The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-24
LONDON STYLES FOR men
LATEST IDEAS IN MEMS APPAREL
FROM ACROSS THE SEA.
Gray for Dress Suits, Which Never
Obtained in This Countrywide
New Frock Coat.

London Correspondence of the Haberdasher.
This is the time Of year to forecast the
styles that will dominate English fashion
all this spring and summer. / propose,
therefore, to take the whole field in order,
and to tell you all that know or can fore
see on the subject. AS time goes on small
innovations will occur and novelties will be
introduced, but the general tendency of
things is now quite manifest. The going of
gray, though it stood long upon the order
Of its going, 1t has gone at last. We shall
have some gray frock-coat suits when the
garden-party season arrives, and when AS
cot calls its exclusive crowd to the race
course and the famous Lawn" But for
present wear full dress is black, the only
latter has arrived. with black silk facings
to il and black-silked buttons. 1t is worn
with a single-breasted waistcoat to match,
and trousers of the same material. Very
seemly and urbane this outfit is. But 1t is
little way OFF full dress. The latter. for
weddings or afternoon calls of formal ma
ture will be as follows:
Black frock coat, made of soft and
smooth-surfaced llama cloth. These cloths
are already established the correct wear
for full dress. They have neat. practical
ly invisible under pattern, not ruffiing the
surface at all. Some of the new black
worsteds are soft enough to find favor also,
and so are certain vicunas and Shetlands;
but, as rule, men who find llama too soft
for their taste are running after a material
called "barathea." Barathea Is soft cloth,
smooth and dull, firmer in weave and sub
stance than true llama, from which, how
ever, a more technical eye than mine would
probably perceive 1t to be variant. Thus
we have a very fair range of fashionable
materials to choose from. The cut of the
new frock coat can now be described. 1t
Is a decidedly smart garment the waist be-
ing cut fairly snug. and with the seam about
an inch below the natural waist, with
downward slope toward the front The most
important innovation is in the fitting at this
part. Button the coat UP, and 1t lies
snug to the waist as il can possibly do
without wrinklng. But as you go upward
the width fnsensibly increases until at the
top button the coat is roomy across the
chest. However, frock coats are not worn
buttoned this spring. Below the waist seam
the skirts hang loosely, with about an inch
and half of freedom. They thus bell out
slightly, and with the widening above the
waist there is produced slight hourglass
effect. The skirts reach exactly to the bend
of the knees. Three buttons are worn. All
course. The lapels are rather narrow, and
in some Of the very smartest coats they are
silk-faced to the outer end of the button
holes thus giving a very narrow strip of
simple cloth, which looks excellent. The
sleeves are of moderate width and not
turned back at the cuff No external pock-
cts whatever. The handkerchief is carried
either in the left sleeve or in the inside
breast pocket on the same side. The tick
ct" pocket Is also on the left, inside the
skirt Immediately below the waist seam.
WAISTCOAT TO MATCH.
The waistcoat made to match this coat Is
single-breasted, without collar, and has
four pockets, though no watch chain is
worn outside. There are usually a couple
Of buttonholes worked In the inner corners
of the lower pockets, so that chain can
be worn under the waistcoat, a device
which think / may claim to have intro
duced to the public through the medium of
a London trade organ Some men prefer a
fancy waistcoat with all black coats. They
are wearing at present large collared, slate
gray linen ones, double-breasted and with a
straight vertical seam up the front. Trous-
ers for wearing with a frock coat differ
little in material from the fancy trousers
Of last year. They are made of fancy-stripe
cashmere, generally in blue and black or
dark slate herring-bone pattern, with a
rich and bright surface. Some of the new
cashmeres have a thread Of silk running
through them, which, of course, greatly
enhances the effect. In cut these trousers
are snug at the ankle and we'll followed
out forward The calf fits fairly snug but
at the knee there Is found to be more full