GENTLFMRN'S CLOTHES.
Our remarks of some two months since, in anticipation of the Spring fashions, have been so completely verified, that it would be no stretch of justice to claim for our correspondents, the "faculty," of leading the . fashions, rather than the position of being, as they in reality are, the watchers, and chroniclers of its changes. We have little to add, but that little is of a congratulatory character. We feared that the intro- duction of the " Peg-top " style of trouser, would lead to extravagance in taste, somewhat after the style objected to by the travelling commu- nity, (and what Englishman now-a-days is not a member of this com- munity,) when seen on the few Englishmen who make themselves ob- jects of remark and ridicule abroad. Fortunately, however, we may now put down the fashion of the season in the nether garment as " A moderato Peg-top," and when we say that striped patterns still continue to be worn as the prevailing fashion, we have said enough for this portion of the gentleman's costume, and will proceed at once to the waistcoats. The coldness of the season has hitherto prevented a perfect development of this garment; the sunshine of the spring will bring out the taste that may be said to be sleeping rather than dead ; and the adaptation we have lately seen of the darker waistcoats, has been more from necessity than choice. The jacket still seems to be the favourite upper garment ; but it partakes of the frock-coat character, in being made much fuller in the skirt than of - yore—the sleeve is worn full, and graduates to comparative tightness at the wrist. We must mention, however, that this garment is likely before the month is out, to be almost entirely superseded by that most becoming of all coats the "Frock." Without for a moment wishing to be ungrate- ful to those who introduced the jacket, for we freely acknowledge its com- fort, it cannot be denied that the frock-coat is the garment for elegance. Despite tho cold winds we trust that ere long we may want to throw open, instead of button up our coat, and shall thus make our offering for fine weather, in the shape of a new coat. The war topic is the one topic even amongst costumiers, and the fact that our ladies will in all proba- bility have to depend ere long on their own genius for novelty, as our neighbours are likely to be engrossed with more serious matter, would be a serious fact, could we not encourage them by the assurance that a great portion of that fashion they so much worship, when brought from France, emanates in reality from this country. A tailoring firm in Conduit Street invents and makes of British material, garments for the Empress of the French ; weeks, perhaps months afterwards, a copy of the shape and material finds its way to the "Beau Monde" of Paris and thence to London.
Previous page
