Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-18
FROM ACROSS THE SEA
THE QUESTION OF THE WAIST
COAT BUTTON.
Black and White and Gray Are Going
Out and Colors Are Taking
Their Place.
London Corr. Of the Haherdasher.

The belief firmly held in America, that
all Englishmen invariably wear the last two
buttons Of the waistcoat unbuttoned, will
have received strong confirmation IL the re-
ports of the recent divorce case of Hartopp
versus Cowley should reach the United
States. Nothing was said about the kin
dred practice of rolling up the ankles Of the
trousers an omission which will cruelty
disappoint the censors Of our modes, but
the waistcoat button question received full
ventilation. 1t was stated in evidence that
Lord Cowley, the correspondent, had been
disturbed in an equivocal situation in the
society Of Lady Hartopp, and the maid
servant who gave this evidence remarked
that the noble earls perturbation was evil
denced by the fact that his waistcoat was
partly unbuttoned. Asked by counsel
whether she was aware that gentlemen fire.
quently left the last butto- or two thus I'M
fastened. the blushing housemaid denied
that she had remarked the practice. but an
observant newspaper man recorded the GU
rious fact that both the petitioner. Sir
Charles Hartopp, and the incriminated no
bleman who co-responded in the suit tbut
who was exonerated by the jury's verdicQ
had their last waistcoat button undone, as
they sat in court!
How It Originated.
I mention this triviality because the case
in question exactly illustrates the meaning
and limits of the unbuttoned waistcoat
ha bit. All the parties were fox-hunting
people. 1t was originally, and Is still, the
habit of men who ride that expensive and
immoral quadruped, the horse, to leave the
last button, or perhaps the last two but
tons. Of single-breasted waistcoat I'M
fastened when mounted. for the reason that
If buttoned. on horseback. a waistcoat is
very liable to crease A double-brea sted
IT. -,
practice has never extended except among
the fools who affected it in imitation Of it's
perfectly natural originators to double
breasted waistcoats. and indeed no habitual
cavalier wears any but single-breasted
waistcoat. The habit of turning up the
trousers at the ankle is one Of cleanliness
alone. 1t is bad for the trousers, and man
really SOltcitouS about his dress will not
practice it. But here again. fools rush in
where wise men clearly tread. The for
mer noticed that horse riding men usually
have a pair of buttons sewn inside their
trousers. in order to hold a short strap,
when riding. This strap. passing beneath
the instep of the shoes. saves the trousers
from dragging up against the horses sides.
OF course, when turned up for walking in
bad weather. the trousers showed these but
TONS to the admiration Of the habitual lmi-'
tative idiot. who, frequently unacquainted
with the difference between the right side
of horse and the wrong one, FASTENED to
have useless buttons inserted in his trou-
ser-ankles, and turned them up in order to
exhibit this decoration. No well-dressed
Engiishman turns up his trousers except i'll
case of dire need.
Evening Dress Waistcoats.
The discussion of waistcoat buttons re-
minds me that white evening dress waist
coats are now usually made with small
circular hole. silked like bottonhole, in
the place where each button ought to be-
Tn ~ h,,ff II I'D
with a small gold shank, and a sort of
lynchpin to fit into It, are worn, the shanks
being often connected by a light gold chain.
Some orgulous individuals indulge in a
small diamond or other precious stone. Inn
bedded in the center of a mother-of-pearl
stud (Which looks of course, exactly like a
pearl button). others carry out the button
idea by substituting for this somewhat re-
dundant Jewel fine gold wire crossed like
the stitching Of button, and Stimulating 1t.
But I think the men OF best taste and
fashion prefer a perfectly fiat stud, or else
real buttons. The only objection to the
latter is in the case of washable waistcoats,
whose buttons are liable to injury at the
cruel hands OF the British laundrywoman.
There seems to be movement in favor
of fancy-bosomed evening shirts. The dec
Grafton is inconspicuous, and really
amounts to little more than dullinR OF the
surface of the linen, though when CLOSELY
examined 1t Is seen to consist of a slight
pattern. With these shirts. which are not
In the least obligatory upon any one who
has the superior taste and better Judgment
to prefer plain one, small pearl studs
(two) are always worn, and no other kind.
The ribbed shirt front. commonly called
pique. is entirely obsolete.
There are some men who. apparently, can
not abide plain surface. For their benefit
there have long been sold evening dress
bows having a tiny. close. hair-line cross
pattern at right angles These bows how
ever. are never worn with fancy dress
shirt front. There are limits to our folly
The best taste in evening dress is it's plain
uniform severity.
Longer Dress Coats.
Within the last few weeks I have noticed
that all new evening dress coats are being
cut about two inches longer than when
last reported on the subject. The altera-
ton 10 wholly novel. and the coat has taken
on some other new features. The tails,
which now reach to well below the knee,
are not nearly 30 much curved at the ends
as they were a little while ago: the waist
seam Is somewhat lower than 1t used to be-
and the collar Is made OF cloth. not silk:
but the lapela are covered to the edge with
silk Of duh. rather bold. twill surface.
Shoulders are not padded. but men who
perceive In themselves tendency to the
Champagne bottle" effect ask their ta.iors
to put the sleeves In q little higher their
tailora do m for them with0ut heinz anxad