The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-19
COST OF A MANS CLOTHES.


New York Tribune.
Robert Lorraine, leading man with Grace
George in Pretty Peggy" doesn't know
how much a woman ought to expend on her
wardrobe. but declares that mo gentleman
can apparel himself at cost of less than
81 600 per annum." This sum does not in
clude the services of a valet or the dozen
and one small things which are essential to
proper appearance on Fifth avenue.
1T is all very we'll to talk about economy
in dress and the simplicity of masculine at
tire" says Mr.. Lorraine, "but nobody who is
compelled to keep UP a standard of appear
ance-no man who belongs to clubs and
goes out at all-can afford to disregard the
conventions of fashionable society 1t is as
necessary for gentleman to change his
Garb several times day as 1t is for a gen.
tiewoman-mOre so. for gentleman is In
the street while gentlewoman lounges in
her boudor in a becoming negligee. The
costume suitable for morning wear at his
Office would scarcely do for early afternoon
at the club, and another change must be
made before he can appear in the drawing
room. Further changes are due before and
after dinner, and If the gentleman in ques-
ton rides or rows or plays golf or tennis he
must have additional apparel for those pur-
suits. a man can't play tennis in evening
dress, you know.
LAS to the cost Of these things, think
have not overestimated it. An evening suit
costs $50 and a Tuxedo coat for the same
$50 more. Hardly any fashionable tailor will
make business clothes under $50. and three
robe put frock coat and trousers at $50
and a cutaway at $40. A riding suit and a.
golf suit mean another 800 To top this out
fit, a chap must have an opera hat, a silk
hat, soft hat. cap, street derby, rid
ing derby and a derby for evening wear.
He must have boots of various sorts, the
lot of stuff for head and feet amounting TO
about SIS at a low estimate. 1 have made
miscellaneous essentials
Is almost an unreasonably small sum when
II is considered that the list includes gloves,
hose. underwear. shirts. collars. cuffs. ties.
slippers, handkerchief. smoking jacket.
bath robes and a hundred and one other
things. Lest some of my figures be thought
exorbitant. however. leave out of the list
every form of overcoat-mackintoshg great
| coat and fall and winter coats. These things
may be made to last two years, but unless
one wants to be out of date the other gar
ments must be had new at the beginning of
every season. Mems fashions change as con-
| tinually as do women's.
'One of the items that have intention
| ally omitted is for the services of a man. 1t
| will be seen readily that, unless one wants
| to give all his time to buying clothes to
! keeping them In form and to changing them,
| a man is necessary. He even Is saving,
| since he earns his salary i'm the economy of
| wear and tear. The amount of time con-
sumed by the well-dressed man in keeping
we'll dressed is astonishing under the most
| favorable circumstances. Maintaining a
wardrobe means almost weekly visits to
| ones tailor and haberdasher, while the mo-
ments spent in changing clothes make a
very respectable amount of time at the end
| of a year. For this reason man whose
business occupies much Of his time can be
really we'll dressed.
Mind, in this statement of costs am al
| lowing for a well-dressed man. and not for
| fop. or course, IL Is possible for a fellow
who desires to do so to spend any amount
| on his wardrobe. A friend of mine about TO
| be married bought bill of goods amount
| ing TO $4,000. He paid s15 apiece for neck
| ties, 81 apiece for handkerchiefs and S. a
| pair for hose. This is going to the extreme.
| But i maintain that no man who wants 10
| look well at all hours of the day can do so
for less than sl,co0 year, and should like
| to see the skeptic try it,
Mr.. Lorraine uses none of this wardrobe in
| Pretty Peggy in which he appears In
/ satin knickerbockers as David Garrick.