SHOPPING FOR THE WELL-DRESSED MAN

ROBERT LLOYD TREVOR

Skating Costumes and Clothes for Other Outdoor Sports

WITH the coming of skating and its acceptance as the only thing to do with one's spare time both in town and in the country, we are faced by the problem of what to wear on the ice.

In the past—that is, until this winter—good ice was so scarce, except in its cracked form, as an ingredient for liquid foods, that barring those who were fortunate enough to possess shallow ponds on their country estates, few people had the opportunity to skate. I refer now, of course, to the dwellers in cities and their environs. The lack of ice and the consequent uncommonness of skating have hitherto made the problem of clothes quite negligible. I have seen people in previous seasons skating with and without overcoats, with and without sweaters, in long trousers, in knickerbockers, in kid gloves and in woolen gloves. And none of them seemed to have worn any of these things with any definite reason. It was the theory that for skating, as, formerly, for golf, any old thing would do. Comfort was given but haphazard consideration and appearance was given none at all.

A man told me the other day that most men would not care to wear special clothes for skating. He referred to those who did as "those willy-boys who skate at the hotels." For diplomatic reasons, I refrained from telling him what I thought of his mentality. I can picture him on the links in a soiled shirt, stained trousers, and a hat that no poilu from the trenches would be found wounded in. The fact that skating could be made more enjoyable by the use of suitable clothes escaped him. The matter of hygiene did not occur to him. But then, the matter of hygiene and its relation to clothes does not occur to thousands of people. If it did there would be less pneumonia and grippe every winter.

Consider, for a moment, the weather conditions that make skating possible—outdoor skating. First comes snow, not always, but quite generally. The snow is then followed by acute frost and biting winds. Sometimes the sun shines, but more often it is hidden by solid banks of heavy clouds. The air is damp. The wind is damp. Usually the wind is so damp and penetrating that it chills you as soon as you stand still for even a second.

Street clothes are not made to meet these conditions. In the winter the piece de resistance of men's clothing is the overcoat. In most cases overcoats are heavy. They are heavy because they are made of closely woven fabrics. And closely woven fabrics are used because people think that they are warm.

Vanity Fair will gladly tell you where any of the articles here shown may be bought. Or the Vanity Fair Shoppers will buy them for you at no extra cost. Mr. Trevor will personally answer any of your queries regarding men's clothes and accessories

Of course, I do not pretend to claim that you would be warmer on the street without your overcoat. But there are substitutes for it that would enable you to be just as warm. And while convention renders it impossible at present for you to wear these substitutes on the avenue, there is every reason for wearing them on the ice.

I think I can do no better than to quote some remarks about outdoor clothes from an article, that appeared originally in Recreation, by Anthony Fiala, the Arctic explorer:

"They [the rest of the exploring party] went on and I climbed a small pressure ridge to get a more extended view. When I had reached the summit the entire mass suddenly gave way. there was a whirling of ice fragments and a separating of fields and I was in the water. I paddled around in my fur garments trying to get out, but I was surrounded by small cakes too tiny to afford me any help and too numerous and closely packed for me to get through. While I was in this plight my men missed me and returned. They threw me a line and I was hauled out.

"On a convenient flat ice cake, I quickly pulled off my parka, fur shirt, trousers and shoes—all I had on—and put on my spare change of clothes; thankful indeed I was to have it! Fortunately the temperature was not low, only 4 degrees below zero.

"The wet garments froze instantly. I was glad at the time that I was clothed in the simple fur shirt and trousers which could be removed so quickly, rather than in the numerous, close-fitting pieces of a woolen suit. ...

"Clothing per se has no warmth. It merely acts as a non-conductor. Our bodies supply heat. When cotton, silk, wool or fur becomes damp its non-conducting property disappears to a great extent—cotton being the poorest nonconductor and fur the best under the conditions. . . . "However, the less a man wears, within reason, the better, particularly if he has to make any physical effort. And this holds true for hot as well as cold climates.

(Continued on page 120)

(Continued from page 71)

Because of the condensation in the clothing of body moisture, a heavy, closely-woven wool garment is unsatisfactory in any climate. From a non-conductor of heat it becomes a conductor. The more nearly the wool approximates its original fleeciness the better. ...

"All woolen coverings are warm because of the heated air which they hold in the interstices of the fabric, and the more porous that fabric the warmer it is. For this reason no closely-woven cotton or other material should be worn underneath the woolen garment, as it renders the outer garment inefficient. The closely-woven windproof cover should always be on the outside. ...

"A sportsman often goes into the woods overloaded with clothing. Not an ounce more than is necessary for warmth should be taken. The value of a woolen sweater is minimized to a considerable extent when it is worn over a flannel shirt. The shirt should be large enough to go on the outside. An angora sweater, covered with a loosefitting flannel shirt—not coat cut— would be a light, warm arrangement for a fisherman in the spring when there is a bite to the air. If windy, a light parka would be the best outer garment. Probably few sportsmen would have courage enough to wear so unconventional a garment; so a regular hunter's coat of this material, large enough to fit loosely, would complete the attire for the upper part of the body. Soft and very light woolen knickerbockers are best for the legs —with long stockings. . . ."

Mr. Fiala has here described an outfit that, with a few changes, would be ideal for the skater. And if you will consult the garments on page 71, I believe you will see how they apply. The first coat, on the left, is of corduroy, lined with thick, woolly fleece. The corduroy forms the outer, wind-proof covering. The fleece provides the warmth. There would be no necu to wear anything under this coat, except, perhaps a porous light undershirt, to prevent irritation, so long as its wearer was not in any way obliged to divest himself of it in the presence of a salon. These coats are used a great deal in the northern colleges, such as Dartmouth and the University of Vermont, where months of snow are common every winter.

(Continued from page 120)

The second coat, on page 71, is primarily a shooting coat, but it might also be used for skating. The body of it is of a hairy material, while the sleeves are of soft leather. It comes up high around the throat, that part of it being made of knitted wool fastened with a snap. The same stuff is used at the wrists, to prevent the wind from sneaking in. This coat represents the wind-resisting, outer shell of which Mr. Fiala speaks. Under it one would have to wear a light angora jacket to give warmth. There is a gun pad on the right shoulder, which can easily be removed if necessary or desirable.

The third coat is a Norfolk, smartly cut, and made of suede, with a corduroy collar. It is extremely light in weight and, like the shooting coat above, is designed merely to keep out the wind. It would need to be supplemented by a sweater underneath.

The fourth coat on the same page is made in three styles. The one illustrated is lined with a sort of silk. Others are lined with corduroy or velveteen. These latter are reversible; they can be worn with either the corduroy, the velveteen or the leather outside. In the picture you can only see the leather side. This coat is not so soft and pliable as the other two, which are admirably suited for wear in figure skating, where great arm-freedom is necessary. But it is strong and extremely durable.

For any kind of outdoor sport knickerbockers are preferable to long trousers. Not only are trousers clumsy and apt to interfere with the legs, but they also are likely to get wet at the bottom if there is snow on the ground, and once wet at the bottom they seem to siphon up the moisture throughout their length. On page 120 are shown knickerbockers of tweed having the latest four-button fastening at the knee.

The question of shoes and hose is very important in choosing an outdoor wardrobe. Once the feet get wet they get cold and as soon as that happens goodby to all enjoyment. It is not often taken into consideration that the feet can get damp not only from the outside in, but from the inside as well.

Vanity Fair will gladly tell you where any of the articles here shown may be bought. Or the Vanity Fair Shoppers will buy them for you at no extra cost. Mr. Trevor will personally answer any of your

queries regarding men's clothes and accessories