The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-28

Charles 1T. From beneath the fullness of shirt exposed by the open vest "the brooches displayed their expanded width" with bunches of ribbon at the waist and lace ruffies below the knees; the doubiet worn over the vest was richly laced and emb roidered. So costly was this mode Of attire that the King resolved to give the lead toward a more economical and sober fashion, and in the fuifillment of this design he donned the new garment which Pepeys hailed with so much pleasure As 1t fitted to the body and extended over the waist. it was we'll calculated to accomplish it's purpose. It Inter fered with much of the fanciful adorn- ment which had accompanied the short open vest; the splendid breaches, for example, were shorn of their orpa- mental punches or ribbon that At dangIed at the waist line. and otaei retrenchments followed.
 s attended sEhelin<rOdhctfop Of tsseewztsf. coat 1t came ina>the .na4ne of soon3nsy and refsrfnf,, bsis kfeI ieng it developed into az expehSfve and decorative garment as any which man has evel taken to hiinself.a Gradually 1t wal
 extended downward till 1t almos' reach ed the knees:iit was made of thu
 ricnest materials, and the outer coat was shaped to hang well open to dis play it's riagnificence. Extravagancs and lovs~of finsry were simply trans ferred from one style to another. and on the waistcoat was lavished all the embeilishment which previously had been bestowed on the brooches. Those lowered and embroidered waistcoats or sheeny satin, with laced flaps. may certainly have been less troublesome and fantastic than the preceding fash ion, but whether they reduced the wearer's account with his tailor is highly doubtful. Certainly their utili- tartan purpose wasa utterly forgotten; they were so long stc. reautre- a dozen butt ons. more or less. but from the waist upward they were ileft unfastl shirt. This was very different gar ment from the "saccock" of sober black, tastefuliy relieved with glimpses of white silw, which 1t had been hoped would encourage more restrained style of dress.
 The long -fiapped waistcoatl remained in favor many years. It was still worn by oblemen and gentlemen when George | was King. In the following reign a somewhat shorter waistcoat was prevalent. and from this time the flap began 10 QoCTcdSc HI AChBth. 1h stead of reaching almost to the knee 1t came only half way down the thigh; as mems dress became more simplified toward the close of the eighteenth century, and puffing. lace and embroid- cry were abandoned. the nap disap- peared altogether. Some resemblance to 1t, however. Is produced by the cus- tom (which is said to be specially afrected by Etonians) of leaving the bottom button Of the waist coast un- done.
 Compared with its forerunners, the inferiority of the present-day waist coat must be admitted. We should be thankful, on the other hand. that it has fewer fastenings. and, after all. 1t still permits to us some mitigation of the sonlbreness Of naasculine attire. Time was when men vied with the la- dies in richness of dress. That men. or some, continue to banker after a little dash of color. in their apparel the ex- istence of the "faHey, vest" demon strates clearly. Did not the members of the Stock Exchauge on one occa- sion offer prizes with the iaudabie de- sign of encouraging taste in regard to these decorative garments7 tA,really nice waistcoat is---to adopt the latest medical dictum concerning fine clothes = mental tonic. Like flowers on ones work table. 1t ends to promote 1 cheerful mind. ,.%.