FOR THE WELL DRESSED MAN

Preparedness Against April Showers and for the Spring Drive

ROBERT LLOYD TREVOR

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JUPITER PLUVIUS is no respecter of persons. April, the almanacs tell us, is his most capricious month. For both these reasons it behooves all men to be sure that their supply of light raincoats is ready for emergency. It is not the season of torrential downpours, of course, although some of April's proverbial showers have an uncomfortable habit of imitating November's drenching rains, and the days of early Spring, therefore, do not call for the oiled garment or the impervious mackintosh of more tempestuous seasons. What you do want is a showerproof garment of light weight, so cut that it will at once look well and give plenty of freedom of movement to the wearer. Three coats of this type are illustrated in this issue. They are all marked by that originality of design, aimed at the particular purpose involved, which is characteristic of the Englishman's outdoor clothes. Fortunately America is manifesting a desire to take still another leaf out of the English book in this matter and the result is a growing and altogether admirable tendency to suit the garment to the need and not try to minimize the need in an effort to retain some preconceived type of garment.

AN interesting example of this sort of clothes designing at its best is seen in the light Inverness raincoat on this page. One is only just beginning to see the Inverness form of coat in use for stormy weather in this country. Yet it might be said that it is the last word in sensible raincoat design. In the first place, the cape gives a deal of additional protection. It really means that there are two thicknesses of proofed material between your suit and the weather instead of one, although this does not carry with it the corollary of double weight or warmth by any means. Secondly, and this is perhaps of still greater importance, this design makes it possible to leave a long slit in each side of the body of the coat itself and thus give easy access to all one's pockets without the slightest exposure. In the conventional raincoat which has a buttoned slit under each of the side pockets, the pockets of the trousers can be reached with some degree of convenience. But the coat and waistcoat pockets are quite inaccessible and in the heavy storm a little fumbling for one's change or keys may mean a rivulet of rain on the inside of the raincoat which is not at all where it belongs. With the Inverness all this is eliminated and you can "go through" your own clothes with entire impunity and much more speed than could the average pickpocket. This arrangement is simply common sense, and as this is a quality for which American men are supposedly noted, I expect to see the Inverness come into its own for wear on days of storm or of doubtful weather. Especially is this probable because it looks quite as suitable as it is and distinctly has an air, which is something that the raincoat is frequently quite apt to lack.

A MODIFICATION of the Inverness coat which has a sort of double purpose utility is also shown in this issue. This is a raincoat with a detachable cape. For very rainy weather or for rough wear in the country on a showery day when the maximum of protection is desired it can be worn with cape attached. If you expect merely to be in and out, however, or the day is one of the "open and shut" variety so characteristic of fickle April, the cape may be quickly and easily removed and left in the house or office. This coat also has the inside opening, the advantages of which have already been indicated. The outer side pockets are thoroughly protected by flaps. The collar can be buttoned very close in case of a driving shower.

STILL another excellent raincoat is the white Quorn coat made of twil let, pictured on this page. It is a conventional model in so far as it has no cape, but it has an important and original feature none the less. This is a triangular, buttoned flap extending inward from the third button down. At first glance the purpose of this additional bit of material may not be quite clear. But once it is explained you immediately see a great light and realize what a sensible idea it embodies. Have you ever tried to drive your touring car or runabout through a sudden shower that insisted on coming in sideways but did not at first seem to justify putting on the curtains? Or have you been caught unexpectedly in a storm while making speed down Long Island or into Westchester with that friend of yours who is so insistent on miles per hour that he uses a cut-out roadster and scorns tops and curtains altogether? If so, you have doubtless tried to sit comfortably with the skirts of your raincoat buttoned as tightly as possible and found that it simply couldn't be done. So you have surrendered to the inevitable and either suffered from cramps or let your legs get wet. This is the psychological moment for the triangular buttoned flap. It is its raison d'etre. Just loosen the three lower regular buttons of the coat and use instead the three along the edge of the flap and you will find that the coat will drop smoothly over your knees and continue to keep you dry and snug while permitting your legs to take a long breath, as it were. You will bless the flap and its designer if there is a particle of gratitude in your make up, and with reason.

UNLESS you like to wear your third best soft hat, a tweed hat, a cap or the like in the rain and discard umbrellas altogether, you must have something to protect your head and headgear no matter what type of raincoat you choose. This something can only be that most illusive of all domesticated articles—the umbrella. An evil, you say, remembering the many you have lent your friends or left in the Subway; a whole generation of umbrellas, gone but not forgotten. Very true, but a necessary evil for all that. Therefore your next umbrella purchase might as well be a sensible one as the reverse. Two good types are illustrated in this number. One has the advantage of being exceedingly light in weight and so made that it will roll very close and be as little bulky to carry as possible. It is to be had with a good-looking plain malacca handle of the crooked variety.

