The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-12
DRESS CLOTHES FOR SUMNER
A LUXURY THAT ONLY THE
RICHEST or MEN AFFORD.
hut for Those Who Tan the TailOrs Turn
out FrOck Goats and Evening Clothes
In Llght Material and Suitably Lined
-GraY Frocka No Longer Common.

frock coat, for instance, which shall he sc
light In texture as 10 @ suited 10 summer
wear Ia a luxury pure and simple.
The spring and summer uses OF the frook
coat are few. II may be worn possibly al
a few town weddings, and after the middle
! Of June the number Of them will DO lin
tied. Guests at a country wedding. at
whatever season II may be, arenot required
to wear a frock coat, and only the ushers
are condemned 10 this penalty for their
Importance.
There have been made by a Fifth avenue
tailor during the last two weeks at a
three Of these light frooks which are beauti-
ful enough in themselves 10 appeal 10 any
man fond Of dress and with the means TO
crafty his tastes In that particular. The
light materials in which these summer
frocks are made up cling TO the figure more
than the heavier winter fabrics, and for
young men Of the slim fashion plate type
show the figure of admirably, There Is
less Of the stiffness Of the heavier winter
coat, and falling open as a frook coat should
when IL is properly worn the summer day
VI - NOaN ~ % RAAaA v O hoA - w.
wardrobe Of luxury provides.
In form it differs little this year from
the coat worn in the winter months. the
shoulders are not padded but show the
natural width Of the mar inside; the skirts,
which do not fall below the knee, are slightly
belled and fitted in with enough oloseness
TO the waist TO outline the figure, The
peaked lapel has a satin collar, and the
long sleeve-it must fall well over the long
cuf to be really smart-is finished with a
cuf that really does open and shut with
two buttons. This is edged with a bias
stripe Of the goods running about the entire
sleeve along the cuff. But there must be
no exaggeration in any detail Of the sum-
mer frook.
There are three buttons to the new frock
and only one Of them In the roll. That
should never be buttoned even II habit
does inspire the wearer to button close
the other two. Occasionally these coats
have the edges braided, but there has al
ready been some sort Of a rebellion against
the braiding, which in spite Of its great
popularity was never considered the best
style for the frock coat. Blind stitching
as it is called. which shows no sewing at all,
is really the smartest finish for these coats.
The materials for the summer frock are,
Of course, in black and very dark gray,
unless the coat is meant for driving, when
verv light gray or even brown Is the
smart color this year. For the dress
irock the typical soft gray worsted shows
a %herringbone or other pattern, almost
invisible; and in blacks, whether they be
woollens or cassimeres, the soft dull finish
will be used. There is, indeed, little de-
mand for the hard shiny finish for dress
garments Of any kind. In the evening
dress suits, whether the cut be full evening
dress or merely a dinner coat, the materials
are the soft, rough finish goods.
For the rough frock coat 10 be worn on the
top Of a coach-few other places are suited
to such striking dress-the smooth finish
gray or brown is appropriate, although one
often sees at the races coats 80 rough as Tar
as the material goes, that they look like
homespuns. In the brown frock coats the
smoother finish is invariably used. Brown
is always a less dressy color than gray, just
as it is 80 much further removed from black.
Alfred Vanderbilt, who wears these sport
ing frock coats on top OF his coach with his
white high hat and the black band about
the bottom, always prefers the light rough
grays.
The half dress coat or cutaway, morning
or walking coat, as it il yariously called in
this country, is made in the same light tex
lures that are used for the summe frock.
It. like the frock, is either but half lined or
is lined with the thinnest silk only about the
front bodies. II is now braided, II the
material be dark gray or black, OF the kind
used in the frock, and this one detail adds a
OF dressiness 70 the garment that it
gets in no other way. II there be an invisible
diagonal, check OF h%erringbone in the black
fabric the braid makes II more modlsh still.
Extremely conventional dressers on the other
hand hold TO the old theory that braid Is
suited only TO goods OF a hard, smooth
finish and take the blind stitching as the
most appropriate finish for a half dress suit.
There should Oe ofeast pocket, braided
|. that finish Is used, a change pocket with
q flap, and tails that are well cut away from
the front. They are Of moderate length.
The skirts are cut in at the waist to give
the necessary look Of trigness and either
OF three buttons are used. The lapels
are peaked. The coat is cut low enough
at the neck to show the waistcoat, which.
II a waistcoat OF the same material be
worn, should be finished with a white dickey
lIHtI lGu III lhN III DblAltNlAAlNH Nhg
change pocket is omitted. which adds an
Of dressiness to the getaways.
The half dress or cutaway coat may be
made in a variety Of materials which are
not possible to the frock since almost any
material suitable for a sack suit may be
used for a cutaway; but such a garment
will not be any more dress than a sack.
Only fannels seem 20 be excluded from
the list Of materials available for the cut
This is in the real sense ofthe word, |
a walking. rather. than a half
dress coat, and certain peculiarities Of the
cut emphasize that difference. The tails
81 these coats, when made up in mixtures
Or checks for instance, are somewh hat wider
than in the dress getaways and they have
broad flaps over the imaginary pockets
At these points. The ticket or change
pocket in front also has a flap and often
he seams are strapped throughout. Then
The handkerchief pocket is likely 10 have
4 flap, which in some cases buttons down.
There Ia indeed no end 10 the sporty de-
.ails that a tailor may add to the cutaway
when II Is made Of rough goods. But Il
\ a mistake TO think that such a rig Fan
)e regarded az dress, At the utmost 1t
might be possible at a country wedding.
There are few changes In the summer
iress suit. which IL usually made OF a cloth
W thin that II needs a lining 10 give II the
necessary body. The collar is provided
With the peaks which In the smartest coats
ire covered with satin down TO the edge.
The trousers, which are also Of such thin
that the prudent man buys two
TO begin with, are usually edged
With braid, although it is somewhat OF a
10 have them made In these sum-
ner suits without braid or with such a thin
inc Of cord M to be almost invisible.
The summer dinner coat Is perhaps the
most necessary Of all these dress garments
or hot weather wear. Men who stop in