Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-05

terday, "he is followed about almost
daily by representatives of the chief
European tailOrS, who make careful
notes of his various costumes, and even
take photographs of some of them, and
on the results of these observations the
continental fashions for men are
largely based"
And so far as the kings influence
upon American fashions is concerned
was told by a prominent west end
tailor who has over 1900 regular GUS
tically all of them make a point of
inquiring, before placing their orders,
what materials are in favor with Ed
ward VII at the time, and that they
generally adopt any new wrinkles in
the way of. dress which his majesty
recently may have introduced.
For example," said this merchant,
'I have made hardly one double
breasted business suit for an American
customer since the king frowned upon
this particular style of masculine dress
some time ago, and the only instance
that | can recollect in which his maj
esty's lead in matter of dress has
not been followed on both sides of the
Atlantic is the case of the single
breasted frock coat which even the
kings example has not been able to
popularize." 1t is, by the way, limited
that his majesty's dislike for double
breasted coats and waistcoats arises
solely from a conviction on his part
that they emphasize the prominence of
his "tum- -tum."
Has Worn Many Clothes
However, it must be conceded that so
far as experience goes there is no man
who is better qualified than King Ed
ward for the task of supreme arbiter
in matters of masculine dress. He has
worn more suits of clothes, and in a
greater variety of styles. than any
man in England. With the exception
of his strenuous nephew, the German
emperor, no man has such an extern
sive wardrobe. He has dressed and un-
dressed oftener than any other man
living. A witty Frenchman once de-
scribed-l life as "all botting and unbot-
ting" The valet responsible for the
examination of the royal buttons, to see
that they never miss connections with
the royal buttonholes, has one of the
severest and most exacting jobs in the
kings household.
1t has often been said that if a social
unheaval should occur which would
compel even monarchs, to earn their
own living, King Edward would have
no difficulty in making both ends meet
as farmer. 1t is equally true thar
he would make an excellent manager
of a first class mems furnishing store.
Though ordinarily no great Stickler for
punctilousness, in matters of dress he
is fastidiousness personified. The tailor
who sent a badly fitting garment home
to King Edward would find his occu-
patton seriously jeopardized. If he had
not developed these physical peculiari-
ties which usually follow advanced
years and luxurious living, King Ed
ward would today be numbered among
the dandies of Europe, But now that
he belongs to the nodgy brigade, 1t is
only the artistic ingenuity of his outs
filters that causes him still to be re-
garded as the best dressed man in Eng
land.
At the Kings Tailors
A legion of tailors has run the rule"
over the king since he first learned to
move about without petticoats. Nearly
every nationality has been represented
among them but singularly enough the
majority have been Irishmen. Before
he came to the throne the king had his
clothes made almost entirely by one
well known firm, but now he divides 1t
among three or four tailoring house
In the vicinity of Regent street, Lon
DON gets the biggest share of his GUS
tom at the present time. IL is not a
large esta blishment and there is MOTH
ing pretentious about the building save
the conspicuous display made of the
lion and the unicorn and the rest of the
armorial bearings which indicate that