Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-16
STYLES IN MEMS DRESS
LOUNGE DRESS IS STILL HELD IN
HIGH FAVOR.


From the Haberdasher.
Two-thirds of the social life of the United
States is country life. 1t used to be that
the town season began in November and
continued until well into April, but today
the winter season is not launched until De-
cember and it ends early in March. After
that comes a month in piney South Car
DINA with golf, polo, tennis and shooting
to beguile the days. Then the tide of travel
flows toward the continental spas, and the
latter part of July finds the Newport sea-
son aswing. From October right up to
nipping weather country house parties claim
their guests. Thus it will be seen that the
town season per sc is dwindling, country
life trenching upon it to practically the
same degree as in England This explains
the notable vogue of lounge dress today
and the gradual RELOCATING of formal clothes
to a subordinate position. A smart wedding
may render a run up to town necessary,
but aside from this, 'mufti Is worn from
March to December l speak, of course,
of the men who really influence the mode
and not of those who cling to its fringe.
Why are flannel shirts in such high favor
now? Simply because flannel is the ideal
cloth for golf, motoring, squash, cricket and
polo, and these, save perhaps cricket, have
become year-'round sports. The present
emphatically marks the reign of comfort
in dress. and comfortlesS dress would be
irrational dress. The leaning just now to-
ward trousers cut less full and jackets
more shaped to the back than before does
not imply that comfortable loosenesS Is to
be sent packing, but is merely slight and
wholly natural reaction from the excessive
fullneSS of recent seasons. AS long as we
take our cue in fashions from England, and
as long the Englishman is the hardy
follower of outdoor sports that he is, there
is small likelihood that modes for men will
lose the element of mfortableness that is
their distinguishing feature. The dancing
master type of person of waspish waist will
never be accepted by the American gentle
man as representing in any degree the true
tendencies of fashion. just as the so-called
''peg-top" cut at the bottom of the trousers
was never recognized as good form by any
of the tailors of acknowledged repute.
Buckskin Belts.
Belts of white buckskin or box cloth, rs
to IA inches wide, are notably smart for
country wear this spring at Aiken and other
fashionable resorts in the south. 1t being
an accepted principle of lounge dress that
the belt must match the suit, white belts
are worn with white serge or flannel. So
called watch-Albefts, that is, narrow strips
of leather designed to serve for watch
chains and extending from lapel buttonhole
to breast pocket, are still approved and are
made of black seal, tan pigskin and kim
dred feathers. Wherever possible these,
too, should harmonic with the color of
the suit. Never was the vogue of leather
so wide as just now.
Among the bruited innovations for au-
tumn Is the fold cuff on lounge jackets. 1t
is a bold idea, though one, l fancy, which
will be acceptable to most men because 1t
will stamp jackets as being distinctively
of the new season. The fold cuff has been
impending for some time and the present
cuff finish on jackets merely a step
toward it. Another expected change is fan
shaped vents on the back of jackets and
rSackS These vents instead hpiDp
mere straight Sits in the CLOTH will be
gathered together and pressed in the center
so that when the wearer sits the vents will
spread fan-shape. l think that this idea
is an undeniably sensible one applied to
oversacks, for the present manner of cut
ting an oversack with one deep center vent
in the back makes it swish most uncomfort-
ably and hinders free walking. The fam
shaped vent, on the other hand, looks as
smart the other and, besides, prevents
that awkward overlapping of the leg. Two
side vents have superseded the center vent
this season.
Fad and Fashion.
The development of fad into fashion is
aptly exemplifed by the channels glove 1t
was originally intended purely for the
sports, but its softness and suppleness have
led to it's adoption promenade glove for
the afternoon. and have even seen it worn
at smart morning wedding In place of the
familiar suede. The white buckskin glove
primarily for driving. has also become In
some measure formal. being worn as an ,
evening street glove. The newest and most |
approved buckskin glove has kid tapped
edges. 1t must not be assumed that either
the gray suede or the white glace has lost
caste. Far from it. The channels and
the buckskin are only street gloves, while
at a dance. for example the white glace
is still imperative, and the gray suede is
worn when visiting.
White serges and white fiannels are very
smart cloths for country lounging. They
are cut looser than town suits, the jacket