Evening star., 1898-12-31

| ioHSSi. ne front OF the RarlSlan lrOCk
coat is not straight. The lines of it's collar
run too much TO roundness. Its lapel lacks
| point. 1t Is a sad affair. And then the
deputies will not wear fancy vests
AS the new deputy from Castellaue min
giles with his shabby peers, i'm the frock
coats that cost him $50 each to build you
see them looking covertly at him from out
| the corners of their eyes, attempting to
| divine how he produces his effect. The
frock coat is unbuttoned yet IL always
| holds together at the front, the two edges
| falling in straight lines inch apart, and
never more nor less. Even a slight bUlging
| is given to its open breast, from out which
| shine the splendors of the double-breasted
| fancy vest. A sprightly young duchess was
once asked by rich parvenu: How do
you give your gowns such willowy grace?"
She answered: ''Oh, | just put myself in
| side of them!'' 1t is true that Count Boni
| is straight and slender. 1t is also true that
| ms frock coats are made by artists.
How IL is Managed.
| At the same time there is an inexpensive
| little trick by means of which he maintains
the straight lines and the aristocratic bulge.
| Every frock coat being doubie-breastcd.
! has two lines of buttonholes down its front
| edges. Two buttons matching those upon
| the coat are Joined by a silk cord hardly
two inches long. By means of these the
| middle buttonholes of the frock coat are
! linked together. Ii cannot flap. IL cannot
| sag. But it can bulge. The bulging breast,
! SO much desired to give coquettish glmpses
| of the heavy-colored double-breasted fancy
| vest, is caused because the two top button
holes remain unlinked. From out the black
| or dark gray of the frock coat glows a sui
len red or shines a sapphire or irradiates
! electric blue. The dyes of these rich vest
materials are vegetable, not cheap aniline.
Their colors have the richness of a precious
| stone. The frock coat is not long as it
was formerly. The correct length is that
| 1t may just cover the kneecap. If the Comte
! de Castellane should do other work
| among his colleagues in the chamber, the
elucidatlon of this mystery alone would
| give him title to the public gratitude. You
can have your coat cut just readily as
| you can have your hair cut
| There is always great sameness about
| fancy trousers. As in the of fancy
vests, this SamencSS is due to the fact that
| the varieties are endless. There is one
| particular pattern. however. at the present
moment, with which the Comte de Castel-
| lane is pleased exceedingly. 1t is gray
ground with white or very delicate blue
hair line. In slightly varying shades of
| blue ana gray they have made for him a
dozen pairs of trousers from this motif.
| This, by the way, is his taste-to order
what the tailors call a range in fancy
trousers, fancy vests and sack suits. The
same pattern will be repeated in a dozen
shades He calls ii running the chromatic
scale.
Crease 'Em Down the Sides.
Nov we approach an innovation in the
world of pants" the serious character OF
which cannot be exaggerated. What ] am
about to tell is absolutely true. The Comte
de Caste!lane did not conceive the idea, out
it has his firm support 1t is nothing less
than to crease trousers down the sides in
stead of down the front and back. To un-
derstand the motives for this extraordinary
change ii will be necessary to glance at the
raisOn d'etre of the crease in itself. 1t can
not be denied. Its fundamental object has
ever been to diSSimulate that baggineSS
that will come to the knees. Men who cling
to their trousers as old friends find a pre-
TIn
front crease. But what of those whose
trousers never bag? Count BonTs trousers
never bag. There ought to he a means Of
showing it to the whole world. 1t is strange
that no one ever thought of the side crease
before. Its vogue is now completely
launched 1t is a charming demonstrator
OF the purity of line. 1t is a terrible un-
maSker of incinient bagginess. 1t is a
1asmon that must, from it's nature. remain
exclusive. No trousers will stand the side
crease when they have been worn more
than few times. Like the shirt with its
cuffs and collars attached the side crease
means continued renewing. To have the
side crease means that you have pants
to burn. OF course. the crease is heavier
outside than inside OF course also stumpy
men do not become it. 1t embellishes a tail
man. And in every case it means straight
legs. | think it need not be said that Cas-
teiane does not use trouser stretchers. Even
for the middle classes they were ever a de-
fusion.
Gray for Evening Dress.
Ihere IS new ldea In evening clothes. In
Paris, as in London, men who dress" are
wearing gray materials The dress coat is
gray. The trousers are gray 1t is not a
light gray but it is a gray. The Comte de
Casteiiane wears these grays to his club.
and even to the theater. He wears them to
pacnelors dinners smoking concerts and
the IKE OF course, he would not turn up
IN them at dressy ball. For the rest, all
the tentatives of the last few years to
brlnS out cClors in dress clothes have failed
Even pink" coats and knee breeches have
almost gone out of Paris life, and are seen
rarely except at the chateau, where hunt
Falls give them relevancy.
1t Is likely that the fancy silk vest is at
The bottom of IT. There was need of color
IN the male evening costume The fancy
SILK vest supplied it. There is no need to
look further. The fancy silk vest has also |
led TO the gray dress suit for whose gayer
patterns 1t forms a more harmonious con-
trast. The fancy vest is everywhere BY
day 1t is extravaganza. By night il is a |
gulf. These vests Of brocade silk for even
ing dress run up to $50 each. The Comte
de Castellane pays ten times more for therl |
than Tor the dress suits and dinner jackets |
they accompany. At his favorite club the |
young men-and the old men-now talk |
chiffons' like so many girls. All, me! What |
fascination! as the poet says. All me- |
What fascination! What faint stars of |
emerald and opal, with the shine of rubies |
intermingled, and dim bars of twisting tur- |
quoise and pale coralline! What rings and |
rounds. What thin streaks sapphirne |
freckle their cleaning glory, like the bed |
of Eden streams with gems enameled,
The only time the Comte Boni de CasteI- !
lane committed an indscretion in dress was |
on the occasion of his duel with NJ. Henri |
Turot last June. He dressed-or un- |
oressed-by his valet in the carriage and |
appeared upon the ground in a white silk |
shirt, black trousers and patent leather |
shoes. When Arthur Meyer. one of his te- |
moinS saw that these trousers though not |
too long. might nevertheless work down |
and trip their wearer, he called out: Turn |
UP your pantsi Its more convenient-and |
more chic" The Comte Boni de Castellane |
turned up his pants" 1t was a momen-
tary weakness He knew better. He re-
grets it now. In his world it is never chic |
to turn ones pants up"
STERLING HEILIG.