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 HINTS 
 ABOUT MEN'S DRESS 
 
HINTS ABOUT MEN'S DRESS. 
 
HINTS 
 ABOUT MEN'S DRESS 
 
 RIGHT PRINCIPLES 
 ECONOMICALLY APPLIED 
 
 / 
 
 >H \\ 
 
 A NEW YORK CLUBMAN 
 
 NEW TORK 
 
 D. Appleton & Co., 1,3,85 Bond Street 
 
 1888 
 
 

 ■\-\th 
 
 Copyright, i883, 
 By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. 
 
 -103$ 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Introduction 7 
 
 I. The First Steps that Count . . 9 
 
 II. Under-clothing 20 
 
 III. Shirts ...... 30 
 
 IV. Suits of Clothes . . . . .37 
 V. The Care of Clothes . . 51 
 
 VI. Hats and Neckwear . . . .57 
 
 VII. Jewelry and Gloves .... 70 
 
 VIII. How to Branch Out a Little . . 74 
 
 
HINTS ABOUT MEN'S DRESS, 
 
 Introduction. 
 
 It is to the credit of Americans, espe- 
 cially to those of the present younger gen- 
 erations, that they generally do the best 
 they can to dress and appear well, so that 
 they may excite no remark ; and to be neat 
 in their personal habits, so that they may 
 not be offensive to refined tastes and crit- 
 ical eyes. Their efforts are fairly well re- 
 warded, but the struggle is made under 
 many disadvantages. Their forefathers, im- 
 
8 Introduction. 
 
 mediate and remote, have not been able to 
 give them much information about dress or 
 manner, having always been too busy to 
 think about the minor things of life ; and 
 thus, scattered throughout the country, in 
 parts far away from large cities, ambitious 
 boys have had a hard time to learn just 
 how gentlemen do dress and act in the con- 
 ventional phases of life. 
 
 To help such youths and men to accom- 
 plish their laudable purposes more easily, 
 the following pages have been prepared. 
 But it is taken for granted in all that is 
 written that the reader is honest, gentle, 
 generous, brave, and wise. Else what he 
 learns herein will benefit him little in his 
 efforts to be a true gentleman. 
 
The First Steps that Count. 
 
 Baths — Shaving one's self — Dressing the hair — Care of 
 the teeth and nails — The use of perfumes unwise. 
 
 There is more reason in the English- 
 man's morning " tub " than most people 
 give him credit for. It is not mere affecta- 
 tion. A nice Anglo-Saxon in England or 
 America understands that cleanliness is the 
 prime requisite of health and of a gentle- 
 man, and that for obvious reasons a man 
 who does not indulge in frequent baths 
 will not be an acceptable person in good 
 society. 
 
10 tfhe First Steps that Count. 
 
 It is no little trouble to keep clean, but 
 it pays, and is the basis of all decency. 
 There are various ways of doing it, some 
 more convenient than others. A tub-bath 
 in one's own room is an awkward arrange- 
 ment, and a sponge-bath scatters too much 
 water ; while to fill the stationary tub takes 
 time and watching. Most convenient of all 
 is the shower-bath. If this is arranged for 
 hot and cold water, it requires only a mo- 
 ment's patience to get a shower of the 
 proper temperature, and not much longer 
 to take a good bath and a thorough wash 
 with castile soap. Not every one can stand 
 the shower well, and delicate men should be 
 careful not to take it too cold or too often ; 
 but the average man may enjoy a bath of 
 this kind every morning without harm to 
 
fhe First Steps that Count. 11 
 
 his health. One should wipe himself thor- 
 oughly until perfectly dry. It is not neces- 
 sary to have a towel as rough as a corn-cob, 
 nor to keep up the rubbing till the skin is 
 blood-red, as many books about health in- 
 sist. While the tepid bath is agreeable and 
 harmless, the bather should constantly try 
 to lower the temperature, provided it does 
 not get so cold as to leave him in a chill. 
 After a bath the operation of shaving is 
 in order. Every man ought to shave him- 
 self. So doing not only saves money and 
 time, but it is cleaner. It is not agreeable 
 to a person of refinement to have a barber 
 pawing his face ; neither does a gentleman 
 enjoy the society of the barber-shop while 
 " waiting his turn." The haughty man who 
 would not allow the barber to turn aside 
 
12 "The First Steps that Count. 
 
 his long Roman nose (although it was 
 gently done), nor to pull down the corners 
 of his mouth, did not deserve the credit he 
 claimed for not tolerating familiarities from 
 any one. He should have shaved himself 
 at home, and manipulated his own features. 
 The care of razors may be a little diffi- 
 cult at first, but the knack of sharpening 
 them is easily learned, and, aside from the 
 advantage of cleanliness, if one has a tender 
 skin, he can shave himself more easily than 
 any one else can do it for him. Of course, 
 for trimming the beard — the chin-whisker 
 is not tolerated now — the mustache, and the 
 hair, it is necessary to endure a barber ; but 
 under no circumstances should he be al- 
 lowed to put anything on the hair except 
 cold water. Nothing is so objectionable as 
 
tfhe First Steps that Count. 13 
 
 the smell of cheap perfumery. A word here 
 as to perfumery in general. Don't use it. 
 It was formerly employed, according to 
 some authorities, by people who did not 
 take baths, to disguise that omission; and, 
 from this point of view, the use of it to-day 
 is a suspicious circumstance. 
 
 In combing one's hair, which comes 
 along about this time in the order of dress- 
 ing, the principal point to be considered is 
 where to part it. There is little doubt that 
 it ought to be parted in the middle. So 
 doing adds to the symmetry of the face, 
 and it is almost the invariable practice in 
 all countries, the United States excepted. 
 In the noted public art-galleries of Europe 
 one rarely or never sees an antique statue 
 with its chiseled hair parted on the side. 
 
14 <The First Steps that Count 
 
 The line of division is in the middle where 
 there is any line at all. Candor compels 
 the admission that in many cases there is 
 no parting ; the front locks fall over the 
 forehead in an easy, graceful, and natural 
 way, as much like the modern " bang " as 
 possible, except that the hair is not trimmed 
 off evenly. This is especially noticeable in 
 the statues of Roman emperors which may 
 be seen in the Louvre ; and the head of the 
 young Augustus, so well known, has a de- 
 cided bang. Yet there is nothing effeminate 
 about these old statues. It is not intended 
 here to say anything in defense of the bang, 
 which, as it exists on a man in modern times, 
 is a monstrous spectacle. It is merely de- 
 sired to point out that, if precedent is need- 
 ed for letting the hair divide naturally on 
 
Tfo First Steps that Count. 15 
 
 the top of the head, it can easily be fur- 
 nished. For many years in America to part 
 one's hair down close by the ear was con- 
 sidered the proper thing ; but the fashion of 
 parting it in the middle is sensibly begin- 
 ning to prevail, and after a short trial one 
 will soon become convinced that a part in 
 the middle is vastly more becoming than a 
 part on either side. Of course, if the hair 
 is thin on top, this fact may be disguised a 
 little by a parting on the side. If you ob- 
 ject to a dividing-line on top because it is 
 not seen there on most of the men you 
 know, make the parting at least as high as 
 you can stand it. It is the fashion now, and 
 probably will be for a long time, to have the 
 hair cut rather close at the back and on the 
 sides. It is not parted behind, as was once 
 
