Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-04
HINTS ON MEMS DRESS
THE TREND IS NOW TOWARD SIM
PLfCfTY-IN ATTIRE.
Summer Shirts and Cravats-Suitings
and ShOes-Fancy HOsiery-A Plea
for Absolute Harmony.
From the Habert!asher

From the Haber!asher
Beauty and comfort, or, l might say. ar
tistic quality and the quality of utility. are
the basic principles upon which all lasting
sartorial efforts rest. These principles are
in the main responsible for the resistance
| that meets every attempt to add to the
| complexity of the scheme of dress, or to
accentuate the tone of its chromatic nature.
| The slightest endeavor to introduce gar
nents or fixings which reveal the delicate
colors. or which are in their principal char
| acteristcs effeminate, into the wardrobe of
man meets the strong counter influences
of the firmly founded basic principles
| Fashions are not, and never have been.
the result of any sudden impulse, personal
| idfosyncrasy or radical movement. The
| mere softening of an effect, the slight &C
| centuation of line. or curve, or of a
form, becomes by an indescribable course
| of evolution fad. If it lives through that,
| the predatory stage, it becomes a full
| blown fashion
Dress is, and of necessity always must
| be, subservient to the principles demanded
by comfort and actuated by art. In one
| all that environment requires is manifested.
| while in the other esthetic influences shape
| the trend. Fashions which lack beauty as
we'll as utility are short lived. The pictur-
| esque In dress is best eXemplified by the
| outing attire of the man of the period. In
this scheme of dress the soft natural out
lines are preserved, and although vivid
| hues are used, they are subordinated by
| the more liberal use of quiet tones. 1t Is
| a perfectly harmonious scheme which
| brings out all the charm that good figure
lends to well-balanced and well-con-
| ce1ved scheme of dress. OF course with SO
| much license as to color one Is liable to be
| tempted to indulge in excuses. This is a
| danger that surrounds anything which is
| dependent upon artistic ideals for its proper
exploitation. The artistic must reflect free
| dom of thought intelligently directed.
| man must always be controlled In all mat
| tiers pertaining to his dress by the fact that
| ostentation is sartorial sin. 1t was Beau
| Brummers chief aim to avoid anything
| marked, one of his aphorisms being. so
| Captain Jesse tells us. that the severest
| identification a gentleman could incur was
| to attract observation in the street by his
| outward appearance"
| This sums up the case as 1t appears to me
| today Color has been running wild. and it
| Is now the aim of the well-dressed man to
| keep down the brilliant tones to such mi
| mute unit treatments that they do not p
| proach the famboyant. In other words the
| old desire to avoid schemes which are sure
to attract attention is once more para
| mount.
We can trace the trend of moderation in
| color and form through the apparel of the
| day. In the f1annes and neglge shirts and
| crayatS for outing wear colors are used In
| a subsidiary manner They are not The
| dominant note. The great flowing cravats
| in Screeching scarletS and vivid blues.
greens and yellows have been relegated t.
| subordinate places in the color schemes de-
| signed for the ornamentation of fabrics for
| mems wear In their place we find the quiet
| tones in the first primary treatments and
| the brilliant tones in the offsetting units.
| small unit cannot be too brilliant, while a
| ground color should always he of quiet hue.
We must follow in shirtings. cravatings
| and hosiery the more quiet combinations.
| In shirtings there are a great many striped
! treatments in all the modish tones. l no.
! tice that in the smart 81. ops all the very
-iI-i1 inerc ha1-a ha..n
suitable tones the blues, reds, lavenders,
black and white combinations and all white
effects Lavender, blue or white shirts in
one tone are rather outre. These are coiors
that always go well with white. and white
will be by all odds the predominating tone
of all summer shirts.
Neglige shirts are now being made in the
coat model for golf and wheeling. In high
class goods the coat model neglige shirt is
a great favorte. l think it is the only sem
sible neglige shirt ever made. Certainly
it is the best. Why man should pull a
garment that Is soaked with perspiration
over his head Is of those things never
could comprehend contend that all sum-
mer shirts. outer and under. should be open
all the way down the front. And l also
contend that drawers for wear with knick-
ers should be cut off at the knee. If you
Ner wear a coat shirt union suit, or a
coat undershirt you will never wear the old
and unhandy garments. But to return to
golf shirts, madras, sateen and flannel, as
well oxford, are the best fabrics for
rcughing shirts. In these fabrics the tones
are quite loud, and some of the combna-
lions are very pronounced. The shirt de-
signed for actual field work has sleeves
which reach to the elbow. For day wear.
or more properly for business wear, the
pleated neglige shirt will be very popular.
III white it is an ideal summer garment.
If you prefer coors then select neat stripes,
not big bar or peculiar pattern. The
pleated shirts of neat pattern look we'll
with fold collar and tie or derby OF
barathea or rumchunda. With the neglige
shirt one should wear narrow belt or the
plain trace strap model The black belt is
by far the most smart. The WalStcoatS
for summer wear should be very plain.
White linen duck. with mother-of-peari
buttons, or the new linen khaki, with
smoked pearl buttons. are the best. The
waistcoats are cut double-breasted with
the rows of buttons converging toward the
bottom. They have very deep lapels and
button quite high. For evening wear thH
white waistcoat with mother-of-pea put
tons is best for wear with the evening coat,
and the same waistcoat with gold buttons
is best for wear with the evening jacket
Fancy hose will be very popular One
should be careful in making selections that
! STYLES are selected which will cover the
various stages of dress. l will give you
| little outline of the correct half hose for
| the various pastimes and social functions.
With the morning suit colo red socks in anv
| OF the seasonable combinations are good
Lisles with silk clocking or with SILK figures
| or stripes proper With the morning
suit one may wear either tan or black Ok
fcrd or low cut shoes. With the hannes
| Isle fancy half hose worsted three
quarter hose may be worn. The shoes are
| low cut and may be of black or tan. Dur
ing the afternoon wear silk half hose of q
more quiet pattern than that worn in the
morning. The ground should be of black
| or dark blue. The shoes may be calf top
patent leather, or patent leather low cut
| For evening one should wear black silk
hose with a lace pattern or effect or with
| self effect If the evening coat is worn. With
| the evening jacket half hose with a neat
pattern in lavender heliotrope or dark
| red on a black ground will be in good form.
| Ii might be well to bear in mind that the
| half hose should harmonic in color with
| the predomnating color in the suit. Vivid
| contrasts as l said in the opening para
graph to these notes. should be avoided.
| Harmony must be maintained between all
! the articles Of dress. Bold contrasts must
| be avoided With the blue serge suits wear
white negIige shirts. or shirts that show
| a very neat blue stripe. The cravat should
| also be blue and white and so should the
| half hose The shoes should be of black
calf 1 do not like russets with dark suits.
| 1t makes ones feet entirely too prominent.
With suits of light gray or of black and
white or brown combinations tans go we'll.
| In every suiting the predominating tone