The other is a larger umbrella with wide and ample spread when opened so that even if you rival in proportions one of our two living ex-Presidents you need not have little rivers from the rib tips running down your back or shoulders. It has a straight, leather-covered handle, thick and pleasant to hold. Moreover, the drawback of slight inconvenience common to straight-handled walking sticks and umbrellas has been overcome by providing a leather loop which can be slipped over the hand. Incidentally, this is a safety measure, for your umbrella is always with you. It may cut down materially the number of general alarms for lost umbrellas.

AND while talking of umbrellas, just a word about the much abused silk cover which adorns every new umbrella you buy. Why should these silken tubes be cast contemptuously into the drawer of the hall table and be allowed to multiply there until the umbrellas they were meant to clothe have gone the way of all flesh? The umbrella cover is meant to be both ornamental and useful. It takes up very little room in the raincoat pocket and its more general use would make the umbrella itself more popular, I believe. There is certainly not one man in a hundred who can roll an umbrella into a smooth slimness without folds and bulges, and the umbrella cover is intended to take the place of skill for the other ninety-nine.

THE uncertain weather of Spring requires protection for the feet as well as for the head and body. Of course, the conditions in the country in thawing time need no elaboration by me, but New York and other cities themselves are all too apt to give decidedly sloppy going underfoot during many weeks following the Ides of March. Therefore shoes which are not only damp proof but really waterproof and capable of withstanding one of the hardest tests to which footwear can be subjected, namely immersion in chilly slush and mud, are an essential part of the Spring wardrobe. A pair of shoes of this character, fashioned on an attractive last, is shown this month. These storm shoes of Shrewsbury calf arc stoutly constructed throughout and have an up-turned or reverse welt all round above the extension sole to defy the ooze.

IT is not long to golfing time hereabouts, and, of course, the grand old game has been in full swing in the South for some little time. It is, therefore, full time to consider the golf and sporting clothes that you are going to wear the first time out for the season. Until the warm weather is here the coat will play more part in your sporting activities than is usual for coats to do. One of the well cut and conservative new coats for golf or other sport purpose has a sewed-on belt in the back which makes it sit snugly without being tight and loose pleats at the back of the shoulders which give the arms plenty of play but do not make the back look baggy. This coat is made in grey and in brown fine herringbone pattern, technically called "two and two" to distinguish it from the coarser weaves of the same general stamp. It may be had with either knickerbockers or long trousers to match. The coat with both types of trousers would be a useful combination for a number of purposes, such as those that form a part of nearly every well ordered week-end house party in the country.

FOR any games early in the season, when the chill is in the air, and indeed in any weather, for the more strenuous sports in which one is apt to become heated, the light but protecting sweater is an essential. We have made enormous strides in this country of late in the improvement of sweaters, both as to design and material, and it is a far cry. from the thick, clumsy, turtle-neck bag which not so many years ago inevitably came to mind when one mentioned a sweater to the really sensible and attractive garments of this kind to-day. As in every article of clothing for outdoor wear, so in the improvement of sweaters, we should give credit to the English, to whom it most emphatically is due. But it is no longer true to say that all good things in this classification come from the other side of the Atlantic. The Englishman, who was the first to learn how to dress really fittingly for sport, gave us the impetus and for a long time furnished the actual models which we were glad enough to copy rather slavishly. But, as is true in the motor car field, we have learned now not merely to copy but to originate, and we are so thoroughly grounded in the fundamental necessities of sporting clothes and so nearly universally given to outdoor exercise that it would not be in the least surprising if the United States would soon become the model rather than the imitator for clothing of this kind. The danger point here, as in so many sartorial matters, is the achievement of the bizarre in the effort for something new. Conservatism, which does not mean old fogey-ism, will not be a bad thing to emphasize. The thing to avoid as the plague is the article of sport clothing, be it what it may, designed by men whose knowledge of sport, to judge from their productions, must be gathered solely from a chorus of "tennis men," let us say, in an average Broadway musical comedy. Clothing designers of this type are unfortunately as fertile of ideas as they are ignorant and they put before an unoffending public a succession of articles, named "sports" this or "sports" that, which a man who really practised the sport they were intended for could not possibly be induced to wear except perhaps to a costume ball.