16 tfhe First Steps that Count 
 
 done. The growth on the neck should never 
 be shaved, but merely clipped close with the 
 scissors. If the hair is left a little long on 
 top, it parts more easily. A closely cropped 
 head is too suggestive of the prize-ring to 
 be advised. It is permissible sometimes to 
 put a little cosmetique on each side of the 
 parting, so that the hair will remain in 
 place. Avoid frequent shampooing, as it 
 tends to make the hair come out. The 
 hair should be washed in cold water, with- 
 out soap, during the morning bath. It is 
 held by some that washing the head in a 
 basin containing a few drops of ammonia 
 in the water helps to keep the head free 
 from dandruff. This may be so. At any 
 rate, the hair must be kept so clean that 
 there is never any dandruff on the coat- 
 
'The First Steps that Count. 17 
 
 collar. It is well enough to comb the head 
 once a week with a fine-tooth comb before 
 washing it. 
 
 It is not necessary to dwell upon the 
 importance of cleaning the teeth. They 
 should be brushed twice a week with tooth- 
 powder, and every day with soap and water. 
 They should be carefully watched by a 
 dentist in whom you have confidence. No 
 money is ever better spent by a young man 
 than that paid out for having his teeth prop- 
 erly attended to, and filled when needed. 
 It is laying up a store of enjoyment for a 
 later period in life, when eating is about 
 the only pleasure left. 
 
 The hands always need careful attention. 
 They can only be kept clean around the 
 nails by the frequent use of a nail-brush, 
 
18 The First Steps that Count 
 
 soap, and hot water. Castile soap is the 
 best to use ; it leaves no odor, and does not 
 chap the hands. If the soap furnished at the 
 basin in the office is too cheap, keep a piece 
 of a better quality for private use in your 
 desk. The finger-nails in some countries are 
 allowed to grow very long, and are cut to a 
 point. Indeed, long, pointed nails were at 
 one time supposed to indicate a gentleman, 
 or at least a person who did not work, for 
 if a man performs manual or clerical labor 
 his nails are sure to be broken. In this 
 country nearly every one works, and the 
 claw -like fashion in trimming the finger- 
 nails does not prevail. But an American 
 gentleman keeps his finger-nails cut pretty 
 short (about even with the end of the flesh), 
 with just a suspicion of a point. The cal- 
 
'the First Steps that Count. 
 
 19 
 
 lous bits of skin around the sides ought to 
 be removed with sharp, curved nail-scis- 
 sors, which can be bought at almost any 
 cutlery-store. It isn't necessary in America 
 to show by the hands that one does no 
 work. It is simply required of a gentle- 
 man that his hands shall show proper care. 
 
II. 
 
 Under-clothing. 
 
 The best to buy — Number ot suits — Silk under- 
 clothes — Shoes — Patent-leathers. 
 
 Any one who is careful about his per- 
 sonal habits gives spme thought to his un- 
 der-clothes. They really ought to be white 
 (unless one has a fancy that red flannel is 
 good for rheumatism), simply because white 
 shows that it is soiled the moment it is so. 
 The man who wears dark under-clothes lays 
 himself open to the suspicion that he doesn't 
 care about cleanliness so much as he cares 
 about saving washing and trouble by means 
 
Under-clothing. 2 1 
 
 of garments that do not show dirt. If a 
 man takes a bath every morning, three suits 
 of under-clothing for the winter are enough. 
 He can change twice a week, provided the 
 washerwoman is prompt. In summer more 
 suits are required, frequent changes being 
 necessary on account of perspiration. One 
 should change his under-clothing in summer 
 often enough to prevent the slightest odor 
 from attaching itself to him. 
 
 Silk under-clothing is not really essential 
 for elegance or comfort. It is agreeable to 
 wear it with evening dress. The trousers 
 hang better when worn over silk drawers, 
 woolen garments having a tendency to make 
 the trousers stick to the legs. This is true 
 of all trousers when worn over woolen, but 
 a gentleman only needs to give attention to 
 
22 Under- clothing. 
 
 this point in the case of dress-trousers. If a 
 man can not have one pair of thin, and one 
 of thick, silk drawers (for summer and win- 
 ter), let him prefer a thin pair. These can 
 be worn in winter over a moderately heavy- 
 weight pair of woolen drawers, and the set 
 of the trousers thereby much improved. 
 There is nothing ridiculous or silly in 
 devices like this from the right point of 
 view. Flannels and silk under-wear ought 
 to be washed by some one who knows how, 
 lest they should shrink. It is desirable, of 
 course, that under-clothing should fit pretty 
 snugly, especially the drawers. 
 
 There was a time when it was consid- 
 ered the proper thing for gentlemen to 
 pinch their feet in small shoes, but the sensi- 
 ble rule nowadays is to have shoes large 
 
Under-clothing. 23 
 
 enough to be comfortable. An easy shoe 
 not only feels better, but looks better. A 
 man ought, if possible, to have two pairs of 
 every-day shoes, so that he can change them 
 frequently. Each pair, worn alternately, lasts 
 longer than if worn steadily. The warmth 
 and the dampness of the foot rot the leather 
 unless it gets a chance to dry. There is no 
 greater comfort, so far as his feet are con- 
 cerned, which a man can have when he 
 comes home from business, than to change 
 his shoes and socks. Socks, by the way, 
 should be white, for the same reason that 
 under-clothing should be white. The best 
 kind of shoe to buy, from an economical 
 point of view, is ordinary French calf-skin, 
 with medium soles, and black or very dark- 
 blue cloth tops, which button. A shoe of 
 
24 Under-clothing. 
 
 this kind nicely polished can be worn 
 with any suit of clothes — for business or 
 for dress. Low shoes can only be worn 
 through a small part of the summer or in 
 the house, and are apt to be very uncom- 
 fortable on a rainy day. They are not 
 an economical investment, even in sum- 
 mer, because one has to have over-gaiters 
 with them if they are to be worn on all 
 occasions with comfort. Black over-gait- 
 ers are the best to buy. Colored ones 
 should harmonize in tone with the trousers, 
 but at best they are open to the charge 
 of being conspicuous. It is, therefore, pos- 
 sible to avoid all questions of taste by se- 
 lecting black cloth over - gaiters. They 
 should always button on the outside of the 
 foot. With low shoes and no gaiters dark 
 
Under-clothing. 25 
 
 stockings are required — not black, but a 
 dark brown or drab. 
 
