Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-03
HE DOTES ON HIS CLOTHES.
J. NJ. KIRKE, OF DETROIT, OWNS 200
DIFFERENT SUITS.
Makes n Change of Rniment Six Times
Each Dny-His Fight With Pow
erty Over, He Now In
duIges His Taste.

/
doubtful if the efrete East can furnish
many men who possess 200 suits of clothes
ana VINO change their raiment six times
d oay. Mr.. kirke lives to dress, and has
| MADE life study of the subject. He is an
| afable, gracious potentate and is always
| ready 10 give information to those who
IKE 10 dress well, for next to dressing well
| hlmselt he likes TO see other people well
| attired.
Nr. hlrke is extremely modest in his de-
meanor. He is of medium size and has
| dark hair and eyes Although he is only
30 years old he is slightly bald. which is
doubtless due to the great weight of
| thought that is always on his mind as to
| his dress. Although Mr.. Kirke is the king
| OF dudes, he is a man of business ability
| When 10 years of age he came West to hew
| out a fortune for himself. For while he
worked at anything that he could get 10
| do' and with his savings he speculated in
! town lots in Kansas City and Denver. in
| mines at Cripple Creek and elsewhere. and
was occasionally plunger in the Chicago
| Whedt pit among the bulls and the bears
| Whatever he went into he had the hanDy
| faculty of coming out of it on his feet: in
| snort. he made money. Now he is a mem
| Der of the firm of Brown Bros of this citv
with an income of $4,000 a year
With such an income. said the ruler
and autocrat of the dudes. Il can fully
crafty my tastes as to dress" Although
Ter OF dress in the United States he cares
nothing for society. The dominant idea
with him is to be always we'll dressed.
1t Is His Hobby.
''You know" he continued that every
man has hobby of some kind or other.
Mine has been to dress This idea is a
part of my being. My much respected
mother informed me that when | was
years old the desire to be decently and an
propriately clothed was Just as strong in
me as it is at the present. / used to get
mad If ! was compelled to wear a dirty
dress, and was as proud as peacock when
l was prettily attired. ! was the same way
during my schoolboy days 1 was not born
with a silver spoon in my mouth On the
contrary, my parents were not in affluent
circumstances. I started out to take care
of myself when was 10 years of age. and
though had the usual ups and downs [
was always particular about my clothes
Finally | made a good sized fortune and
am able to fully crafty my taste as TO
dress, and 1 assure you that l do so.
"Other men have fast horses others go
in for yachting, some spend their money
for wine, others at the gaming table, while
l spend considerable of my income on dress.
1t affects no one but myself. and 1 con-
trive in one way and the other 70 extract
a good deal of satisfaction out of my fad.
/, however, while 1 have been moderately
successful in life. have not forgotten my
people, and they share my prosperity with
me, although none of them is so extraya-
CANT in the matter of dress as am"
While he was saying this he flicked the
ashes off the cigar he was smoking and
gazed lovingly at fancy figured vest
which hung on the corner of the bedstead
Then his eyes rested fondly on u bunch of
canes which had been placed carefully on
the table Continuing, the potentate of the
heavy swells said:
Il spend about 5000 q year on dress
There is an absence of all self-conscious-
ness about me when put on a new suit of
clothes. Some men, you know, when they
put on new suit of garments appear
awkward and constrained, but with me it
is not the case. 1 could put on a suit with
as many hues in 1t as there were in Jo-
seph's coat and feel as completely at ease
in it as though 1 had on an old business
suit"
The monarch of the chappies then went
to trunk that is as big as a small barn
and produced from one of its many recess
es an overcoat. This garment he placed
upon his person. 1t did not fit him exact
ly like the paper on the wall. Then he
said:
This is my celebrated Ii Hung Chang
overcoat. 1t derives its name from the fact
that it is loose like the outer garment that
was "oIu Dy lHe great CnlneSe NlCerOy
during his stay in this country 1t is made
of heavy kersey after design which 1
furnished to the tailor. The work was
done by tailor in Kansas City who is an
artist. The cloth is beautiful seal brown
and has fine finish. 1t is made very loose.
In fact. 1t is so loose that it would fit two
men of my size. The shoulders are built
out two inches wider than would be re-
quired in an ordinary coat. This is to pro-
duce the immense back, or what might be
termed the Ii Hung Chang effect
What is the correct thing in sack suits?
The most favorable material in the ewes of
the best dressers Is shepherds plaid" and
the king of dressers pointed to Il plaid
suit that was stretched out on table with
the pants in wire stretchers, in order to
keep them in form. THE coat and vest
should be double breasted, and the cap
worn with this suit should also be of the |
same material as the suit. 1t makes a
swell suit. 1 tell you.
Fancy woolen waistcoats are in good
form, the fancier the better. The Prince |
of Wales set this fashion this year by ap- |
pearing in q gorgeous wooden waistcoat |
that was covered with flowers. The Iatest |
in frock coats are those made in Vienna |
cloth. with Il velvet collar For full even |
ing dress velvet collar is good form. 1 |
am very much in favor of velvet collar
and think that ii gives a tone to such gar@ |
ments that nothing else can impart White |
duck waiStcoatS are particularly up TO /
date for evening parties or swell balls
Light, large checks or stripes are the
correct thing in trousers. They must be
worn with cutaway coats. Trousers should |
be cut an inch or an inch and half small |
err at the shoe than at the knee. 1t is true
that this style is not becoming for men
who have big feet and his majesty gazed |
in an distracted manner at his No. 3 pat
ent feathers. and then an alarmed look
came on his face as he caught sight of the
No. skates that revealed the generous
of the reporters feet. "As for
shoes those with round toes are consid-
cred in good form. l have just received a
heavy-soled tan shoe which is
the correct thing in New York. where they
dress better than in any other city in the
United States. The correct thing in hats
are those of silk. but II looks awfully bad
to wear silk hat with sack coat A
sack coat is intended to be worn during
business hours. and n silk hat should not
be worn by man during the time that he
is attending to business.
Some New York swcIIs
''Who do 1 think is the best dresser in
the United States? Well. that is Il question
that have been asked before and for per-
sonal reasons 1 do not care to answer the
question. The New York papers award
the palm to Willis Tiffany. Reginald Rives,
c. d. Gibson. Richard Harding Davis, O.
II. p. Belmont and w. e. Whitney. Which
one of these gentlemen shows the most
taste in the matter OF his attire am not !
to say. 1 was at the horse show
in New York this year and saw all of these |
gentlemen, and / must say that they show
a great deal of correct taste and that they |
al ,1.I to-