Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-04-26
PORTALS new YORK LETTER

WOULD PROBABLY gain more lnfofinablon
by spending an hour late any afternoon
in the mems cafe of the WaldorfAstoriH
than they could week in tho Stock
Exchange. 1t is not too much to say"
a New York broker told me yesterday
afternoon, THAT 10 out OF 90 Of all the
big and lie:le financial deals that have
for two years interested Wall street,
have found their inception under this
Cosmopolitan roof"
Not later than o'clock every after
noon groups OF brokers, spectators and
investors will be found sitting about.
But whiio tho ordinary deals arc being
arranged, and stories told and listened
TO, bottles opened and cigars lighted.
losses and gains estimated and COM
pured. it is NOS unlikely that in sons
private parlor in ore Of the upper floors
some of the bigger men of finance are
planning consolidation which will efftct
tens of millions. l was sitting In the
bali yesterday afternoon, chatting with
this self same broker, and | told him
that was not half so much interested
in their deals aud schemes as was in
noticing how Dame Fashion Affected
these well.known men. Nowhere in
the world does one see better dressed
mon than does one in New York. The
lplh ob Hatcut poop1t
and the broker asked me il it were true
that the fashion of wearing them was
on the wane. Now, while truo in one
sense, such a statement needs q certain
amount OF qualification, and venture
to predict that low patent leather shoes
will be woin by men of leisure in the,
afternoon and evening during spring
and summer more than ever before.
Talk as you please, the patent leather
tie cannot be spared, for there is nothing
to take its place.
1 noticed that the best-dressed men
who loiter in here and drink their
we'll we will call it 5 O'Clock tea--are
very particular about theij footgear.
The very flat last continues to be smart.
| The soles are the extension kind, a
quarter of an inch in thickness, and
pointed vamps run far back. High tan
boots will be very little worn except for
shooting and tramping in the woods.
| do like those eood-looking long
coats for rainy days in summer. saw
we'll groomed Wall street broker yes
terday afternoon come in the Waldorf
with ore ON. Lit is the style known as
the Crayanet rain coat, made on the
raglan line with pointed shoulder
seams and vertical stiff pockets, which
| enable the wearer to get at the pockets
4 CT his trousers without unbuttoniDg,
| the coat This crayanet coat, made of
West OF England cloth, is light and soft
1t is impervious to water, and looking
as we'll as any other material, may be
worn at all times.
But, oh, it is the waistcoat that tells,
Beth. Such waistcoats 81 m of them
positively jar ON one's merry, ., and yet
it is the exception to see a man here
with waistcoat to match his coat For
the last few days / have seen a lot of
buff and Khaki-colored linen waist
coats, most Of them double breasted,
with buttons converging but not coming
to point, and with old round edge in
stead of points at the bottom, which Ia
very smart and good looking. The
single breasted waistcoats are also now
being made with slight points. saw
one fresh, cool looking single breasted
waistcoat of white linen, with light
blue dot in it. The buttons were fiat
pearl ones, with light blue centres; the
waistcoat had neither,oollar nor lapels,
which c'est la chose propre. Khaki
colored waistcoHts look we'll with q
fiock coat, but frankly, Beth, it takes
great deal of natural good style for a
man to wear gay waistcoat with a
frock coat. l like it, but it can so
easily give man race track air.
Khaki color has become q fad (; is the
result of the Boer war, suppose, though
do not know why we should take it
up. We fought cur lite war satiHfac,
turily, using Khakis,simpy as a good
material for troops and for riding
breaches and shooting toys, but not
until it became London fad did our
men of fashion adopt iG. 1t shows which
way the wind blows, does it not, my
dear? For evening waistcoats the Cairo
shape is the swell one. 1t Is cut very
low and is made of white pique and
fastened with three gilt or pearl buttons.
The frock coat, ha it il seen IN inauy
! styles floating about these corridors.
There have been so many variations
! play ed by the CUTTERS scissors and the
, tailor's needle on the old-fashioned
Prince Albert tune, that it has almost
lost its distinctive air. But to be per-
fectly correct it must now be very much
! curved at the waist, bigHover the hips
and long. The best styles are made Of
,, gray or brown Oxford cloth, with the
,, long hair. l tell you, Beth, they are
good looking things when a man and
, the coat fit, but when they don't,
, Helas They are impossible! The tailor
keeps his own secret about the way he
|, and large hip effect, and he does moi
I tell us, but the lords of creation now
adays have their little vanities to share
, with the fair sex.
Shirts ma fol. They seem to have
run amuck among the dye rots. Solo
mon in all his glory was not arrayec
like one of these. One finds every kline
I and combination of stripes Broac
: stipes, in pinks, blues, lavenders anc
, reds are to be seen in the window o.
, every haberdasher, and fer that reason
! they are Stunned by the best-dresset
. mon. A leading haberdasher told ms
+ that the best styles are white, with {
: very narrow hairline in one color, Of
two or more colors. In other words, on,
should strive to gain the effect of wear
/ ing white with little color, instead O
, color with little white. White percalel
! are the smartest things for whit
negligee shirts.
, Hero have spent all my time talking
: of the vanities of the sterner sex, and
+ wanted to tell Beth lot OF things, bu
have only time now to warn he
q before it is too late. Don't, don t,don'
/ get one of these handkerchief waists. 4
a plain waist with a handkerchief cola
. is the chic and new affair, but al
entire waist made Of those handkeIchie
4 squares is not recognized by my lady 0
+ the haut monde. They have been rele
a gated to the MASSES that promenad
n Sixth avenue OH Sunday afternoons.