 Low shoes also let in much dust to the 
 feet and ankles, and they give the ankle 
 no support. It is best, if one can, to have 
 a pair of patent-leather shoes, buttoned, 
 black -cloth tops, and comparatively thin 
 soles, to wear with evening dress. They 
 do not lose their polish, even with wearing 
 rubbers, and are, perhaps, a little more ele- 
 gant in appearance than ordinary shoes. 
 By having them made with plain, cloth tops 
 and medium soles, they can be worn with 
 business suits when they have begun to be 
 a little shabby. Care should be taken, how- 
 ever, to keep the edges of the soles of pat- 
 ent-leather shoes well blacked and polished. 
 Otherwise they have a slovenly look. There 
 
26 Under-clothing, 
 
 is a black varnish sold by saddlers for paint- 
 ing horses' hoofs to give them a polished 
 look, which is excellent to put on the edges 
 of the soles of patent-leather shoes. It 
 should be applied with a slender brush after 
 the shoes have been thoroughly cleaned. 
 Doubtless there are other preparations for 
 this purpose, but it is questionable if they 
 are any better. Broken spots in patent- 
 leather may also be touched up with it. 
 
 No one any longer wears boots, the tops 
 of which come up around the leg under the 
 trousers, and laced shoes labor under the 
 disadvantage of becoming easily untied. 
 Besides, shoe-laces soon wear shabby and 
 rusty, and are apt to make callous places 
 on the top of the foot. "Pumps" — that is, 
 low, patent-leather slippers — are little used 
 
Under-clothing. 27 
 
 in these days, even by the luxuriously rich. 
 They require black silk stockings and neat 
 black ribbon bows on the instep, so that al- 
 together they have an effeminate air that is 
 not admired. Above all, they are hard to 
 dance in. For dancing on a waxed floor, of 
 course, thin-soled shoes are best, while on 
 crash and carpet soles of medium thickness 
 are better. If one does wear " pumps " to 
 a dinner or a dance despite all warnings, he 
 should not try to walk to the place of en- 
 joyment, but drive there. To wear this 
 kind of shoe in the uncertain climate of the 
 northern United States is to court a bad 
 cold. 
 
 It is not pleasant to black one's own 
 shoes, but shoes must be blacked, and well 
 blacked, too. Much of one's appearance 
 
28 Under-clothing. 
 
 turns on this point ; for a gentleman, it 
 used to be said, was indicated by the con- 
 dition of his shoes and his hat. Any kind 
 of blacking may be used, but it should be 
 moistened with fresh, clean water. Black 
 carefully the heels, under the insteps, and 
 around the edges of the soles. It is a 
 good plan to black one's shoes at night 
 before going to bed, and in the morn- 
 ing, after putting them on, to rub them 
 up a bit. The polish will then be bright- 
 er, and will last longer for having had a 
 chance to dry. With most men of fastidi- 
 ous taste, the first luxury to be indulged 
 in, when it can be afforded, is to hire a 
 boy to black their shoes. This is a wise 
 and genteel indulgence. But it is well to 
 have one's shoes blacked in the privacy of 
 
Under-clothing. 29 
 
 one's own kitchen or apartment even then. 
 Never perch yourself up in those boot- 
 blacks' chairs so conspicuous all over New 
 York at street corners. To do so advertises 
 to all the world that you usually black your 
 own shoes, but that this time you are in- 
 dulging in an extravagance. A little com- 
 putation just here may give a hint : One 
 pair of shoes blacked every day for five 
 cents costs thirty-five cents a week. In two 
 months that would amount to two dollars 
 and eighty cents, which is, in most places, 
 as much as the difference in price between 
 patent-leathers and fine calf-skin. But the 
 life of a shoe is longer than two months. 
 The inference, therefore, is decidedly in 
 favor of patent-leather shoes, even on the 
 score of economy. 
 
III. 
 Shirts. 
 
 For full-dress — A style that never should be worn — 
 Collars and cuffs. 
 
 The very fastidious man who can afford 
 it, puts on a clean white shirt every day, 
 and a shirt, too, which has collar and cuffs 
 attached to it. His principle is, that a man 
 can't be too careful as to the cleanliness of 
 his linen, and that a shirt can't be worn but 
 once without the collar and cuffs being 
 soiled. But there are not very many men 
 so fastidious as this in this country. Most 
 Americans seem to think that if they change 
 
Shirts. 31 
 
 their shirts every other day it is a good 
 deal of a concession to the washerwoman. 
 They generally put on a fresh collar and 
 cuffs every morning, and then consider that 
 they are neatness itself. For a man who is 
 very particular about baths, and hasn't 
 much active work to do, a shirt every other 
 day and clean collar and cuffs every day 
 answer very well. Collars and cuffs, it is 
 to be feared, are really made separate 
 from shirts to save washing, because it is 
 cheaper to wash them than to wash a 
 whole shirt. So, naturally, when a man 
 wants to be very particular about his dress, 
 he wears shirts with collars and cuffs at- 
 tached, and changes once a day at least. 
 It is not worth while to discuss further, per- 
 haps, the number of this kind of garment 
 
32 Shirts. 
 
 which should be worn weekly. If one is 
 only determined to keep himself neat, the 
 number will regulate itself. 
 
 There is, however, an abomination which 
 must be mentioned here, and that is a shirt 
 which opens behind. It is really only one 
 remove from the " dickey," than which noth- 
 ing could be lower. It is made thus so that 
 the bosom will not get soiled, and with the 
 idea that it can be worn much longer with- 
 out showing dirt. Of course, this is a vio- 
 lation of the idea that it is a gentleman's 
 object to be clean and not to save washing. 
 Paper collars, celluloid collars, and every- 
 thing in this line save linen collars, are 
 under the same ban. So in regard to shirts 
 it comes to this : A man of limited means 
 who wants to be dressed well should have 
 
Shirts. 33 
 
 at least one or two shirts, with collars and 
 cuffs attached, which open in front. These 
 he reserves to wear with his dress-suit, and 
 he never wears one more than once without 
 washing. It won't do at all to have a gen- 
 tleman in full-dress whose linen is open to 
 the suspicion of not being perfectly immacu- 
 late as to cleanliness. For every-day use in 
 the office, as has been said, most Americans 
 wear shirts to which they button collars 
 and cuffs. Provided that collars, cuffs, and 
 shirts are frequently changed, this custom 
 may be endured. Some very particular 
 men now have their shirts open all the way 
 down, so that the hair will not be dis- 
 arranged after it has been brushed by put- 
 ting the shirt over the head. There is a 
 good deal of the Miss Nancy about this. 
 3 
 
34 Shirts. 
 
 It is sufficient for any man to have his 
 shirts made of plain linen, without dots or 
 embroidery on the bosom. Those are ex- 
 tras. With plain linen, which fits well and 
 is well washed and ironed, one can go any- 
 where in the civilized world with a con 
 sciousness that his shirt is all right. The 
 bosoms of shirts should be made to fasten 
 with regular shirt-studs, and not with imita- 
 tion studs attached to a screw. The latter 
 are a proper accompaniment to a shirt that 
 opens behind. 
 
