Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-11
MOURNING DRESS FOR MEN
Suitable Toilets for the Various Stages O
Bereavement.
SIGNIFICANT DETAILS OF THE COSTUME
Black-Bordcrcd handkerchief and
Black Shirtstuds Outlnwed by
Fnstidious Mcn-Eootwcar
and Hendwca

EnstiulOus Men-fOOtWcnr
and
DIgnifed and decent mourning dress for
q man does not permit the use OF a black
band on the sleeve of a tan-colored coat
The variety-loving city bounder may be
permitted to enjoy this indeCOrous means
of publishing the loss OF one both near and
dear, but the well-drossed man and gentle
man must array himself from top to toe in
the proper trapping and suit of woe, or
make no pretensions to mourning dress at
all.
The complete outfit for the individual who
has lost a near relative, a parent, child,
sister or brother or wife is for business
hours and for the morning a full suit of the
toughest wool in black, the sacque coat,
trousers and waistcoat all from the one
piece of goods. With this white linen and
a dull black silk tie in which no pin appears.
As the waistcoat buttons high and the
cravat spreads its folds amply no bit of
lircn save the cuffs and collar appear, so
that the shirt bosom striped or s~prigged
or dotted with black about which there ID
always an unpleasant tombstony suggestion
is wisely and thoroughly blotted out OF sight
and use.
Vanished boots are not permitted with
this costume, a dull calf or dongola with
black cloth spats taking natural precedence
OF any other type of footwear. A gun metal
watch chain, drawn straight across the
waistcoat, cuff links of the same material
ard gloves Of black gazelle skin denote a
proper attention to small, significant details.
As for headgear, the black bowler or
derby, as one may choose to call it, is the
approved roof and crown OF things demon
,,,,,;,- ,bn ~ rnaliID, in ito nrpnprtiOng
Of crown and brim, lined with white satin
and bearing a black band from two inches
and a half TO two inches and three-quarters
in width.
Full afternoon dress for a man in mourn
ing requires that the frock coat, trousers
and waistcoat be cut from the same piece of
black vienna, or rather heavy finished
worsted, and that the shoes be of leather
enameled sufficiently to give only a slight
luster. Black splatter dashes buttons over
these and the gloves are black glace kid,
fastened with two large black buttons. The
top hat for such an outfit at the funeral may
be bound with crepe. Thereafter mourner's
cloth is the appropriate band and is worn
widest for a wife. For a child or parent the
top hats band should measure two inches
and three-quarters.
Tightening the Gloom.
Into the full dress mourning suit a CLEAN
of light may be cast by the scarf and pin,
though for the funeral and first weeks after
ward a Cravat of silk as lusterless as the
facing of the coat lapels and pierced by a
dull black enameled pin paves the way to a
cravat of black and gray brocade and an
onyx pin touched with gold. In the brocade
figures or stripes are equally acceptable and
one man of undoubted taste and knowledge
in the niceties of dress wears in his tie a
single pearl of modest size sunk in a
gypsy setting of black enamel showing a
hair line of gold. Another popular form is a
birds claw of onyXed gold and dusky enamel
holding "A ball of onyx. a watch chain of
gold links subdued with elaborate tracings
OF black enamel afford another relieving
touch to prevailing gloom of the garments
and for sleeve links nothing takes precedence
of thin, long, oval buttons of beautifully
polished agate, the lustrous blackness Of the
stone traversed by misty blue white lines.
Sunk in delicate gold bands and linked with
gold, these are the acme of smartness and
refinement.
Significant Details.
No discussion of mourning could assume
to be complete without reference to the
handkerchief linen and the visiting card,
The first should not be hemstitched in black
and many men ridicule the notion, and with
justification, that it is necessary. manly or
seemly to carry with mourning dress other
than a purely white mouchoir. There is I'M
deniably Il number, however. who cling to
the tradition of the mourning handkerchief
and lave in the corners of their purely
white linen squares n small oval or diamond
Of black linen set and on this the initials
In chastely simple white embroidery done.
Surely there is nothing conspicuous
or ofeminate in mis- device as
may be urged against the black
border, and it serves perfectly TO satisfy
the conscientious qualms of those who
love to do everything in deceHcy and order.
A small bristol board slip, lightly Dor
dered with black and bearing the name in
heavy black letters or in old English, is the
carte de yisite of the gentleman suffering a
bereavement, and bill folder card case and
cigarette holder should respectively be
made, the two first of black seal, the latter
of gun metal with the initials thereon
lightly chased in gold,
Concerning evening dress for a man in
mourning for the first month, nothing need
be said, for he who respects his own grief
and the conventions sufficiently TO wear
carefully considered mourning does not for
at least four weeks appear at any function
where evening dress is required. At home
for dinner the costume necessary is that
customaTily worn, the waistcoat matching
the trousers and short dinner coat, the tie
OF lusterless black silk, the sleeve links
such as he wore with his afternoon dress
and the shirt studs OF white enamel. When
the days of mourning are not chronology
cally completed, but healthy human nature
turns nevertheless TO social Intercourse and