FOR THE WELL DRESSED MAN

An Outfit, from Hat to Luggage, for a Week End in the Country

ROBERT LLOYD TREVOR

NOW begins the season of week-ending. It is the time when all men with a natural bent for the joys of life in the country and the somewhat dubious joys of life in a week-end house party are preparing for migrations; about the time each "seventh day" rolls around. Indeed, it is a season of beginnings in more ways than one. For now starts the period when even the thought of clothing is apt to be a burden and when we all wish that we might return to that delightful period when Adam found himself most suitably attired no matter which one of the social functions of Eden he was about to attend.

However, it goes without saying that we can't all be Adams. The heritage of the departed Comstock is still upon us, and even in Summer we must wear clothes.

As we are thus limited in our freedom of dress, the next best thing is to seek out the coolest possible clothing to conform with the temperatures that are to be found in Summer in these United States. Fortunately for us, the art of making clothes has proceeded to a point where jackets can be shapely and good-looking without being either heavy or thick.

THE Summer wardrobe of the sensible man, whether he be a victim of the pernicious habit of week-ending or not, should contain a minimum of lining material. In other words, he should have a great many skeletons in his closet. None of the suits which are to be touched upon in these pages has more than a skeleton lining.

For the perfect week-end three things are desired in the matter of suits. Suits for traveling; suits for day wear; suits for evening. And the first of these is a suit for traveling. An attractive example of this variety is illustrated in this issue. It may be worn in town with propriety and is just the thing for going away for your house-party. It is made of Shantung silk of natural color without any lining, even as to the sleeves, and is, therefore, the nearest approach to the ancient Greek costume which the Blue Laws will permit. With it may be worn appropriately a silk shirt with white collar and cuffs—the collar of coarse butcher's linen—brown shoes and thin woolen socks of a harmonizing color. A very light and comfortable hat to accompany this costume is the new "boater," made of the same material as the typical Panama, usually worn with a high crown.

When your man has been ordered to pack your kit for the trip, the first requisite is naturally the kit to pack. A very good form of week-end bag is illustrated in this number. Made of patent leather or of canvas, it has a surprising capacity and is able to hold two extra sack suits, a dinner suit, about half a dozen shirts, a couple of pairs of flannel trousers, two pairs of shoes and the necessary scarfs and collars. It is convenient to carry toilet articles fitted in the top.

Another useful bit of luggage either for the week-end visit, a motor trip, or a journey of longer, duration is the boot trunk. These trunks may be had in various designs. An excellent one, which is lined with felt, has space for five pairs of shoes and for a pair of riding boots in a special tray. It. also has a compartment to hold the proper dressings and brushes. Such a trunk as this is quite essential for the man who wishes to keep his shoes in the best possible condition. The compartments are so built as to take the shoes rather securely and are fitted with straps which pass over the toe, holding the shoe firmly in position while the trunk is in transit. It will be found to be a most valuable piece of luggage to have about.

ONE of the vexed questions of things to wear in the Summer has always been the best and most comfortable evening dress. As a rule, the functions of the week-end and social functions in Summer are apt to be of a somewhat informal character, demanding, of course, a distinctive costume but not calling for the strict formality of other seasons. The success of many a dinner party at the shore or in the mountains after a sweltering day, has been endangered, as far as the men were concerned, by the necessity of getting into hot evening clothes, the very thought of which was repugnant. Perhaps the most grilling portion of the evening costume under these circumstances is the waistcoat. Various attempts to eliminate this particular garment have been made, including all sorts of substitutions, such as broad scarfs used as belts and the like. An interesting way out of the difficulty is offered by the informal evening dress which is the subject of one of our illustrations. It is a suit consisting of jacket and trousers only. The jacket is made in doublebreasted form and the lapels are long, so that a deep V is left which exposes the shirt bosom. The lapels, collar and cuffs of this coat are faced with a bright black silk; the cloth is a tropical worsted of very light weight and the jacket is made with lining only in the sleeves and a little at the top. With this suit a plain bosom white shirt is worn with two studs of pearl. The collar is of the turned-down variety and very low. The cravat is a bow of bright black silk or satin, worn with the ends tucked under the points of the collar. Black patent-leather shoes or pumps with a long vamp and squared toe and socks of black and white silk complete the costume. A good hat to wear in the evening in Summer is a Panama with a black silk band.

COMFORT is certainly the keynote of the wardrobe for going away to the country. An important thing to include, therefore, in your week-end box is some sort of country lounge apparel for use as a spectator at the tennis match or at the polo game, or even at that abomination of desolation, the garden party. A jacket of soft gray flannel, single-breasted and with the lapels cut rather deep, is an excellent thing for this purpose. It is to be worn with white flannel trousers. There is something cool-looking about this costume, and it does not belie its appearance. It is the sort of thing that makes one feel cool and at ease to put on. A good type of shoe to wear with white flannel trousers is one of white buckskin trimmed with brown leather, either calfskin or russia leather. These shoes should be laced with a single lace. They look much better when fastened in this way. The Panama is again the appropriate hat to be worn with this lounge costume. As for the shirt, there is a wide latitude of choice; it may be of one of many materials or types. A suitable and comfortable shirt, however, is a cheviot or madras of black and white stripes, say, made with a collar of the same material attached. The collar, of course, is of the turned-down variety. Like all the collars this year, except those for the most formal type of wear, it is low and easy with an emphasis on comfort.

