The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-04
COST OF BEING WELL DRESSED
Man Can't Possibly Be up to Snuff
on Less Than $3.50 Year

From the New York Evening sun.
Mrs\ Wilson said "A coura geous thing
when she expressed her belief that a
lady in the White House could dress
suitably on $1,000 a year
Did she realize that plain ordinary
men, bound by no need OF Official ex-
penditure, are compelled to spend more
than half that sum if they want to dress
in the way that man of the world
would call "properly?'
The dress budget has an Imperative
deadllne for the average man whose
POSITION carries with 1t the ordinary
social bligations-nothing more-and
seeks to dress well---if not lavishly.
OF course, no arbitrary standard can
be laid down, but approximate figures
" hich include clothes and incidentals
would run pretty close to $3.50 per an
mum, says an expert dressing financier.
This sounds high" he adds but nves-
ttgation shows IL to be a fair average
Tor the man who just wants to be
dressed right at the right time. Tho
nan who would be exquisite finds his
hills in this direction running into four
figures at the very start. But he is not
the man in question.
This does not mean that the average
neat looking man spends half a thous-
resent the financial layout that would
keep a man we'll and correctly. dressed.
TO get along on les. he must either cancel
some of the usual activities or else ap-
pear on some occasions poorly arrayed.
He would require at least three bus
mess suits a year. At $35 per suit
this means an expenditure of S105.
Tuxedo at sac and suit of evening
clothes with waistcoats at e120 bring
the total up TO $2s5 At least four
puirs of shoes. including those for full
dress occasions, and costing IS a pair
means an outlay OF $40. A dozen shirts
are not an excessive estimate. and these
ought to represent an outlay of about
$50. This does not include full dress
shirts, which represent an extra $10
Underwear costing s30 pa1amas ss and
collars S12 a year will help swell the
total. You see how the figures begin to
roll up.
Then to keep oneself supplied with
good neckwear means easily an annual
outlay of SIS. Socks at moderate
estimate should diminish tho bank ac-
count by SIS. handkerchefs by S. sus-
penders and belts by So and gloves and
sundres by SIS every year.
Then there enters the cost of head
eear-an essential item. Tho well
dressed man is scrupulous about his
hats He will buy two straw hats at
So a piece, two winter hats at the same
price, to say nothing offan Ss tile which
is indispensable. And then what about
a comfortable cap, which means at
least So? This. with $50 worth of over
coats, bring the grand total up to $615.
When we consider the expense OF
Keeping a wardrobe like this laundered
and tailored. and include such fnciden-
tails as the occasional luxury of a hair
cut or shine. $3.50 seems figuring close.
No chance here for the clothes needed
for outdoor sports like golfing or rid
ing, boating and tennis, which are none
of them obligatory on a man. Out of
doors man may substitute old clothes
for the conventional sporting costumes.
and yet be less conspicuous than II i'm
properly attired indoors.
Al this rate of being up to snuff we
say that it is wonderful what throngs
of young men keep coats on their backs
al $500 a year or so