Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-27
CLOTHES FOR MEN


casion is not sign of snobbishness or
aristocracy; :; on the contrary 1t is sign
of recognized democracy The dress
coat, far from being the uniform OF
wealth and exclusiveness, is the ac-
copied garb of men of taste and cul-
ture, who in their moments of ease and
enjoyment prefer clothing that, while
neat and becoming, will be inconspic-
uous and unoffending to the eye, and
at the same time adapted to the purse
of the man of slender means as we'll as
to him who has Jared better in the
distribution of fortunes favors.
The fact that mans formal evening
dress has so long resisted all efforts
to alter it's appearance materially may
be accepted as one evidence of his in
nate democracy. All attempts to make
it so splendid or so costly that the poor
man will be outshone by his wealthy
brother have met with failure. Every
once in a while efforts are made to
bring back into current favor the
gaudy silks and satins and velvets and
jewels that rendered our ancestors re-
splendent; but always these have met
with defeat in republican America at
least.
Realizing this, one may easily per-
ceive how futile is the expectation of
radical changes from season to season
so far as formal dress is concerned;
the opportunity for change is too
small; the field is too limited. OF
course the natural desire for newness
and novelty demands recognition and
forces appreciable changes even in
dress clothes as one social season suc>
ceedS another; but these are confined
to what may be described as the de-
tails of the costume, the general out
lines of which remain practically un-
disturbed.
Nevertheless, the same characters
tics that are manifest in ordinary day
garments are reflected in the dress
clothes. That is to say: when snug
fitting business coat is in vogue, the
dress coat naturally fits the form snug
ly; when the business sack is loose,
with wide shoulders, the same charac-
teristics, to a greater or less extent,
are exhibited in the dress coat. Also,
by well nigh imperceptible but con-
slant changes dress garments are pro-
ceeding slowly but surely toward
greater liberality in choice of mate
rials-even, perhaps, to a bit of in
formality.
Once upon a time, as the story
books say black broadcloth was the
only accepted material for the making
of dress coat; but the man who is
about to have one made in conformity
with this seasons styles may exercise
a choice extending over a considerable
field. Several of the woolens now in
favor show perceptible patterns.
The prime favorites in materials are
the unfinished worsteds, which are
used for dress coats, dinner coats and
dress overcoats-preferably in the
rougher weave. The old-fashioned al
ways-in-f favor twill weave is obtain
able by the ultra conservative man;
but he who desires some little novelty
will find that the black unfinished wor-
steds are woven in pleasing though in
conspicuous patterns-diagonals her
ringbones, stripes, bird's-eye and peb-
BILE weaves.
Everything formal is black this sea-
son: even the darker Oxfords have
been passed by as material for the
dress coat. But for the dinner coat,
oxford gray seems to have the prefer
ence-perhaps to emphasize the differ
ence between formalit'- and informal
ity. 1t comes in about the same weaves
and patterns as the more formal cloths,
but in the combinations of black and
gray yarns the patterns are more dis
tinct: where a black silk thread is in
troduced as an ornamental stripe, it
stands out strongly against the gray
background.
But the dinner coat is by no means
gray are taboo; the darker the Oxford
the better; a stripe is preferred but
other fancy weaves are allowable
In contrast with the soberness of
the dress and dinner coats is the di-
vereence permitted in the matter of
waistcoats. These have become quite
elaborate. although the somewhat old
fashioned white pique waistcoat is
still good form Among men who