Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-09
MEMS BATHING SUITS.
Two-Piece Affair Now the One Uni
versally Accepted.

From the Haberdasher.
The man VINO swims and the man who
suns will be better taken care of in the
matter of raiment this coming summer than
they have ever been. 1t is not many years
since the average bathing costume was as
hideous as it was uncomfortable, and man
never appeared to worse advantage than
he did when dressed for the beach. The old
style one piece suits of bagllke form with
their unsghtly row of buttons down the
front and their very peculiar striped pat
tens have been finally retired in favor of
garments that not only fit perfectly, but
that are comfortable and. to most men at
least, becoming. AT the seaside resorts
bathing and beach lounging are now accept
ed as the principal diversion and men and
women have learned to appreciate costumes
that while slightly and not vulgar possess
those attributes which are essential to COM
Portable swimming. The two-piece suit is
row universally accepted, and the model Is
practically universal. The only points SO
far as difference is concerned lie in the
sleeve lengths. The shirts are made with
quarter sleeveless or sleeveless, the latter
being the favorite style with young men,
and for that matter with all men who really
SWIM AS the beach is located at some dis
lance from the hotels and houses at the
majority of seaside places, it has become
customary for men to wear a gown over the
bathing suit while walking from the house
or hotel to the beach.
Heretofore the bath robe was considered
good enough for this purpose, but this sum
mer there has been put on the market a
robe designed specially for beach wear.
These robes are made of heavy mercerized
Oxfords in neat striped or figured patterns
in combinations of self and contrasting col
ors. The robes are quite long, reach to the
ankles. and have button at the neck. The
collars are of the Elton form and mod
ly wide. and the sleeves finished plain
or with raglan cuff. There is one pocket
which is patched on on the left hip, and
the girdle is made of the same material as
the robe. The robes are cut full that
they can be wrapped about the figure, and
being light in weight and of smooth finish
can be thrown on the sandy beach without
injury. When a man has put on his bath
ing suit and sandals he puts on his robe
and then he may amble about the beach or
walks to his hearts content. When he
energies from his dip be spreads the beach
robe out on the sand and sits or repoSes
on it. This keeps the sand off the body and
admits of ones drying clean, a process
which Is impossible if one lays Off on the
sand.
The improvements made in bathing suits
have been as great in the matter of fit as
in colors anG combinations. There is a
great deal of variety now, and the co1ors
are all perfectly fast If good quality gar
mentS are bought. Navy blue continues to
be the favorite color. Suits having this
for ground color are relieved by stripes
on the sleeves shirt and drawer ends of
White, req OF iSnt blue. Inc sleeveless
shirts have solid half-inch bands of color
about the arm-hole. Broad striped shirts
come In college colors and are generally
worn with solid trunks.
One of the best selling suits is of army
gray, with relief stripes in red white blue
or black. Another good suit shows fancy
pattern stripes in Color and others
show the granite or mixed stripes in gray
red blue.
The novelty of the season in bathing suits
is the broad striped sleeveless shirt worn
with the loose solid color trunks. The
trunks have belt loops, and through them
a white cotton belt with nickel snake buckle
Is passed The shirt of this suit is tucked
into the trunks. Another new idea is to
have the monogram embroidered In colors
on the left breast of the shirt
Bathing sandals are made OF white can
vas, with canvas or leather soles, or they
are made entirely of leather The latter
consists of sole which Is held on by straps
after the manner of the old Roman san
dals.