The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-04
No Chance to Hide I'm n Crowd in This
City, and WeIl-known Men Must
Be Properly Attired.
AMERICANS ARE BEST DRESSED
LONDONERs Nj PARISIANS DON'T
KNOW GOOD CLOTHES.
How n Stylish Mans Wardrobe
should he and the
Cost and Right Use of IL.

1.-The business man Of Indianapolis
dresses better than the business man Of
most other Cities said a North Pennsyl-
vania-street tailor. as he leaned comfort
ably back in his chair and complacently
watched the blue smoke from his cigar
disappear toward the ceiling. This is true
principally because this city has reached a
stage In its career when IL ceases 10
be a small town and yet is not 50
large as Chicago. ST. Louis, rhiladcl-
phia and other places of that size.
1t has hit a happy medium between
the small city and the large one, and the
business men take more pride in their dress
than they do in the metropolitan cities.
for they are more closely noticed here than
there. But where the man from Indianapo-
lis falls short in dressing is that he dis
likes TO give up the money FOR good clothes
and they are something that il takes mon
ey TO get. 1t is simply impossible 10 be
well dressed and dress cheaply. for il
stands TO reason that in cheap clothing
there is neither the workmanship nor ma
terial that is used in the making up Of fine
goods. This is true in not only the cloth
that shows, but also in the silk sleeve-lin-
ing and canvases used in the coat.
III Is OAlcn ItIldl htu TIA NAN - 49,
men of this city are not up TO the standard
of the Eastern men. but l want 10 say that
this is wholly untrue. You see men on the
streets of Indianapolis dressed as well up
to date as you Go in any of the Eastern
cities. 1t is only the rich men VIC dress
stylishly, and, in fact. II is only the wealthy
man Of any city who can keep up TO date
in his clothes.
People often wonder what a mans ward
robe should consist IN for him 10 be a prop
erly dressed man. The first thing he should
have is an evening suit. 1t used 10 be that
this style Of dress was worn by a select
few, and at the theaters and other public
entertainments evening suits were seldom
seen, but at present they are being univer-
sally adopted and men are only made con-
spicuous by their absence. With the even
ing suit one should also have a Tuxedo
Jacket or dinner coat. and this Is the bone
of contention in masculine attire, for there
is always a controversy as 10 when TINS
should be worn. Many people who are au-
thorities on dress say that the dinner coat
should only be worn at stag affairs ana
should not be seen where there are women
present in evening dress. although a man
who is acting as host at his own home IS
permitted 10 wear one while entertaining
his guests. Now L have made a study of the
Tuxedo coat in the large cities where some
Of the men devote their entire time 20 So
cietv. and find that these people are partly
right and partly wrong. The easiest
most proper distinction, however, 10 be
made between these coats is that a dress
coat should be worn on all state occasions
and at evening weddings and that the Tux
edo is perfectly proper when worn at the
theater, stag dinner or any entertainment
including dances, when all OF the men VIII
appear in them.
..The next thing in a mans wardrobe
should be the Prince Albert or double
breasted frock. This should be worn with
some modest pattern OF gray trousers and
always accompanied with a tall silk hat. A
man should only appear in this suit during
the afternoon and al all entertainments oc-
curing before 6 o'clock. The frock coat
can also be worn at any time by elderly
professional men, who are allowed more
liberty in their dress than the business or
society man. Then the cutaway, which has
not been seen lately. but is again finding
favor among well-dressed men, Is for morn
ing wear, and should be worn at all we'd
dings and other functions occurring before
noon. The cutaway coat, as the Prince Al
bert. should go with gray trousers. The
next essential thing in the wardrobe Is the
overcoat. Three are absolutely necessary.
and if it can be afforded there should be
four. In this connection there should be a
heavy winter coat OF medium length and
one coming below the knees, to wear over
the Prince Albert suit, which can also be
made 70 do double duty and be worn with
evening dress. although 20 keep up TO the
standard a man should have an Inverness,
TO be worn with the evening dress alone.
Then besides these he should have a short
light top coat 10 wear during the early
spring and fall weather. Some men. how
ever. dress very well and only have one
overcoat Of medium length and weight, but
such men would hardly be called stylish
d~ressers.
Now. these clothes that have men
toned are the standards. They seldom
| change in style and need not be replaced
more than once every two or three years.
Besides these dress clothes a man should
have two or three seasonable business
suits with sack coats or very short cut
Always, and as many extra pairs Of trous-
ers as he can afford. OF course. after a
man gets his wardrobe started the expense
Of keeping il up is not great. although IL Is
very expensive when one begins. To be
stylishly and properly dressed he should
lay aside 500 a year for clothing. Then he
need not be ashamed 10 20 anywhere. for
he will be as smartly attired as any one.
TO SUIT THE OCCASION.
You see, there is nothing like being able
10 dress for the occasion" continued the
tailor. and this is what a man who pre-
tends 10 be a stylish dresser should do.
When he Is going 70 an afternoon wedding
he should make his appearance in a Prince
Albert coat. subdued gray trousers. patent
leather shoes. standing collar. some kind
OF light neckwear. tan kid gloves and silk
hat. II IL should be in the winter time he
should wear a Ions overcOat buttoned
tight But suppose he was going out on his
automobile: he would look entirely out OF
place dressed this way. lie should then ex-
change his silk hat for a cap. ne should
wear a short top coat instead OF the long
overcoat, and should have on a neat gray
business suit IN place OF the Prince Albert.
in driving he might very properly wear the
same attire. only exchange the cap for .