Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-29
Mems
BY THE BOULEVARDIER.

Il NOR the next two or three weeks
practically all the more fashionable
shops will display lavender trousers.
Prince Albert coats, silk gloves. ascot
ties and whatnots Of generally simi-
lar character, all significant of the TACT
that the wedding season is upon US.
Only too often the rules governing
ones attire at a wedding. rules which
should be ironclad, are entirely unooserv-
ed. If the wedding occurs in the late even
ing of course. the average attendant oons
his evening clothes. But II, as Is
getting to be more and more ire
quently the case, the wedding oc-
ours In the morning or late after
noon. a goodly proportion of the male
element attending 1t are very apt to con-
slider the affair more or less incidental SO
far as they are concerned, and go clad
in their ordinary business suits.
This is all wrong 1t is not only abso-
lutely bad form, but it might also be
easily construed into lack Of proper
respect for the principals. Rarely Is
quence but when both the principals have
been exquisitely careful OF their dress
down to the last tiny detail. Indeed.
the groom who dared go to the altar
without being properly clad for the occa-
sion-but no one would dare do II. He
might be brave enough to stand the
thoughts Of the spectators. but he would
never be brave enough to race the SUD-
sequent comments of the bride.
The wedding garb rules Of fashionland
are in three series. the first apph-
cable to ceremonies performed be-
fore noon, the second for cere-
monies performed in the afternoon, and
the third for ceremonies performed after
6 o'clock in the evening. For the last
named the rules need no discoursing.
They require merely the conventional
evening clothes. For the other two cere-
monies, however, they are separate unto
themselves
Beginning at the head and going down to
the shoes. the first requisite or the
silk hat, and while this sounds simple
enough. 1t is worthy Of being noted
that the styles in top hats have under
gone a pronounced change OF late ana
that the beaver of two or three sea-
sons ago and which has been worn SO
seldom that it is practically new. is in
all probability hopelessly passe. A
top hat of the old style is woefully
conspicuous.
The silk hat must be smaller at the
top than at the brim, and it's barrel.
instead Of being concave. as was the
style for SO many years. must be per-
fectly straight. The brim also must
be rather straight All told the hat
must be exactly like that which the
artists use in their illustrations to
are who consider the old convex-bar-
relied. rolling brimmed top hat far
more graceful, and it is quite true that
to majority of men 1T is deal more
becoming. But no matter. Fashion
has decreed that it must go.
here considering the weather. Dame
Fashion seems rather unkind. But un,
kind, she nevertheless. is adamant, ana
the collar must be high. very high,
In short, one must wear collar or the
style fashionable for evening wear be-
fore 1t was superseded by the more
comfortable bat wing variety.
With this collar it is compulsory that
one wear an ascot tie, and the color
must be white, cream or very light
gray. For a long while there was no
choice in the matter; the tie had to
to 1T. But there has been a change. and
while white is still correct, the other
two shades have come to be smarter
and more popular.
On the other hand, though. an ascot.
even to the practiced hand. is rather diff
ficult to tie Just right" The most skill
full often have to try three or four times
before achieving the proper set This is
very apt to be rather hard on the crisp
freshness of the tie. and a rumpied ascot
is far from thing Of beauty. Hence. 1t
is advisable to keep three or four on
hand. Also. while silk or satin Is un-
questionably more rich, II is advisable,
for economys sake. to buy them of some
heavy material that is washable. In win
ter this would not do. but in summer 1t
is quite allowable. Collar and tie, II Is
almost Superfiuous to say, go with the
stif-bosomed evening shirt.
And now comes the most expensive part
of the wardrobe, the coat and waistcoat.
both of the GETAWAY variety. In gen.
eral way the lines Of the coat follow the
English fashion, which is to say that the
shoulders are sans padding and that il
feet Frequently the coat is padded out
in the back. partly to fill in any, possible
hollows in the body OF the wearer and
partly to give an effect, greatly modified.
of course, but yet not unlike that pro-
duced in the long-gone days Of the femi-
nine hustle. The vest. of course. matches
the coat, and should be cut high in 'front.'
with miniature lapels and, mayhap.
thin edging OF white satin or heavily
corded silk. half creating the impression
that q white vest of that material Is be-
ing worn beneath IT.
No particular color is decreed for the
coat. Once 1t had to be black. Anything
else was considered vulgar. But ideas
the color scheme OF mans at
tire have undergone a radical change I'm
all departments, and now one may at
tend a wedding and be properly clad in a
cutaway OF any one of number OF