Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-03-16
SPRING STYLES FOR MEN.

IL, rs second d-c!as5 matter.
SPRING STYLES FOR MEN.
The spring dude of 1896 promises to
be gayer thing than for many years
past. And the young man who aspires
to be sin the push" must have long
pocketbcol or he will fall by the way
side with ignominious haste.
The particular glory of the man oi
fashion will DE his waistcoats. He
should have at the very least seven OF
them, one for each day in the week and
another Que for Sunday. These waist
coats are made of all manner of things.
The finest are made of russet-colored
velvet, black velvet and dark blue vel
vet. For ordinary wear they are made
of corduroy, moleskin and leather. All
shades of brown are the popular hues
but some of the "Willie Boys" with q
characteristic desire to appear unlike
their fellow-men, are adopting ell kinds
| of the more sober colors. The tendency,
however, is towards the brighter hues,
and, unless it is speedily checked, the
warmer months will see vests as lively
as those worn by song-and-dance ar
lists on the variety stage. Pink, yell
low, blue, scarlet, green, rose, violet
aud mauve seem destined to come and
crowd into the shade the famed waist
coats Of the dandies hundred years
| back.
No man who makes any pretentions
10 the way Of fashionable attire will
wear buttons on his waistcoat where
they can be seen. The button holes
should be worked in an under Lapel,
the same as OF an overcoat. Particular
attention should also be paid 10 the
pockets. Each should be fitted with o
lapel at least two inches in depth, wiih
square edges, and the lapels must al
ways be kept in view. There must nev
er be the faintest bint Of crease Or
wrinkle in the waistcoat, and to main
tain them in their pristine smoothne-s
they should be sent to q tailor after
| every two or three weariDgs TO be
pressed.
Heretofore the waistcoat has merely
figured as an incidental, but now it has
jumped into first place. A stock of
seven of them made by tailor Of note
cost in the neighborhood of $3.50, and
where suit Of clothes cost so year
ago, the price now runs to 800 and
over
A sign OF the spring is the brown
derby, which will be more universally
worn this season than ever. The gray,
black and brown Homburg, or
Fedora hat, as it is sometimes called,
which we have associated so long with
pictures of the Prince of Wales, is go
ing out, and the stifl hat coming in.
The London authorities insist that
the russet shoe will aso depart, and
that very smart men will wear black
leather again.
Already men have been wearing
thick, black leather boots, with rounded
toes-the pointed affairs also having
fallen into disfavor-and patent leather
of the same shape for afternoon aud
Sunday. The russell shoe will, how
ever, maintain its popularity as long as
country sports are iii vague-and that
means beyond our allotted time of life.
The russet shoe is the footgear for the
country, and it is only lately it has
been introduced so widely in the city.
IT the spring waistcoats are gorgeous,
the shirts promise to be sill more so.
Certainly if the shirt makers have their
way men will be arrayed in all the col
ors and combinations of the rainbow.
The new material which is seen in the
windows Of Broadway and Fifth avenue
dealers is species of sateen, very high
ly polished, and coming in varied pat
terms in blues, browns, pinks and lilacs.
One shop has show case devoted to
shirts of the very brightest yellow and
the most intense green. The latter
have relief from their vividness by
being speckled with black polka dots.
Although one sees more of the all
around stright standing collar at pres
ent, most of these shirts are made with
the very high rundown affairs, which
came in fashion last summer.
Colored shirts will be worn at all
times, except with evening dress. The
ties which will go with these will be
even more vivid than those OF last
summer Many men are having linen
ascots and club ties made of the same
material as their shirts, and matching
them in color.
In the matter of trousers and coats
there is not much change to speak of.
The trousers are gradually growing
narrower, but so slowly that the
change is barely perceptible. A width
of nineteen inches at the knee and sew
enteen and a-half inches at the bottom
is about the average. Some of the hu-
man fashion plates predict that within
year tight trousers, the kind which
were in vogue fifteen years ago, will
again be the rage.
Men are paying more attention these
days to underwear than ever be-
fore. in fact one haberdasher in Broad
way gravely announces that he has a
fine assortment of mems lingerie. The
very swell young man keeps a
stock of twenty suits OF pajamas or
hand all the time. A fairly good suit
costs SIS, and some OF the fancy ones
run as high as $50. Bath robes are
now the subject OF much ornamental
ton the prices Of the good ones running
from $40 to $50.
Y ANDRETB's NEW CROP OF TURNIF
n b.