The Middleburgh Post

What the Men Will Wear

In woman's fashions - the coming spring and summer seasons offer more of a variety for the fair sex to choose from than at any time for a number of years, according to the authorities on the subject. But the attention of the cloth manufacturers has not been given to the needs of women entirely, and an equally great variety, comparatively, of new goods, new in design and coloring, are being offered to the men from which to choose their spring and summer clothing.

Aside from the many novelties in goods the styles prescribed for the garments are equally attractive. The loudness which has characterized men's fashions for a number of seasons, but which gave way to a certain extent last year, has been entirely eliminated in the spring and summer styles, and nothing remains that the most fastidious can complain of.

Plainness is the order of the season. This is not only true as to materials, but is also true of cut and trimmings. The objective point in fashionable garments will be pleasing proportions, graceful shapes, and rich but unobtrusive material and trimmings.

The correct coat will be neither extremely long or extremely short; trousers will be neither large nor small, in fact extremes have been eliminated in every form of garment.

Business suits, for which the demand is always largest, will be largely on the sack pattern, and the popular sack will be double-breasted, made with a center seam in the back. They will be slightly drawn in at the waist, but not close fitting, large enough at the hips and in the seat to hang free, and in length will be about six inches less than one half the wearer's height for are worn for business purposes. The cutaways will be decidedly proper as a business suit, but will not be greatly worn except among the wealthier classes. With the cutaway coat trousers of the same material may be worn, but as a rule they will be of a lighter color, generally a shade of gray in stripes. But while stripes will lead they are not the only things offered from which to choose. Checks, plaids and a combination of stripes with both of these will be freely worn by those wanting something a little out of the ordinary.

Trousers this year will have more of the peg-top effect than in the past season. From 18 to 19½ inches is the correct measurement at the knee, and about 16 inches at the bottom. These measurements are not only for trousers for business suits, but for both evening and day dress suits as well.

In evening dress suits the swallow-tail and the Tuxedo will both be worn, although the swallow-tail is considered the proper garment by the fashion ion makers. The changes noted in the swallow-tail is a less length and a longer and lighter roll, with a somewhat more tapering skirt. For trimming cording and cord binding will be much used. On a few, however, machine stitching will take the place of other trimming. The trousers will be decorated with a soutache braid down the side seams and the legs will be slightly creased to near the bottom, where the crease will be pressed out. Worsted, dress shetlands, vicunas and thibets will be the popular materials for both coats and trousers.

double-breasted coats and an inch or so less for single breasted.

The goods for these suits range from the coarse cloths that have been popular for several seasons to the finest grades of smooth cheviots and serges. Of the rough goods there will be comparatively little of it seen in the really fashionable garment, although much of it is being sold for a cheaper class of suitings. One of the handsomest of these suitings offered is a cheviot with either a herring bone or diamond effect. Others of the same class of goods that have had a large sale are made with overplaids, others with diagonal effects and plain mixtures and some in stripes. Of the serges nothing will be so much worn as blue. More double-breasted blue serge suits will probably be seen than of any other one kind, and their popularity is deserved. Other novelties for business suits that will attract the attention of those looking for something that has not the stigma of being common are herringbone serges, worsted cheviots in iron tones, Scotch tweeds and Saxony wool suitings.

Trousers for business suits will usually be of the same material as the coat, excepting in cases where cutaway coats, either three or four buttons, with overplaids, others with diagonal effects and plain mixtures and some in stripes. Of the serges nothing will be so much worn as blue. More double-breasted blue serge suits will probably be seen than of any other one kind, and their popularity is deserved. Other novelties for business suits that will attract the attention of those looking for something that has not the stigma of being common are herringbone serges, worsted cheviots in iron tones, Scotch tweeds and Saxony wool suitings.

London fashions in the fancy vestings. The London swell studiously ignores the fancy waistcoat, and pronounces them fit only for white-haired, elderly gentlemen, whose dignity of age will permit most anything. While in this country the fancy vest promises to be a prominent feature in our spring and summer styles, and the wearing of them especially with evening dress will be the rule rather than the exception. The material from which the vest is made, however, determines to a great extent its cut. If from the same material as the coat it is single-breasted, while those of silk or a fancy pattern are worn double breasted.

Four Spring Ties.

Single-breasted vests are usually made with four buttons, and for a short-waisted man with but three. The double-breasted vests have three buttons on a side.

For dressy afternoon wear the really correct thing is the double-breasted frock. The coat should be of a dark material with vest either of the same or of a fancy design, and the trousers of a light stripe. The length of the coat should be a little more than one-half the wearer's height. The skirts will have only sufficient fullness to hang free, and should in no case be bell-shaped.

For morning dress the same general style of suit is worn as for afternoon, but it should be made of a lighter colored material, a worsted of fancy weave being preferred.

All undercoats will be padded about the shoulders, to produce a neat rounded effect as well as add to the width. In overcoats, however, this padding will not be used, as that used in the under coat has the desired effect for both.

In overcoats the Raglan, the returning popularity of which began to be noticeable last year, will be in greatest favor this season. It will be worn for all purposes and upon all occasions. For day dress it is made with much the same proportions as the Chesterfield, and for evening wear it is taking the place of the Inverness. It is also made short for riding, in which case it is given a boxy effect.

While the Raglan will be popular with the swells, the Chesterfield will be the coat for the well-dressed man who does not cater to all the passing fads. The Chesterfields of the coming season will be made both with and without the center seam in the back. Practically the Chesterfield of past seasons will be the Chesterfield of the coming one. While there are many little and unimportant changes that are permissible, none of them are demanded and but few will be made.

Colored shirts are to be worn even more than they were last year, and are shown in the most striking colors. But there is one thing about the shirts this year that is an improvement over those of last. While the Roman stripes are shown in great variety, the promiscuous grouping of colors that produced so many nightmares last year has been dispensed with, and the more pleasing two-color effects are the leading feature of the season's styles in shirts.

With the colored shirts will also be colored collars. Every effort made to kill this feature of the season's fancy has failed in the larger cities, and now they promise to be one of the prominent features of the season.

The manufacturers of gentlemen's neckwear have planned for a specially busy season. The novelties that they are offering, and there are many of them, are of the higher priced kind. The popular things in ties cost from one to two dollars. Of neckwear the puffs promise to lead the styles. But the stylish puff has changed some from that of last season: it now crosses higher up than before and has more of a puffiness to it. Another tie that is giving promise of popularity is the Imperial, of which those with large flowing ends lead, while the semi-Imperial has fallen in public favor.