 As to the shape of collars, a young man 
 with a fine, well-shaped neck may wear a 
 turn-down collar; but, since the fashion is 
 for standing collars, he thereby lays himself 
 open to the charge of vanity. If one's neck 
 is long and thin, with a marked protuber- 
 
Shirts. 35 
 
 ance, called an Adam's apple, a tall collar 
 coming pretty closely together in front, but 
 having the points turned back a little, looks 
 best. It should, however, be made straight, 
 to be turned back after it is on. Collars 
 with long turned -down points are rather 
 pronounced for a man who does not dress 
 in the extreme of fashion. In purchasing 
 collars, pains should be taken not to buy 
 those which look as if they were sewed on 
 a band, for, unless this band is carefully cov- 
 ered by the cravat, it makes itself seen. Let 
 each side of the collar be of one piece of 
 linen. It is well to remember that the num- 
 bers on the collars do not always indicate 
 their real length. Thus, 15^ is often only 
 15J inches long, but sometimes 16 inches 
 long. If you have a collar that sets well, 
 
36 Shirts. 
 
 use it as a pattern, and when you buy, meas- 
 ure your purchase (or have the salesman 
 do it) so as to get those of exactly similar 
 length. The washerwoman should be cau- 
 tioned, also, not to stretch collars in wash- 
 ing. Insist, too, that your collars and cuffs 
 shall be very stiff, and tell the woman, when 
 they come home from the wash yellow or 
 brown on the inside edges, that this color 
 is there because the cuffs and collars were 
 not washed clean. It will add force to your 
 complaints if you always pay your washer- 
 woman promptly. 
 
IV. 
 
 Suits of Clothes. 
 
 The advantage of a dress-suit — Trousers and waistcoats 
 — The business suit — The extra pair of trousers — 
 The principle as to color — Overcoats. 
 
 To dress well a man need not have so 
 many different suits of clothes as is gener- 
 ally supposed, particularly if he knows how 
 to take care of what he buys. Outside of 
 large cities, one doesn't need a dress-suit 
 (or evening dress, as it is, perhaps, more ele- 
 gantly called) very often, although, as a mat- 
 ter of fact, dress-suits are much more worn 
 now, even in small places in the country, 
 
38 Suits of Clothes. 
 
 than they were two or three years ago. 
 But, if one does not need a dress-suit often, 
 when he does need it, he needs it badly. It 
 is one of the best investments in a social 
 way that a young man with social aspirations 
 can make. When he wants to go out in 
 the evening, and has on a dress-suit, a nicely 
 fitting shirt, with a white lawn tie and neat 
 shoes, he may enjoy the satisfaction of know- 
 ing that he is properly dressed for any so- 
 ciety in the world. Dress-suits are not ex- 
 pensive, because they last for years. For- 
 merly, they were made of black broadcloth, 
 but of recent years a narrow, black, diag- 
 onal, or even a fine homespun is much used. 
 Most suits of to-day, in London and New 
 York, are probably made of this fine black 
 diagonal; and, if one should get a suit of 
 
Suits of Clothes. 39 
 
 that kind (1888), he would, for several sea- 
 sons at least, always be fashionably dressed 
 when he wore it, and need not be annoyed 
 even if ultra-fashionable people who buy 
 dress-suits every year should appear in one 
 made of homespun. Almost any tailor — 
 even in a small town — should be able to cut 
 and make a dress-suit. 
 
 Evening-dress coats do not vary much 
 from year to year, except in the length of 
 the tails — not a notable variance. Men ad- 
 vanced in life do not often have the lapels 
 faced with silk. Any one below forty may 
 have them faced with that material. Trous- 
 ers (never say pants) with dress-suits are 
 never made tight, even if the fashion is to 
 have closely fitting trousers for every-day 
 wear. About nineteen inches at the knee 
 
40 Suits of Clothes. 
 
 has been a good width for a number of 
 years, and probably will be so for some 
 years to come. But there is no fashion so 
 easy to find out about as whether trousers 
 are made wide or narrow. One may have 
 black silk braid down the side seam or not, 
 just as he pleases. The fashion in these 
 suits varies most in regard to the cut of the 
 opening of the waistcoat (never say vest). 
 Formerly it was cut in a V shape, but lately 
 it is cut like a U. Three buttons are enough 
 on a waistcoat. 
 
 As regards the time of appearing in a 
 dress-suit, it may be said that it should never 
 be put on before six o'clock, which is the 
 earliest possible dinner-hour for people who 
 dine in the evening. It can be worn at any 
 evening entertainment, no matter what its 
 
Suits of Clothes. 41 
 
 character may be, whether many or few 
 people are present. In fact, a man who 
 has a dress-suit never needs to wear any- 
 thing else in the evening to be properly 
 dressed in society. In large cities men 
 rarely walk in the street in their dress-suits 
 without wearing a very thin overcoat, even 
 in summer. This is to avoid being con- 
 spicuous. 
 
 Thus, having the proper garment — a 
 dress-suit — for social occasions in the even- 
 ing, all a man need feel obliged to provide 
 besides is a suit for business and after- 
 noon entertainments. One suit with care 
 will answer both purposes, viz., a black cut- 
 away, either of diagonal or of the slightly 
 rough cloth now much used (referred to 
 earlier in this chapter), with waistcoat of the 
 
42 Suits of Clothes. 
 
 same, and a pair of trousers, not light-col- 
 ored, but " lightish," with modest stripe or 
 check. Obviously, a suit of this kind can 
 be worn at business, and in it a man is well 
 enough dressed for an afternoon wedding, 
 reception, or tea, or any other festive oc- 
 casion where a dress-suit should not be 
 seen. But care must be taken to keep such 
 a suit nice. It is well also to have an 
 extra pair of trousers to put on after busi- 
 ness hours. They are, indeed, almost indis- 
 pensable if one is not to be seen with baggy 
 knees. There will be something said later 
 on in regard to the different kinds of neck- 
 tie to wear with a cutaway to make it more 
 or less dressy. 
 
 To some extent in some parts of this 
 country, a Prince Albert or double-breasted 
 
Suits of Clothes. 43 
 
 frock-coat, with light trousers, is worn at 
 afternoon entertainments ; but this is not 
 necessary. A cutaway is just as fashionable 
 and becoming, and can always be worn 
 when a frock-coat would answer ; but a 
 frock-coat should never be seen at busi- 
 ness, or anywhere else earlier than late after- 
 noon — say, 4 or 4.30. In Paris, a coat of 
 this kind is considered by Frenchmen as the 
 only proper thing a gentleman can appear 
 in from 4 p. M. until dinner. No such fash- 
 ion prevails rigorously either in England or 
 America. 
 
 Something has been said of the material 
 of cutaways. A black diagonal, with not 
 too wide a stripe, has been the approved 
 material for years, and doubtless will con- 
 tinue to be for a long time ; and, if a man 
 
44 Suits of Clothes. 
 
 has a coat of this stuff, he need not worry 
 if he occasionally rubs against coats made 
 of rough, black homespun cloth, much worn 
 during 1888. Homespun is hardly likely to 
 last in popular favor, because it shows wear. 
 Of course, a diagonal coat after it gets shiny 
 must be worn only in the office. It is well 
 to have (if it can easily be afforded), in addi- 
 tion to a cutaway suit and a dress-suit, a 
 sack-suit. But the last named can be dis- 
 pensed with. If one is ordered, however, it 
 should be a very dark blue or black Scotch 
 tweed, or homespun. It will easily last two 
 summers if one gets an extra pair of trousers 
 at the same time. The underlying principle of 
 this purchase, as of all economical buying of 
 clothes, is to buy dark-colored material. A dark 
 suit can be worn on any kind of a day, and 
 
Suits of Clothes. 45 
 
 early or late in the season ; but light clothes 
 are in good taste only when the sun shines 
 and the weather is very bright. Trousers, 
 particularly, should be modest in color and 
 pattern. Never, under any circumstances, 
 unless you are actually deformed, have pad- 
 ding put in the shoulders of coats, or any- 
 where else. Square shoulders are only ad- 
 mirable when they are natural. 
 
