MEN'S WEAR.

Otaki Mail, 29 December 1919, Page 2

MEN'S WEAR.

; ♦ SOME PRE-WAR PRICES. It. is rn»h<-r entertaining in these days of fvvelvt;-guinea suits, with their incidental, proportionately priced, to see what a writer in B*"i considered as toji West End juices for the man of fashion. The silk hat. then absolutely indispensable, was priced at 235, but many v-eil-dre-.-ed men 'lid not pay -SO much. we are told. The* Homburg hat, which Is year- ago must have been a bit of aa adventure, could he secured for 14s and an English straw' hat for 7.- ‘id. The lounge suit Was priced at. six guineas, but it. only for country wear could be bought for a guinea less. Ordinary gloves (London wear) were ' Zn per pair, and wool bali-hote 2* : &<J. The less disstißgaubcd ease of the man “who is not well dressed but ;* well clothed,” was also dealt with — the sort of'rutin, the writer tell* us, who would “as soon think of purchasing a flying machine as silken underwear.” This man found it only necessary to pay only XT? 5-1 for bis silk hat, and hi- tweed cap could he got for It is: ax-umed that, being a cot.;paratively poor man. he would wear clothes made of lasting material. Therefore he was given a blue Melton overcoat. That overcoat, made by a West End tailor, cost £6 3s. And surely wc mu l -; envy hi-, ability in those days to buy a flannel suit for £1 IS* fid! Whether he bought white kid glove#, or does):inf'nr “rwo-batfon calf,”. If)maximum price need not have been more than 2- led a pair. Asd he got his real wool pant* for 3<l a pair. His boot?, “useful but not pretty, '* - cost 23s od or 25s 63, either ta Rgssiasor patent leather. And 15 d was also a time of war. with price-- that were higher than usual. If only w coufo return to the “war prices” of thos* day*!