Evening star., 1902-01-25
STYLES IN MEMS DRESS
SOME NEW IDEAS FROM ACROSS THE
WATER.
Cravats That Are Coming and Colors
That Have Arrived-Bows Banish-
ed-The Dinner Pocket.

London Correspondence the Haberdasher.
The cravats of the immediate future, for
all fashionable occasions, are either once
overs or that thing with made band and
flowing ends, which you call, believe, an
imperial, and that the most extensive
movement in regard to color will be in the
familiar direction of steel-gray, but with
the innovation of considerable basic design,
rather large, and some color-almost any
color-in diamond or ring-shaped spots,
also fairly large, and worked up TO in the
ground pattern. These ties are cut out of
rich but not very heavy squares, made in
Macclesheld on hand looms in quite the
old-fashioned manner; and as the ties are
bias-cut, and the material itself is far from
cheap to begin with, you can see that they
are hfgh-classed goods which are re-
ferred to.
Some Novelties.
One or two novelties in tie silks are worth
mentioning, though 1 still find myself
obliged in doing SO to be a little more tech
nical than is my frivolous custom. Bows
are entirely out of use, and the most de-
sirable thing about a cravat just now is
that it should entirely fill the waistcoat
collar opening, which, in sympathy, is
made smaller and smaller every day to IA
cilitate this undesirable endeavor. The in
novations of the hour are mostly in the
warp the groundwork Of the material, upon
which the pattern is grated $50 to speak,
by the shuttle of the weaver on the Jac-
guard loom. Shaded warps are one notion;
the threads composing the warp run
through certain gamut of color or colors,
which can of course be seen on the back
when the material Is turned over. Another
new, or newly revived, notion is that of
printed garps The warp before being tied
on the loom Is laid fat on table, and
printed by means Of hand blocks, with
large. flowing patterns which, like the
shading just mentioned, modify the effect
of the design in the finished material.
Another comparative novelty is the vogue
enjoyed by what is technically called
lace" really heavy net. woven like other
silk, but with this peculiar difference, that
the Weft threads, left visible underneath in
the track of the shuttle, between certain
dots in the pattern, are cut off by hand
with a pair Of scissors after the stuff Is
through the network Long scarfs of silk
and also Of mercerized cotton are made on
this plan-the latter an admirable washing
material which cannot fail to have good
run next summer.
This same mercerized cotton turns up in
the department of shirtipgs. where again
1t will be found to be the thing of the hour
next summer, I am satisfied. 1t is cotton
treated in certain fashion, which has the
effect of putting a hard, polished surface
on it where desired to form sort of
pattern. This effect does not wash off, it
isn't a dressing effect, but is inherent in the
fabric l think white and white" summer
shirtings and zephyrs will most likely out
class all colored ones next spring; but a
great many stripes, chiefly pink will be
made, too.
Black and White Season.
There can be little doubt that the next
is going to be, SO far as clothes are con-
cerned, a decidedly black and white season,
though the royal taste is in this example
somewhat more vociferous than strict fash
ion accepts AS already mentioned, silver
gray with spots of color would seem to be
the coming thing in cravats, and if we have
any considerable color about us this winter
apart from the spots aforesaid in our cra-
vats), it will take the form of some very
tasteful and rich madder printed silk pock-
ct handkerchiefs. Those which are most
used just now have solid center-that is
the large middle square is of one color
without pattern, If hemstitched; but a good
many of them are plain-hemmed, like those
nice, old-fashoned white Irish linen hand
kerchiefs, which, after all, and in spite of
hemstitching and silk and everything else
look the best tone" in the world, the
world over. still. or course the taste for
desire to avoid bulgy pockets: I am far
from complaining Of it, and If you must
have colored handkerchief these old
fashioned, eid-world-looking madder printed
silk ones are the best.
In case any curiosity Is felt concerning
the dinner jacket will quote what is said
on the subject In the best fashion article
for men which is just now being run in
subject-I mean the mainly for men,
notes by a clever writer calling himself
Burlington R. Cade." This authority says
(and he is right In the main, though 1
of buttons" highland ito put in from the
front" ugh! ughD. Although by some
the Monte Carlo or dinner jacket is re-
garded as a substitute for the tail coat it
should not be accompanied by the usual
accessories OF full evening dress The tie
for such jacket should be small black
satin. one, the wafstcoat should be black,
and jeWeled studs should most certainly he
avoided. as should fancy-fronted shirts
The neatest and most appropriate studs for
such get-up are those small mother-o'-
pearl limitations Of buttons. which are put in
from the front, and have spring arrange
ment which opens out on the under side.
An attempt was made year ago to intro
duce dinner jackets into wear for dances
and theaters but the attempt deservedly
failed" "a
There is alwayEsa chance for knitted
wastcoats when ths weather is at all cold,
and they are used Anyway for golf, which
still maintains considerable vogue, though
motoring is a newer Craze. The knitted
waistcoat most in fashion this winter is a
decided Improvement upon anything we
have ever had before. It is single-breasted.
and made in a rough, knotty kind of a
stitch, in a perfectly plain color: the most
fashionable color is q dark claret. The
edges are braided with cloth about Ave
eighths Of an inch. wids, and the buttons
are either of ivory, stained to match, or,
what Is decidedly, better, wooden tailors'
moids covered wirh the same cloth as the
braiding. For gok PURPOSES these waist
please, they are not worn with gilt buttons,
although some men who ought to know
better have previously forced this inappro-
pirate unchastfty upon their tailors.
The latest innovation reported in cravats
Is the use Of suede as material. It does
not sound very promising, but as sport
ing tie and in connection with the vast
vogue Of leather which. has accompanied
the motor movement It may catch on, it
may catch on! Who knowsa Who. indeed,
knows anything. except that innovations
come and innovations go. but the old good
taste is never outdated.
--<Dt--