 If a man is much about his house, he 
 ought to have a second-best sack-coat to 
 lounge in. It isn't necessary to have a 
 smoking -jacket or any fancy garment of 
 that kind ; yet a Norfolk jacket or unlined 
 cloth coat is most useful. Nothing wears 
 out one's clothes more than lounging about 
 a house. It is also well in winter to don a 
 second-best coat under an overcoat. Tak- 
 
46 Suits of Clothes. 
 
 ing on and off a top-coat wears the other 
 badly. 
 
 In the summer, for leisure hours in the 
 morning, or the early afternoon, the ordi- 
 nary " blazer," so often seen now, and white 
 trousers, worn at cricket or tennis, together 
 with a soft flannel shirt, are very conven- 
 ient; but nothing beyond the cutaway suit 
 and a dress-suit are absolutely necessary to 
 a man who must economize. Too much 
 stress can not be put upon the fact that a 
 dress-coat for evening wear and a cutaway 
 suit for all other occasions, with proper 
 kind of hat and shoes, are all that a man 
 really needs to be properly dressed, except 
 so far as overcoats are concerned. 
 
 Unless a man is very tough, it is neces- 
 sary in the climate of the Northern United 
 
Suits of Clothes. 47 
 
 States to have two overcoats — one for mid- 
 winter, made of rough cloth, and one for 
 the cold days of fall and spring, made of 
 diagonal or plain stuff. Both should be of 
 a dark color — very dark blue or brown is 
 the best — and made as sack overcoats. 
 Overcoats, with capes and long tails and 
 other variations, are all liable to go out of 
 fashion before they are worn out, and then 
 they do not look well; but the plain sack 
 overcoat, neatly brushed, always is present- 
 able, and is a perfectly proper outside gar- 
 ment for all occasions. It is a luxury to have 
 overcoats lined with silk. At any rate, the 
 sleeve linings should be of silk or satin. If 
 care is taken to keep the buttons and button- 
 holes of these garments in good repair, they 
 will not become shabby for a long time. It 
 
48 Suits of Clothes. 
 
 may be remarked here, in regard to coats 
 of all kinds, that it is not well to have them 
 bound with silk braid. It wears shiny, or 
 wears off entirely, and makes the coat look 
 shabby before it is really so. 
 
 A word about clothes for traveling. If 
 a man can travel much, he can afford to 
 dress well, or at least to have a suit of nice- 
 looking clothes for his journey. They never 
 should be new, nor should they be light- 
 colored. They should fit loosely. Linen 
 dusters or alpaca dusters are no longer 
 seen, or ought not to be seen. They nev- 
 er were of use, for they do not materially 
 protect the clothes from dust, and they are 
 too hot for comfort, especially in summer. 
 The traveling-suit should be something that 
 lounging and dust will not damage, and it 
 
Suits of Clothes, 49 
 
 should be as quiet and inconspicuous as the 
 manners of the wearer. This last point 
 about the manners is very important 
 
 It is a lamentable fact that at the sea-side 
 and in the mountains in the summer, at re- 
 sorts where women think they must look 
 their prettiest, the men, especially the very 
 young men, seem to think that they can 
 wear as slovenly clothing as they please. 
 Often they appear at breakfast and dinner 
 in the same suit of lawn -tennis flannels. 
 Such garments are proper for the morning 
 if they fit well, if all the buttons are kept 
 fastened, and if a decent cravat gives a con- 
 servative air to the flannel shirt. But, when 
 the sport of the day is over, at dinner-time 
 or tea, a gentleman owes it to himself, to 
 say nothing of what he owes to ladies, to ap- 
 4 
 
50 Suits of Clothes, 
 
 pear in his neat sack-suit and white shirt or 
 in his cutaway suit. Any hotel-keeper who 
 allows " the fellows " to dance in flannel 
 suits in the evening certainly does not keep 
 the kind of a house at which gentlemen or 
 ladies should stay. But it is very often 
 an affectation to appear in a dress-suit for 
 dinner or dancing at a summer resort, un- 
 less it is a " hop " night. The cutaway an- 
 swers very well on most occasions. 
 
The Care of Clothes. 
 
 Frequent brushing — How to hang up coats and trousers 
 — Bagging at the knee. 
 
 A man's appearance in a great measure 
 depends upon the care which he takes of 
 his clothes. They should be brushed care- 
 fully, and, when not in use, should be hung 
 up where they will get no dust. Coats 
 should always be hung on a little frame sup- 
 port that goes from shoulder to shoulder. 
 These are sold very cheaply in the cities, 
 but any one can supply himself with them 
 
52 tfhe Care of Clothes. 
 
 by cutting the hoop of a clean barrel into 
 sections a foot and a half long, and tying a 
 cord to the middle, by which to hang it up. 
 A coat and waistcoat hung on this frame 
 keep their form well. The little loop at the 
 back of the neck on a coat should never be 
 used to hang it up by when the garment is 
 to remain for more than a few moments. 
 It seems to have been invented by tailors 
 merely to pull a coat out of all shape. If 
 you have not a form of the kind suggested 
 to hang a coat on, hang it by the sleeve and 
 shoulder on the peg, and use straight pegs ; 
 not those with a point turned up. 
 
 Trousers, after being carefully brushed, 
 should be turned inside out and hung by 
 the strap behind, or from two pegs by the 
 strap and the front of the trousers. Thus 
 
^he Care of Clothes. 53 
 
 the folds made by wearing will be reversed, 
 and fall back into place. It is not possible 
 entirely to prevent trousers from bagging 
 at the knee. But the evil can be remedied, 
 or prevented in part, by having two pairs of 
 trousers, and by wearing them alternately 
 two or three days at a time. With every 
 suit of clothes, as has been remarked (ex- 
 cept a dress-suit), a man should have two 
 pairs of trousers if it is possible — one to 
 wear at his work and the other when he 
 wants to be more careful in his appearance. 
 A little device to hold trousers is sold in 
 New York, and is useful. It looks like a 
 coat-support, except that at each end the 
 wire is bent into the shape of the letter S 
 turned sideways, and prolonged through 
 several curves. The black button of the 
 
54 ^he Care of Clothes. 
 
 two front suspender buttons on each side 
 of the trousers is slipped into one of the 
 curves, and a good support is thus ob- 
 tained. It is wise to have a number of 
 hooks in rows in the top of one's ward- 
 robes from which to hang these hoops. 
 Much space is thereby saved, which is a 
 great thing in small houses. 
 
