The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-16
NEGLIGEE SHIRTS TONED down.
To ne in Fashion Men Won't Have to Wear
the Colors Threatened Early In the season:

. DO IN FhhuiOH EIch NNoht hhANo y
the Colors Threatened Early in the season.
So soon as the time for business came the
gayly colored checks which were seen in the
shop windows early in the season promptly dis
appeared and patterns OF a more subdued design
took their place as the approved fashions for
mems shirts. 1t is not to DO believed that the
goods were all sold, for the neglige shirt, al
though the day cannot DO said to have come yet,
shows little sign of having been made from such
fiamboyant materials. Checks remain as the
latest designs, but they are checks OF fainter hue
than the colors which lit up the shop windows
for a while in the carly spring.
The unstarchcd bosom. which New York first
came to know fully last summer. and with
which it continued an acquaintance during the
winter months, remains the style that will pre-
vail this year. Indeed, its convenience and use
fulness seem to have made IA fashion that is
likely to continue for some time to come.
Tho unstiGcned bosoms,' said an uptown
shirtmakcr the other day. met n demand
which men had felt for some time, and with a stiff
collar, either attached or unattached. the shirt
was very much more usual than the cheviots
with the turned down collars that really started
the popularity of the neglig6 shirt in this coun.
try. The chcviots were for ten years as popular
as any shirt for summer wear could have been
and they seemed satisfactory enough until it be-
gan to be realized that a shirt which might be
| made a little moro dressy when it was needed
would meet the case better. Before that time
the cheviots and madrases had been put through
nearly every possible change. Their turned
down collars had been made high and low and
cut in different patterns. But the possibility Of
| varying them in any way had about come to an
end. 1t was then. with the certain appropriate
ness that invariably marks the arrival OF a new
fashion. that the new shirts came. London sent
ia the style Vheraas the former fashion with ira
turned down collars had been of home origin.
"The convenience OF changing the collars has
kept those with unattached collars most in de-
mand. In fact, there has been n decided change
in this respect in reference to shirts OF all kinds
during the last few years. About eight years
ago it became the fashion to have the shirts
made with collars. The difficulty OF getting q
collar of that kind made to fit well is known,
but n shirtmakcr who cannot do it is not an ex-
pert at his business. But the shirtmaker suffered
from n disadvantage entirely beyond his control.
He might make a collar look all right, but he
could not make it feel just as the wearcr wanted
it TO. Americans more than any other people
in the world like TO have a collar Mt
closely about the neck. Look at the young
men who devote particular attention. TO
SO tight that 1t is n wonder they can breathe.
Tho collar made on the shirt was very much tho
fashion about five years, and as it happened
to be for n while more the thing than IA very
tight collar, the style survived. But it could
not be made to feel as tight around the neck. or.
for that matter, look as tight as the collar that
is b%uttoned on, so the attached collar had to
go. don't believe it was missed; Nine out OF
every ten men who had been clinging TO tho
fashion were mighty glad TO get rid Of 1t and
compress their Adams apples again behind a
nearly to death. Wo still have a certain call
for the shirts with the collars attached to them.
and this continues chiefly with the dress shirts.
This year will see no change in the way Of
making these neglige shirts. unless it be q con-
siderable decline in the number of pleated shirts.
been. They are difficult to launder. and they are,
OF course. somewhat warmer. An additional
objection can be- found in the fact that the
the stripes were. The fashion of one rather
broad pleat down the centre is probably the
most popular this summer. and any other orna-
mentation is not regarded as the best form.
Madras and pcrcalcs are the most popular ma
particularly in the solid colors. mako up very
effectively. but they do not wear so well. The
with starch in the plcat and about the cuffs.
"A curious instance OF convcntionality in
dress came TO our notice last year, We put on
the market shirt with a bosom less than ten
inches deep. This gave tho stitf bosom rs far
down as 1t was necessary with an ordinary
waistcoat, and the relief Of not being compelled
to wear the unnecessary starched linen seemed a
very good idea. But 1t was not popular, al
though we thought thai, the demand for the soft
would be acceptable. But when a man makes
up his mind to wear IA stiff .bosomcd shirt he Is
ratherd DO that than triho with an innovation. 1t
might be convenient, but 1t was new and un-
familiar, and therefore II was not popular.
Dress shirts show no sign Of change. and II is
not likely that they will for many years to rome.
] am amused TO hear of changes In these fashions
tricity. The perfect dress shirt Is tho fine linen
one with the two Or three buttonholes and tho
ming and end of what can he done to mako a per-
feet e@br dEiss Shirt bpsoms one hui max ~. S occasionally or% i sSs
| Main Dprfpptly fitting hnSpm