Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-08
MODES NEWEST MANDATES
PROGRESS In READY-MADE AND
USES OF CUSTOM CLOTHING.
Pleated Shirts for Formal Evening
Wear-Bosoms Finely Tucked.
Late Ideas in Summer Goods.
From the Haberdasber.

Some one has apparently just awak-
ened to the progress of the ..readv"
clothing industry. He put his belatec
thoughts into writing. and the silly
season scribblers have been debating
pro and con the question of the future
of the custom tailor. He's losing his
hold on men of means. He's making
great strides every year. He's less
capable OF fitting the individual frame
according to the individual liking. He's
more competent than the tailor of the
past. He's growing beautifully less in
NUMBER. He's opening new shops al
most daily. So run the arguments No
sane man would attempt to minimize
the advances Of the clothing manufac-
tuners tnquestionably their product
reveals higher skill, more artistic de-
signing and finer perception of the
average mans requirements than at
any time heretofore. The credit cannot
be taken from them. for their progress
is too apparent to dispute. On the
other hand. the custom clothes-crafter
Is unassailable in his position He need
fear no criticism. He has had the pa
tronage of men who want their clothes
made for them, in accord with their
own preferences, and this he will re-
tain. Between the two there is CON-
tinually less in the nature of cOmpe-
tition. What one can give, the other
cannot: When popular prices figure the
tailor Is handicapped by the manufac-
turer. When the outlay is generous the
tailor has the decided advantage. So
far as the trend of fashion is concerned
the far-seeing manufacturer in most
cases preJudges right. The changes
as to make any noteworthy difference
one way Or another. Indeed, when it
comes to a fine analysis the premier
tailors are rarely in precise agreement
at the outset on any definite tendency.
Gradually as season advances they
come to a standard. But unless the
mode Endorses some entirely different
models from those now in vogue 1t will
be largely with the tailors a survival
of the fittest. SO far as pre-eminence as
cerned. And there's an end on it.
Fact About Shirts.
Summers advent brings a notable
change in usage in connection with
skirts. Heretofore it has been accepted
as hard-and-fast rule that only the
bosom shirt. plain or pique. was per-
missible with formal evening dress.
Some few months ago, when the town
season was in full swing. I noted the
attempt to gain Endorsement for the
pleated garment and at the same time
cited the objections then made against
1t. While the set most influential soci-
ally has relaxed the conventions In
lounge clothes to an unprecedented ex-
tent they have been 10th to yield any
"f the startchiness. If it may be SO
termed, OF ceremonious attire. For the
warmer months We shall now zee the
white pleated shirt in favor to accom-
Informal evening shirt. however. in
that it has innumerable small tucks
instead of the broad side and box
pleats. Thus far this seemingly slight
distinction has been preserved. Whether
the sanction of this garment may become
the entering wedge" is mooted matter.
But the fact that it is looked upon with
temporary favor. while the mercury de-
mands some concessions, is in itself sig
ntflcant.
Fashion heretofore has required the
yielding of comfort to form. With the
evening jacket the use of silk and silk
and linen in the shirt has long been es-
tablished. this despite the fact that the
jacket takes on a degree of dignity in
summer not allotted to it in connection
with town functions. 1t is proper for
the weekend hop at country houses
and hotels, so much SO that the man
who affects the clawhammer on such oc-
casions is somewhat of an Oddity. There
is this much to be said however, that one
must conform to the best usage where he
is. And after all. that is the final test
of propriety in dress in any circumstance.
Pleating the Cuffs.
The newest idea in shirt construction is
to pleat the cuffs-a French conception
getting some approval here. 1 have seen
it in both formal and informal shirts,
sometimes group tucks. but more often
extending across the entire cuff. 1t is de-
cidedly distinctive in looks, if one is dis
posed to raise the tucks a wee bit after
they have been pressed fiat in the laun-
dry, in order that they will not appeaN to
la nfS ifch ANY of
course, will care to take the trouble.
While that is against the thing, there's
nothing in the view that the laundry
cannot do justice to it. Why not with
the cuff as we'll as with the bosom? In
deed. when the bosom pattern is created
by the tucking process the cuff cannot
match unless 1t. too. Is tucked. l have
no doubt that we shall see more of this
later. Then there's a tucked four-in-
hand. The knotted part is plain and the
tucks show only below the knot. Con-
trasting shades of material are seen in
the knot and the ends. In plain parlance
this is freak. though sponsored by one
of the smartest metropolitan haberdash-
ers. Which goes to show that you can't
always rely upon the people most highly
regarded
Shantung cords. which bulge as if
frayed at irregular intervals, are coming
been employed a little in cravats and
shirtings and now appear In vertical
groups in waistcoatings. To some men
they are not pleasing, because they look
as if the thread slipped in weaving. or
something else went wrong. But other
men fancy them for the very reason that
they're different. even though queer:
The long vogue Of brown and green,
now passing SO far as clothes and ac-
cessories are concerned, has found it's
way to the bathing suit. the newest
showing being of either or both these
colors. The edges usually contrast to a