 What has seemed to be a fashion has 
 prevailed for some time in the East and in 
 England. This is to have a slight crease 
 down the back of the legs of the trousers. 
 Of course, it is supposed to indicate that 
 the trousers are new or have just been 
 pressed. When the garment actually is 
 new, the crease is not offensive, but if the 
 trousers have been worn long, the crease 
 is a ridiculous affectation that deserves the 
 
I'ke Care of Clothes. 55 
 
 smile it usually excites. The fact is, old 
 trousers can not be made new by any ex- 
 periment at all. They may be encouraged 
 to retain their shape if they are pressed 
 by the tailor often ; but it is their fate to 
 wear out, and the failing can not be reme- 
 died by trick and device. 
 
 Care should be taken to draw trousers 
 up pretty well, so that they set properly, 
 and do not touch the ground or pavement 
 in walking. They soon wear out on the 
 edge if they touch. Trousers should not 
 " break " too much — that is, bend in broken 
 folds — just above the shoe. They are about 
 the right length in front when they cover 
 the lowest button of the boot-top. In re- 
 gard to the size of trousers at the knee, as 
 in everything else, one should not follow 
 
56 
 
 tfke Care of Clothes. 
 
 the extreme of fashion. It is a luxury to 
 have a pair of suspenders for every pair of 
 trousers. Then, when once adjusted to the 
 right length, one need never give further 
 thought to the garment when it is on. 
 
VI. 
 
 Hats and Neckwear. 
 
 Tall hats and derbys — Different kinds of scarfs — Rigid 
 rules concerning white ties — Colors to buy. 
 
 A well-dressed man is always particu- 
 lar about his hats and his shoes. Some peo- 
 ple are careless in this respect, because they 
 think they can economize vastly there with- 
 out any one's noticing it. Enough has al- 
 ready been said on previous pages about 
 shoes, perhaps, and we would only add that 
 one may have his shoes half-soled, but that 
 they never should be patched. If possible, 
 
58 Hats and Neckwear. 
 
 one should have a tall silk hat and a derby, 
 which is a low-crowned hat. A silk hat is 
 to a man what a best bonnet is to a woman, 
 and, whenever the hat is part of the dress, 
 as at the opera (when moving from box to 
 box), a tall silk hat is absolutely indispensa- 
 ble. It is also indispensable with a double- 
 breasted or single-breasted frock-coat, and 
 it is very correct to wear it with a cutaway, 
 but not with a sack-coat. It has been a re- 
 cent fashion, by the way, for Englishmen 
 and Frenchmen to wear a silk hat with a 
 black sack-coat ; but it is always safe not to 
 do it, and it is an atrocity to wear it with a 
 light-colored sack-coat. The derby hat, on 
 the contrary, always looks well with a sack- 
 coat, or a cutaway, when one is at business. 
 It may be worn in the evening with a dress- 
 
Hats and Neckwear. 59 
 
 suit when it is merely seen in the street, or 
 on getting in or out of a carriage at a thea- 
 tre. A silk hat is injured by being put 
 under the seat with your overshoes at the 
 theatre. Both the silk hat and the derby 
 should be carefully brushed every day. 
 Nothing looks worse than a hat that isn't 
 cared for. Hats of all kinds when laid 
 aside should rest on the crown or on the 
 side ; never on the brim with the crown 
 up. Resting on the brim puts a hat out of 
 shape. 
 
 A light hat is never a good investment 
 for a person who wishes to dress economic- 
 ally, on the principle that, while you can 
 wear a black hat at any time, light-colored 
 covering for the head does not look well on 
 a dark or rainy day, or after September 
 
60 Hats and Neckwear. 
 
 15th, which is the date on which men in 
 New York city are supposed to discard their 
 summer head-gear. Straw hats are never 
 worn by men in town in London, while 
 in the western part of the United States 
 in summer nearly every one has straw 
 head-gear. In New York the men appear 
 to have struck a just mean, and they wear 
 straw hats on very hot days. The climate of 
 America is much hotter than that of Eng- 
 land, and a departure from English fashions 
 (which generally are very sensible) in this 
 instance is commendable. But a straw hat 
 should not be seen on a dark day, and one 
 worn by a middle-aged young man should 
 never have a colored band on it — black is 
 the only dignified thing. A very young 
 man or a college student may have white, 
 
Hats and Neckwear. 61 
 
 or blue, or what he pleases, taking- care, of 
 course, that it is not too glaring. 
 
 The only time to wear a soft hat is in 
 traveling or at sports in the country, and 
 then the crown should be low, the brim nar- 
 row, and the felt so soft that it can be folded 
 up easily. What is commonly known as a 
 lawn-tennis hat — blue or black — is about the 
 thing to buy. It is better than the silk caps, 
 without any visor to protect the eyes, which 
 are sold on railway trains, and which are 
 unbecoming to most men. 
 
 In purchasing neckwear, the same prin- 
 ciple of buying only dark -colored stuffs 
 when one wants to dress well, but inexpen- 
 sively, prevails. A silk or satin scarf of dark 
 blue, or brown, or purple, or black, with a 
 small colored dot or figure, is proper on 
 
62 Hats and Neckwear, 
 
 all occasions, business or social, except, of 
 course, when full-dress is required. It is 
 most agreeable to be able to have scarfs of 
 many colors and styles, but it costs much 
 money to have them, and the rest of one's 
 wardrobe needs to be pretty elaborate to 
 support gorgeous neckwear. 
 
 There are two kinds of scarfs — the flat 
 scarf, like Fig. i ; and a four-in-hand, like 
 Fig. 2, untied, and like Fig. 3, when tied in 
 a conventional sailor's knot. It will be evi- 
 dent from a glance at these that the flat 
 scarf, Fig. 1, should be worn when the 
 waistcoat buttons up quite high at the 
 throat, for then only a little of the scarf (so 
 far as a) is seen. Even with such a waist- 
 coat the four-in-hand, tied as in Fig. 3, may 
 also be worn. With a waistcoat that is cut 
 
Hats and Neckwear. 
 
 63 
 
64 Hats and Neckwear. 
 
 comparatively low (say to about b\ so that 
 some of the shirt-bosom shows, the scarf as 
 in Fig. 3 is the correct thing. It is, there- 
 fore, the most economical article of neck- 
 wear to buy, as it can be worn with a high 
 or low waistcoat. If made of heavy silk, it 
 lasts much longer than if made of satin, and 
 looks quite as well, if not better. A man 
 who has a dark silk four-in-hand, black or 
 blue, with a little dot figure in it, as sug- 
 gested previously, and one of lighter and 
 gayer color to wear at afternoon entertain- 
 ments, has all the neckwear he requires, 
 except white lawn ties to wear with his 
 dress-suit. 
 
