Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-10
STYLES,sIN MEMS DRESS
SUMNER cE6rHEs ARE TO BE FOR
= COMFORT.
Stiff Linens and Skirted Coats Out Of
Place-New Day suitings-
Malacca Sticks.
From the Haberdasher.

thoroughly confortable lines, and must
above all avoid what we know best as the
formal air. Ii man desires to indulge in
stiff linens and skirted coats, he may do so,
but he should not forget that with these
must always go the patent leather shoes
and the silk hat. The formal dress of the
period is only worn ON most ceremonous oc-
casions and it is not to be merged into or
made part of the informal wardrobe. TO
wear stiff linen, and hot patent leather
shoes with the soft worsteds, homespuns
and serges. is sartorial faux pas dress
solecism, if 1 may use that term. The in
ciination on the part of many men to wear
the most dreSsy clothes in connection with
the most neglige clothes brings about a re-
suit that is shockingly bad, viewed either
from the standpoint of the sartorial exquis-
lite or the level-headed man Of affairs. 1t
is in summer time that the temptations
to depart from the coarse but comfortable
clothes become almost irresistible. One
tires of the soft baggy suits, and the soft
shirts and the big roomy shoes, yet comfort
is most necessary, in fact no man would
care to follow the English or the German
mode strictly, and at the same time spend
his summers in the United States. To me,
patent leather shoes and derby hats and
standing collars and stiff shirts are fright
fully out of place in our summer climate.
The Dinner Jacket.
The same reasons compel me to protest
against the free and easy way in which
some men force themselves into formal
functions, where women are present, clad
In coat that no well bred man would wear
outside of his home or his club. The wear
ing Of the dinner jacket at dances. recep-
tions, the theater, hops and other distinc-
lively formal affairs is wrong. Local GUS
tom may sanction this dress solecsm, but
that does not forgive the error or does 1t
disguise the fact that the man guilty of
such breach Of good manners is an ILL
bred cad.
The rules regulating the wearing of the
dinner jacket are well known We are now
on the threshold of the summer season, and
therefore a word or two on this much
abused coat is not out Of place. The best
place for a dinner jacket Is the hands of the
ole clio man. gentleman. unless he be
club man in the strict sense of the term,
has really no use for this coat.
The new day suitings are delightful EX
cuse the hyperbole, but really, it is hard to
suppress ones self when such an array OF
exquisite fabrics is at ones command. Here
We have the soft, meshy. cool homespuns,
in the firm new weave, and in such a wealth
of colors and combinations. Blacks are
favored. They are shown with neat little
stripes and almost invisible stripes, and
vary in density from the nubian tone to the
almost steel gray, Then there are the new
check iannels. the soft worsteds and the
always popular serges These fabrics all
show the very neat open plaid treatments
and are in the various ground colorings.
Blues are the best in the worsteds and
serges. while in fannels the lighter grounds
are more preferable.
A New Jacket.
One jacket that appealed to me was made
of black unfinished worsted. The pattern
was widespread hair-lire plaid in white
The jacket was Of medium length 1t just
back seams had moderate curve, import
ing a military air, the side vents were
opened and the pockets had flaps. The
Jacket closedwith four buttons. The seams
every one of thems were Welted. This out
lined each seam, and the effect was not at
all bad. ''' '1'
The coat was worn with a stunning waist
coat of white madras. in a neat open black
check. This waistcoat was single-breaste ed
and collarless. 1t was cut to button with
four buttons, the fifth button being on one
side of the inverted V opening at the bot
tom. The pockets were covered with almost
square patches. there being a button about
in the center Of each patch. Another waist
coat was made Of an ecru linen or madras
and cut to button with three buttons. 1t
|. was double-breasted and had a moderate
sized collar, well peaked. The washable
waistcoats will be very popular this sum-
mer, and for wear with the jacket / think
the singie-breasted style will be bit less
common than the doubled breasted models.
Accessories.
The old-fashioned heavy malacca sticks
are being carried again. These have silver
heads in very plain designs The type was
very popular twenty years ago. In cravats
there is little that is startling. Some grad
uated end four-in-hands with plain grounds
and bias stripes are among the most recent
explorations, and another new style shows
a neat effect with a quarter-inch border in
solid color. In half hose, the white grounds
are being shown, but l do not think that
they will be very popular. They are in
tended for wear with white shoes and duck
trousers, and a e, think, out of place with
heavy black calf shoes and rugged suitings.
The two-buttoned double-breasted coats
are now being given great prominence in
the windows Of clothers, and consequently
are not being recommended very heartily by
exclusive tailors. These coats are too pop
ular to be fashionable, and being noticeable
innovations are not likely to be Endorsed by
men who dress unnoticeably and in the best
taste.
Wast-lne overcoats made of covert cloth
are very fashionable. These coats must be
built by the artist tailor, and require the
most careful planning and tailoring. They
fit snugly above the waist and have ample
skirts reaching almost to the ankles: the
pockets are cut on the bias and are in the
skirts.
Shirts and Collars.
In shirts there is great deal that is new
in colorings and practically nothing new in
styles. The pleated as well as the plain
soft shirts are being worn. The patterns
are very clean cut and neat and one seldom
finds more than one color in the relief eff
feet. The multi-colored patterns are not
desirable. In collars We have the new me-
dunn height fold affair with wide stitching
and rounded points. These collars are not
very low-that is, they are not the ex-
tremely low affairs worn last summer They
vary from two to two and a half inches in
height. In cravats, rumchundas are COM
ing out in the most exquisite coloringA
They are in four-in-hands and ties Grena-
dimes are also very much in evidence and
so are baratheas and other silk weaves So
far as cravats go. the washable fabrics will
not figure largely. Stocks are more popular
that ever, but will, 4 think, be confined to
wear in the field or on the road They
should not be worn with business dress and
are very much out of place in town. unless
one is riding. autoing or wheeling.
Avoid Extremes.
The summer season will undoubtedly de-
velop some prominent Characteristic but
just what this win be is more or less prob
lematical at this time. Last summer the
great big Panama hats and the military
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