SHOPPING FOR THE WELL-DRESSED MAN

Robert Lloyd Trevor

The Parka and a New Overcoat, Some Shoes, Socks and a Muffler

I AM convinced that even Solomon the Wise would express surprise at the garment worn by the gentleman in the lower right-hand corner. It is known as a Parka—that being the Eskimo word for "covering" or "coat." Mr. Anthony Fiala, the Arctic explorer, has become so impressed with the advantages of the parka for winter uses—such as skating, coasting, and the like —that he has hit upon the idea of having it reproduced in wool. Its superiority over the ordinary sweater is unmistakable. It is made with a yoke in the back and a box pleat, and the sleeves which are cut full are fitted with adjustable cuffs which button up snugly around the wrists. Attached to the collar is a hood which can be pulled up to protect the head, neck and ears or thrown back out of the way. A feature of no small importance is the roominess of the sleeves beneath the arms, which allows the hands to be slipped inside for warmth. Perhaps the acme of bad taste in dress is the wearing of a rough, colored tweed overcoat with evening clothes; and, as Euclid would say, "the converse is true." Indeed I have often wondered why those who commit these sins could not be reached and made to compromise, made to stick to overcoats of dark hue only. At least then the offense would not be so obvious. I consider myself very fortunate in having run across an overcoat that goes far in solving the question. The Scotch cheviot of which it is made, while very light in weight, is exceedingly warm. It is also rough enough in texture to avoid the over-dressed look by day. The color, a deep Oxford gray, makes it suitable for evening use, and the flat braiding and velvet collar give it an elegance that is very distinctive. This overcoat may be considered a masterpiece in the art of compromise and I shall be pleased to tell any one where it or any other article on this page, may be bought.

The mackinaw has recently stepped into great popularity. I saw a great many of them at the Harvard-Vale football game last month and was much impressed with the variety of their color combinations. Being of the stuff of which blankets are made, they are exceedingly warm, while the extreme depth of the collar renders the mackinaw particularly serviceable in wind and wet.

Here is a dancing shoe which is absolutely correct. I do not believe the pump will be quite so popular this winter as heretofore. This shoe is particularly well balanced as to breadth of toe, and is lined with white calf.

One immediate result of the achievements of the pedestrian E. I*. Weston in his walks across the continent a few years ago was the engaging in "stunt" walks by amateurs. Many wagers were made as to what people could or could not do in the way of walking given distances in given hours. Perhaps the event of the kind that created the greatest interest was a contract entered into by a friend of mine to walk fifty miles in twenty-four hours. Realizing that ninety per cent of a victory would depend upon being properly shod, he set about studying the question of boots. The wager was readily won. Inasmuch as my friend gives all the glory to the boots, having finished the distance without sign of blister or other distress to feet or ankles, the picture on this page, showing a boot similar to those hi' wore, may not be without interest.

Newspaper editors are not alone in their worries on the score of circulation. There arc those of us whose blood does not circulate properly, and he who knows anything about this physical infirmity will, I am sure, admit that it is conducive to insomnia. For him a real benefactor has sprung up in the inventor of the sleeping sock. It comes from the land of the tame and woolly Scotchman, and in texture is identical with the fuzzy sweater jacket which we sometimes wear beneath our walking coat. The socks are remarkably inexpensive, extremely light in weight, yet full of perennial warmth.

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Up to a day or two ago I had thought that the possibilities of the mu filer (other than in motor cars) had been exhausted, but it has remained fora Fifth Avenue haberdasher to show us something novel. In the different variations of which there are four, one side is invariably black while the other is either a very soft shade of purple, blue, maroon or white. It is made of pure knitted silk, and the thin mesh shown in the stripe in the picture lends a very faint but effective sense of color. I have long felt that there was something radically wrong with the neck effect and comfort of the pajama coat. A man wiser than I has gone to the root of the thing and has evolved a pajama coat which is not only comfortable but has the distinction of being good looking. While the details tire very well carried very out, such as the large pearl buttons, etc., the feature is the collar of which I speak. It is a deep rolled effect. This makes for much better breathing facility (as well as looks). The collar is also convertible or made to adjust to button right around the neck.

If by any chance you happen to have drifted out of touch with the shops or the fashions, a letter to Vanity Fair will bring you in return the answer to any question. And if you arc for any raison unable personally to buy the things you wind, the Vanity Pair Shoppers will gladly do your buying for you, free of charge.