we'll dressed young
men of Salt Lake the expert student Of
habiliments said: 81 have noticed a
number of very we'll dressed gentle
men here although none of them can
be said to be up to date. There is
very good reason for this. There are
very few young men here who have
nothing to do but dress and spend their
money. So of course they have not the
opportunity. There are a few, how
ever who are as near up to date as
you will find them anywhere. Among
these are c. G. Fields, Robert j.
Glendinning, Benner x. Smith. Ken
meth Dornellan Clarence Mccormick
and Miles Varian.
The "king'' is not, as many would
suppose, a man of fashion simply,
with nothing to do but admire himself
in the glass, but is well regulated
young business man representing
large wholesale firm at the east. He
is now returning from the coast, where
he has been for some weeks. At San
Francisco he created a great sensa-
ton among the swelis, who were wear
ing pOcketleSS coats within a week af-
ter his arrival there.