 The four-in-hand may be tied tightly or 
 loosely, as suits the taste, and may be wide 
 or narrow. In winter the wider ones are 
 
Hats and Neckwear. 65 
 
 worn, and in summer the narrower ones. 
 In putting- them on, it is often necessary to 
 tighten them up after they have been put in 
 place. They are looking just right when 
 the collar-button is covered, as it always 
 should be. It is the height of vulgarity to 
 have a jeweled collar-button. Both four-in- 
 hands and flat scarfs should be held down 
 in place, so as to be flat, by fastening them 
 to the shirt at m and //. To pin them makes 
 bad holes in the linen, but a little catch is 
 sold for a trifle in the streets in any large 
 town which is better than a pin. A more 
 convenient little thing it would be hard to 
 imagine. 
 
 Nothing should be worn with evening 
 dress but a tie of white lawn tied by your- 
 self. Ties already made up into bows, which 
 5 
 
66 Hals and Neckwear. 
 
 fasten at the back of the neck, never look 
 well, and should be avoided on the principle 
 that one should not have anything bogus or 
 ready-made about his dress. A cravat that 
 is meant to look as if tied should actually 
 be tied, and a little skill is all that is neces- 
 sary to accomplish it. Indeed, it is better 
 to have a white lawn tie rather badly tied, 
 than to wear one ready made. An effort 
 should be made to tie the lawn tie into a 
 square bow-knot, like Fig. 4. It will be 
 noted that the ends do not stick out very 
 far beyond the bow part. Every one learns 
 by experience what length of tie he should 
 wear and how wide it should be. The first 
 time you get your tie to suit you, note its 
 length and width, and always buy the same 
 afterward. Three quarters of an inch to an 
 
Hats and Neckwear. 67 
 
 inch is about the average width. If one 
 owns a box of English pins, which are much 
 stronger than those of American manufact- 
 ure, it will be very easy to put a pin in un- 
 derneath the bow as near to the lower edge 
 of the collar as possible (at c in Fig. 4) to 
 hold it in place. Indeed, a bow must be 
 pinned down, or there should be a loop of 
 tape on the shirt bosom just below the col- 
 lar-button, through which one end of the 
 cravat is run before the bow is tied (as at d 
 in Fig. 5). Scarfs and ties should also be 
 pinned down at the back of the neck (as at 
 e in Fig. 4). 
 
 There is no use to own a black silk, or 
 satin, tie (a black satin scarf is a different 
 thing) with the idea of wearing it with 
 evening dress. At all evening entertain- 
 
68 Hats and Neckwear, 
 
 ments, as has already been said, a white 
 lawn tie is correct ; and while sometimes 
 a black silk one is allowed (as at a man's 
 dinner, or where a person is in mourning 
 at a small gathering), yet a white one may 
 be worn on these occasions just as well 
 as black, and on every other occasion, too. 
 If, therefore, a man has plenty of white 
 ties for evening dress, he needs no oth- 
 ers. It should be remembered that these 
 lawn ties must be perfectly fresh from 
 the shop or the laundry. Never try to 
 wear a white tie twice, any more than you 
 would try to wear a dress-shirt twice, with- 
 out sending it to the laundry. A man's 
 linen, when he is in evening dress, as has 
 also been said before, must be absolutely 
 immaculate. 
 
Hats and Neckwear. 
 
 6 9 
 
 A handkerchief should never be used as 
 an ornament, nor should a corner of it be 
 allowed to stick out of one's coat-pocket. 
 It is a concession to nature that should be 
 kept out of sight as much as possible. 
 
VII. 
 
 Jewelry and Gloves. 
 
 Few ornaments needed — Rings and pins — A good habit 
 as to gloves. 
 
 A word about jewelry : If one has a pair 
 of plain gold linked sleeve-buttons and a set 
 of gold or white-enameled studs, he has all 
 the jewelry that a gentleman needs to have, 
 and all that is proper to wear unless he has 
 a large wardrobe, and can afford luxuries. 
 One should never wear a large gold watch- 
 chain with evening dress. It is better, in- 
 deed, to wear none at all, simply having the 
 
Jewelry and Gloves. 71 
 
 watch in your waistcoat pocket ; but a very 
 narrow, light gold chain is allowed on all 
 occasions. Even with a business suit an 
 expansive metal cable is not in good taste. 
 As to rings, it is just as well not to wear 
 any save a plain gold ring on the little fin- 
 ger of the left hand. The absence of that 
 even will never cause remark ; and the pres- 
 ence of any rings, except when they are 
 really artistic, and on a man who gives great 
 thought and care to his appearance, and al- 
 ways dresses fashionably, shows a lack of 
 taste and judgment. If, however, you are 
 tempted to wear a seal ring, in spite of all 
 warning, be sure that it is a very small one. 
 One has no need of scarf-pins at all, ex- 
 cept with a flat scarf, which requires one in 
 the center (as at /in Fig. 1) — another reason 
 
72 Jewelry and Gloves. 
 
 for preferring a four-in-hand scarf. It is al- 
 lowable to wear a very small pin with a 
 four-in-hand if it is stuck away up in the 
 corner of the knot (as at g in Fig. 3), so as 
 to attract little attention. Little gold pins 
 with pearl heads are used by some men to 
 pin down a lawn tie (as at h and k in Fig. 4). 
 They are all very well if you can afford to 
 have them, because it is not necessary to 
 conceal them, as it is the ordinary pin. 
 
 Cultivate the habit of wearing gloves 
 whenever there is an excuse for it. They 
 keep the hands clean, and add to one's com- 
 fort, and to the appearance of comfort in the 
 winter. A man with his hands stuck into 
 the sides of his overcoat, or into his trous- 
 ers-pockets, looks more or less wretched 
 or parsimonious. Buy dark brown or brick- 
 
Jewelry and Gloves. 73 
 
 red kid gloves always, either stitched with 
 black or with silk of the same color. Only 
 don't let your hands be conspicuous. At a 
 funeral, for instance, one should wear black 
 gloves and a dark tie. If one is going to 
 dance, it is always proper, no matter what 
 the passing rumor of fashion may be, to 
 wear gloves, so as not to soil a lady's dress 
 or her gloves. Evening gloves should be 
 light lavender or white, heavily stitched 
 with black or white. Never be afraid to 
 wear gloves or dress-suit on proper occa- 
 sions, whether any one else does so or not. 
 A man can always afford to be the best- 
 dressed gentlemen in the room. 
 
VIII. 
 
 How to Branch Out a Little. 
 
 A table of suggestions — The use of a valet — 
 Visiting-cards — A last word. 
 
 It will perhaps be convenient, as a sort 
 of resume of what has been said in earlier 
 chapters, to give in tabular form the arti- 
 cles of wearing apparel which a careful man 
 who wishes to dress well, but economically, 
 should have. Here is such a table of sug- 
 gestions : 
 
 Winter under-clothing 3 suits 
 
 Summer under-clothing 6 " 
 
 Night-shirts 3 
 
How to Branch Out a Little. 75 
 
 Shirts with collars and cuffs attached 2 
 
 Shirts without collars and cuffs 6 
 
 Collars 10 
 
 Cuffs 10 pairs 
 
 Socks 6 " 
 
 Calf-skin shoes 2 " 
 
 Patent-leather shoes I pair 
 
 Slippers 
 
 Dress-suit 
 
 Cutaway suit (summer) 
 
 Cutaway suit (winter) 
 
 Extra trousers (for each suit) I pair 
 
 Winter overcoat 
 
 Spring overcoat '. 
 