IF you are going to play golf during your visit, or if you happen to fancy yourself in knickerbockers, it will be well to include a costume of this kind. Camel's hair is an excellent material for a suit of this sort, as are also the light-weight homespuns. They are cool and shapely. A belted jacket and bag knickerbockers look well in either of these materials. A jacket of this type which is illustrated in this number has buttoned pockets which are set in the coat perpendicularly instead of in the conventional horizontal fashion. Grey woolen stockings, white buckskin, nailed shoes, tipped with brown calfskin and a silk shirt with soft collar complete an excellent costume for the royal and ancient game. If you are really going to play golf you will probably find a cap with one-piece top the most comfortable kind of headgear. If, on the other hand, you are only going down to the country club or want to wear your knickers for a visit to the stables or the kennels, you will find a brown Leghorn straw hat with a brown band, light, comfortable and attractive. Leghorn has become immortal by conferring its name on at least two of the vital things of the Twentieth Century—the justly famous breed of chickens which lays more eggs than any other in the world and the straw hats which keep men cool. These straws are very porous and do not conduce to headache in the hot weather.

SHOES are an important part of the Summer outfit for the man who cares about both his comfort and his appearance. In these days the name of their types is legion. Good types are the full brogue of brown calfskin or of pigskin, the white buckskin with wing tipping and trimming of brown leather and the plain white buckskin shoe with a heavy sole of black rubber. The buckskin shoes, of course, are for use in the country. They look much more summery, where their use is at all permissible, than do shoes of darker color. Also they have the advantage of being usually very comfortable. The care of the shoes is an important consideration, and is a subject of more intricacy than the uninformed would imagine. The proper dressings are quite as essential to the good work of a gentleman's gentleman as are the proper condiments to the masterpiece of the chef whose specialty is sauces. It is too expansive a subject to go into at this time, but I shall hope to be able to give some practical advice about the care of good shoes—the only kind worth either having or caring for—at another time when more space is available.

WHETHER you are of those who believe that little old New York, or whatever city you may dwell in, is the ideal Summer resort, or of those who flit continually to the shady places and the smell of green grass and flowers or find rest and pleasure in the sound of the sea, the sight of the moon surging up out of the East with the murmur of an orchestra in your ears and the breath of the salt in your nostrils— whether, in short, you are a cliff dw'eller or a nomad by disposition, one thing you will notice in your stayings at home or your jauntings about this Summer. This is the astonishing fact that men have come to insist on a restful quality in the clothing in which they expect to rest. They are determined at last—and what a sensible determination it is—to be at one with their atmosphere as far as possible. They want their coats not only to look cool and trim and seasonable, but to be so. They desire their shirts to fit easily and their collars to give them the maximum of freedom at the neck. They will have their shoes neat and keenly cut to be sure, but not fashioned on too delicate or severe a last. They want ease in the easy time of year and they will have it. When you look about you at the first truly Summer gathering which you happen to attend; it may be at a polo match, a horse show or the bathing beach, you will not fail to notice this quality in the clothes of the men. Here and there will be a uniform, of course, now and again a costume showing the distinct influence of a world in arms, but everywhere will be the feeling of graceful, easy, common-sense dress.

MANY forms of specialized gloves for outdoor wear and for use in the hot weather are now available to the man who has particular tastes. These gloves are designed by specialists who know the requirements of various sports and they are cut and finished to meet these requirements exactly. Those who like to use gloves for golf, for instance, will find several types, made of different materials, which will give them the firmness of grip which they desire. An interesting golfing type is illustrated in these pages. It is a leather-faced glove with a silk back which makes it much cooler than a glove made entirely of leather.

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Those most vulnerable parts of any glove which is used for strenuous exercise, the tips of the fingers, are protected by leather caps carried, well down over the nail. Another good type of glove for Summer wear is one made of soft gray leather with a back of gray silk. In this glove, the leather is carried well around the outside edge of the hand, from little finger tip to wrist, giving protection at one of the points where protection is most needed. This glove is of the slip-on type, loose at the wrist and without any buttons. A useful gauntlet for motoring is also the subject of one illustration this month. It has a rather soft, deep cuff and is fastened at the back of the wrist by a leather strap and snap fasteners which make it adjustable. Having the fastening on the back, rather than the front of the wrist, has several advantages which those who do much automobiling or driving will appreciate. The strap is here very accessible and, at the same time, the palm side of the glove is left entirely free from any encumbrance which might catch on wheel or rein. The palm is made with driving grips to give a firm hold. Other new gauntlets may be had without any fastening, securing their hold at the wrist merely from the shaping of the glove. Still others have either a fastening in front or a concealed elastic to hold them firm. With the embarrassment of riches from which to choose no man can fairly complain this Summer if he does not have the glove to suit him for the part of his life spent in the great outdoors.

If you care to buy any articles illustrated in the Well Dressed Man Department Mr. Trevor will be delighted to tell you where they may be purchased. Simply indicate what you wish and mention the pages on which they are pictured. If you prefer, Mr. Trevor will direct the buying of any article for you. In that case, enclose your check drawn to the order of the Vanity Fair Publishing Company. There is no charge for these services.

WHERE tastes differ so greatly and there is always much latitude for the individual choice, it is rather dangerous to attempt to lay down any rules for neckwear. In Summer especially, when all the world is gay, one is apt to feel the temptation to emulate the bright plumage of the birds and the warmth of color all about him. This is natural, I suppose, and it is not a tendency to be too greatly frowned upon. On the other hand, the well dressed man is always the man dressed conservatively, and it is as well to avoid too bright a color scheme in one's cravats, save in those club stripes to which one has an inalienable right.