For the Well Dressed Man

The Requirements of the Smart Man in the Way of Winter Overcoats

WITH the approach of the winter season, a general renovation of the wardrobe is in order. The winter clothes, especially the overcoats, which have hung in camphor or been stored away in some moth-proof closet, should be brought out before the stock-taking of the remains of last winter's clothes is made. Having sorted out last year's wardrobe, the winter purchases must be made.

Of the three overcoats essential to the properly turned-out man's equipment for wintering in town, there are doubtless one or two left over which will last through another season. But out of the three, at least one or two must be replaced by smart, up-to-date coats of a practical type, which can be used for two or more seasons to come.

The new coat will be a Chesterfield for dress, a great coat or ulster for heavy weather, or a coat for general knockabout wear, suitable for the business lounge suit, for these are the essential coats. Of course, in addition to these, a fur-lined coat, a racoon motoring coat, and a raincoat, which is perhaps lined with fleece, may be added to the luxurious man's wardrobe; but the most essential of all is a medium weight coat for general use.

During the past few seasons, the doublebreasted guard's coat, with a half belt and inverted pleats at the back, double cuffs and generously cut collar and lapel, has been the most favored, for it is both practical and smart for evening and day wear. Heretofore, this coat was made in dark blue chinchilla. Now, it is more fashionable to make it in a chinchilla with a slight grayish cast.

This new shade of material is not only smart for the guard's coat, but is now being used to make the single-breasted Chesterfield type of coat, which is illustrated on this and the following page, and which is not only newer, but will probably supersede the guard's coat in popularity. It will be worn in brown, as well as in blue-gray chinchilla; but, in the case of a man who wishes one coat to do for both evening and day wear, it should be made' in blue.

When a man has two coats, one for evening and one for day, the latter being the doublebreasted Chesterfield shown in the center above, his knockabout coat for day wear had best be made in brown. The color of brown known as "tete de negre" is the smart shade. A bowler hat is preferable with the brown or blue coat for mid-winter town wear. The Homburg of gray or taupe, which are now the smart colors, is more suitable with a great coat or ulster, as it is ideally suited to traveling, rainy weather and motoring. Because it is a less formal type of hat than the bowler, it is second to the bowler as a choice for town wear in the "season".

Since the ulster, very popular now in an allover plaid material of cheery colors, is essentially a heavy weather coat, it will be found much more practical when fur-lined.