 Handkerchiefs 12 
 
 High silk hat 
 
 Derby hat 
 
 Gloves 2 pairs 
 
 Neck scarfs 2 
 
 Lawn ties 6 
 
 Link sleeve-buttons, gold I pair 
 
 Studs, white enamel or gold. . . . , I set 
 
 This looks like a good deal, but, of 
 course, one does not have to lay it all in 
 
76 Hozc to Branch Out a Little. 
 
 every summer or winter. If one buys good 
 clothes, well made and within the fashion, 
 and takes care of what he has, his accumu- 
 lations from year to year become valuable. 
 A black cutaway coat properly cared for 
 should last through the second season, and 
 a variety in clothes can be obtained by pur- 
 chasing, every other season, a sack-suit, 
 rough and heavy for winter use, or of thin 
 stuff for summer, remembering always the 
 extra pair of trousers. It is needless, how- 
 ever, to go much more into detail. If the 
 case which the writer has been trying to 
 establish has been presented in a clear man- 
 ner, the reader (with the items in the table 
 to serve as hints) should be able to regu- 
 late his wardrobe easily and judiciously. 
 If one desires to indulge his fancy in 
 
How to Branch Out a Little. 77 
 
 neckwear, it is easily done. Bearing in 
 mind always that quiet colors are best and 
 most gentleman -like, one might lay in a 
 stock of four-in-hands something as follows : 
 Black satin, plain ; black satin or silk, with 
 dots or sprigs of flowers ; dark blue with 
 polka dots ; neat dark browns, small checks, 
 and narrow stripes ; white corded silk, plain, 
 or with a small figure to wear at day wed- 
 dings, receptions, and other afternoon enter- 
 tainments, or on any occasion in summer 
 when one wishes to be a little " dressed 
 up " ; heavy white linen, which will wash, 
 with various designs in blue, black, or red, 
 or dotted. Big checks or stripes are not 
 in good form, nor are patterns of horse- 
 shoes, whips, spurs, and the like, in good 
 taste save at races. It is a painful rule, but 
 
n$ How to Branch Out a Little. 
 
 one that must be followed, that the moment 
 neckwear is soiled it must be cast aside. 
 Summer neckwear of wash stuff should be 
 kept as immaculate as one's linen. 
 
 Of course, it is most agreeable to have 
 clothes of different styles if one can afford 
 it. A light-colored sack-suit, an extra four- 
 buttoned cutaway suit of light-colored ma- 
 terial, in addition to the regulation dark 
 blue sack-suit and the black cutaway suit, 
 are most useful. Then a thin, light over- 
 coat, lined with silk, to wear with a dress- 
 coat in summer, and an ulster, heavy and 
 silk-lined, for the same purpose in winter ; 
 a heavy warm-colored cutaway, with trous- 
 ers of the same kind for cold weather ; a 
 plenty of white waistcoats, both dress and 
 for cutaways ; tennis suits ; many shirts, 
 
How to Branch Out a Little, 79 
 
 with collars and cuffs attached ; an abun- 
 dant supply of fine neckwear ; and expensive 
 under-wear for every season, not to mention 
 dressing-gowns, smoking -jackets, and nu- 
 merous hats. 
 
 All these things, and more, are nice to 
 own, but they are by no means essential to 
 a gentleman-like exterior. They call for an 
 expenditure of a great deal of money, and 
 of much time and thought, unless, as many 
 Englishmen do, one leaves everything to 
 the tailor, and lets him send home what and 
 as much as he likes. In that case, all that is 
 necessary to do is to meet the bill. 
 
 A fashion prevails at present, and seems 
 to be growing, which is commendable if 
 not carried to excess — that is, to tie a silk 
 handkerchief around the waist in warm 
 
8o How to Branch Out a Little. 
 
 weather when no waistcoat is worn. In 
 this way the garment is held up and the 
 top of the trousers is concealed. But the 
 handkerchief should be of a quiet color. 
 No suspenders should be worn. To show 
 that this handkerchief fashion is not alto- 
 gether silly, it may be said that the best 
 cricket authorities in England now recom- 
 mend that it shall be worn instead of a belt 
 with a buckle. Many a player, it is assert- 
 ed, is declared " caught out " by the umpire, 
 who, having heard the click of the ball on 
 the buckle, supposed it to have been struck 
 by the bat. Of course, when a handker- 
 chief replaces the belt this annoyance to 
 cricketers is avoided. But the fashion 
 should not be pushed to an extreme. Broad 
 sashes of silk of gaudy colors, which cover 
 
How to Branch Out a Little, 81 
 
 a foot or so of a man's abdomen, are simply 
 ridiculous. 
 
 A valet is not an altogether useless serv- 
 ant. Indeed, he is almost indispensable for 
 a man of leisure who dresses a great deal. 
 It is a valet's duty to call his master in the 
 morning, prepare his bath, look after his 
 shoes, his clean shirt, and under-wear, and 
 to lay out the suit of clothes to put on 
 (after consultation). The valet also shaves 
 his master if he is a first-class " man." If 
 the gentleman breakfasts in bed, the valet 
 waits on him, as he often does at other 
 meals. His duties are then done until the 
 master returns to make another toilet, or 
 reappears at night, when he must be on 
 hand to help in undressing and getting to 
 bed. Then he must take from the room 
 6 
 
82 How to Branch Out a Little. 
 
 all the clothing which is to be brushed 
 in the morning. A valet accompanies his 
 employer everywhere in traveling, and 
 looks after baggage, tickets, and trains. In 
 some of the great houses in England a vis- 
 itor is not welcome unless he brings his 
 own servant, who waits on him in his room, 
 and frequently at table. It will be evident 
 that a valet can be useful to his master in 
 many other ways. 
 
 A visiting-card is not exactly part of 
 a gentleman's dress, but it is something 
 which, in a town of any size, he is obliged 
 to have. In size it should be small — about 
 three inches long and one inch and a half 
 wide — and cut from thin, white cardboard. 
 The name should always be preceded by 
 " Mr." It is well, also, and the fashion is 
 
Hozv to Branch Out a Little. 83 
 
 sensibly growing-, to spell the entire name 
 in full — middle names and all. The reason 
 naturally is, that if a man has a name he 
 should use it. A commercial man uses the 
 initials of his first two or three names in 
 writing a letter on business, presumably to 
 save time. But in genteel relations in life a 
 gentleman is not in a hurry. He has leisure 
 to write his name in full. Never have cards 
 printed. They should be either engraved 
 or written in lead-pencil. 
 
 A last word : Avoid the habit of using 
 slang and coarse, common language. If 
 you offend in this way, your speech, despite 
 your clothes, will betray the fact that your 
 associates are not refined. 
 
 THE END. 
 
Qocial Etiquette 
 
 of New York. 
 
 REWRITTEN AND ENLARGED. 
 
 TN response to constant applications from all parts of 
 the country for information regarding social forms 
 and usages in New York, the author has prepared a 
 work in which special pains have been taken to make 
 it represent accurately existing customs in New York 
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