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BUT with these things obviously we have no concern here, save to be constantly on guard against them. To get back to sweaters. Two of the serviceable and good - looking types which are seasonable are pictured. One is of the sleeveless variety, drawn on over the head. It is very light, yet warm enough to be of real use and cut rather long in the skirt. The armholes and neck are reinforced and the whole garment strongly made. It is just the thing for tennis or golf while there is still a bit of chill in the air. Of course, the sleeveless design leaves the arms entirely free and does not interfere with rolling up the sleeves of the shirt if desired. The other sweater is of the popular coat pattern, but is made of unusually soft and long fibre material. It will fold into very small compass and weighs next to nothing. It will be a very handy thing to have with you at the first tee, on the courts, at the traps, or in your kit over the week-end.

asphalt court is a common type you will find tennis shoes with the new pressedfelt sole just what you want. This material has proved to have a long life under the strenuous test of fast tennis and.it has exceptional non-slipping properties. This grip on the ground is of vital importance as everyone knows who swings a racquet, for good footing is an essential of fast foot work, and in tennis at all above the mediocre fast foot work is necessary. Slipping is especially noticeable on the very hard surfaced courts. For those who play only on grass or clay courts the same light-weight shoes may be had with a fibre rubber suction sole if this is preferred. Before you purchase shoes with suction soles be sure that your club permits their use. Some have ruled them out.

THERE are indications that the neckwear for Spring is to rival Tennyson's immortal burnished dove in showing a livelier iris than usual. The colors are very definite and in many cases strongly contrasting. This refers, of course, only to cravats for informal wear, for bright color is quite as much out of keeping with the theory of formal dress this season as ever before. For business or afternoon wear some interesting designs in a glossy, openweave material known as Italian silk Grenadine are attractive, while some knitted silk ties for outdoor wear or very informal dress in town are shown in strong plaids, the lines running across the scarfs. There is noth ing especially new as yet in hats for Spring, but one cxcellent model in a soft hat has the novelty of an exceedingly narow silk band. This hat is of soft felt and is unusually light in weight. It is to be had in several neutral shades: browns, greys and the like.

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IN this day and generation of week-ends and of the tremendous deal of traveling on the ever unfortunate and under-nourished railroads, it is vitally necessary to have a comfortable traveling bag in which to carry one's raiment, whether it be for the week-end with dancing and golf in prospect or the two-day business trip which may include the newest show and a visit to the country club. The man who really is interested in dressing well is as particular about his luggage as about any other department of his wardrobe. After all, it is the outward and visible sign of an inward and, shall we say sartorial, grace. Moreover, there is something peculiarly masculine about a stout leather bag. It is the sort of thing that the virile heros of fiction as well as the most successful and energetic men you know in real life affect. A collapsible kit bag furnished with stout straps is accordingly shown in this issue. It comes in several sizes to meet the individual taste, but is aroomy affair even in its smallest form. As behooves such a businesslike article, it has very strong but easily operated catches at the ends and stout straps to give additional stability. This bag is made of the hide of young steers who have passed the calf age and become more thick-skinned if not more callous with maturity. Another interesting bag is a two-story or double-deck affair, the upper portion of which is commodious enough to hold the needed things for a short trip, while the lower part holds a folding typewriter of excellent quality. The ability to operate a typewriter is now so widespread even among those who ordinarily dictate all their correspondence, and it is so pleasant to be entirely independent of the vagaries of the hotel or train stenographer for the jotting down of some important memoranda or the dispatch of confidential letters and messages that more and more men are finding it convenient to have their own little machine with them almost wherever they gor This bag makes it possible to carry the typewriter without any more trouble than that involved in transporting some clothing and toilet articles.

THE typewriter in this case is so light that it can be easily used on any ordinary table or even on the folding stands which are the adornment of the Pullman car when you order a buffet luncheon. The weight added to your ordinary luggage by the addition of the typewriter is so little that neither you yourself nor the ubiquitous railway porter can rightfully complain thereof. It would not be so very surprising if the art of handwriting should become a lost art altogether if the habit of dictation and typewriting, of which this modern adaptation of the typewriting machine itself is an example, grows much more widespread. Theoretically this might be a pity and it would rob the picture of the struggling literary genius biting his pencil for inspiration of some of the glamor of romance, but practically it must be agreed that it would add greatly to the preservation of eyesight and to the sweetening of editorial and other dispositions.

AAMONG the convenient things for evening wear in the Spring is a muffler of light weight and little bulk. One of this kind, fashioned of grey silk, is illustrated in this issue. It will go under the collar of your thin overcoat. One has only to look about one nowadays to realize that the age of mufflers for men has returned with a vengeance. Mufflers in the morning, muflers at night, all the way around the clock mufflers are in sight; this may be expected to appear soon in the amended editions of the Mother Goose jingles.