Wedding Trouseaux for Men.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue XIV, 6 October 1900, Page 658

Wedding Trouseaux for Men.

THE LATEST WAY OF SPENDING £ 2,000. Almost as far back as we have records brides of all nations have had trousseaux, and these have, of course, been subjects of the keenest interest to the women folk. It is not until the very close of the nineteenth century, however, that the possibilities of bridegrooms’ trousseaux have been exploited. How many people are aware that there are exquisites “in. society*’ to-day who spend as much as a couple of thousand pounds on their wedding outfit? Yet such is the fact. Of course, to do the thing properly requires taste as well as money; for clothes of unsuitable colours would utterly ruin the effectiveness of the finest trousseau ever purchased. Bet us see some of the things that bridegrooms in the West End nowadays consider essential to a trousseau. To begin with, they will order at least a couple of dozen pairs of pyjamas of the finest Indian silk, all embroidered in delicate contrasting colours of white, pink, heliotrope, and red. In one case we heard of soft rolling cuffs with pearl links finished the sleeves. The pyjamas and these elaborate finishings cost the trifling sum of a couple of hundred guineas. Of course, in the case in question, there were also dressing gowns to slip on over the array. 'These were made of the softest silk and lined with quilted satin, harmoniously blended in colour with the chosen tone of the garment. The gowns were closed at the neck and waist with heavy silk cord and balls. Three came to £5O. Three pairs of slippers, contrasting in colour, amounted to as many pounds. Of shaving jackets there were half a dozen. Two were of crimson silk, lined with brown and fastened down the front with frogs. They were valued at £7 each. Two more were of Madras, and two were made of lightweight Oxford cloth, at £3 a jacket. The trousers worn with these were

serge and cheviots, twelve pairs costing £36.

Three serge lounging suits, trousers, vest and eoat, were £l5 each. Two dozen negligee shirts of silk, and as many more of cotton stuffs, figured up to £*so. Ties aud sleeve links for these required £l5 besides.

This masculine exquisite chose to have an array of bath robes fit for a king. Five were made to his order. One is a delicate tan eiderdown, lined with pale pink satin, which he thought quite wortli £l2. Others were fashioned of woollen stuffs, silk and satin lined, and one is of Turkish towelling. Altogether, his tubbing finery, tubbing included, called for a cheque of £5O. Of silk underwear he ehose the most delicate shades in cream, pale blue, heliotrope, and pink. Two dozen suits of a heavy weight, as many more of a medium, and one dozen thin as gauze were paid for with a £6O cheque. Of silk hose in an original design of open work with monogram hand-em-

broidered, he took six dozen pairs, at 24/ a pair. Three smoking jackets, gotten up of Persian silk, fancy pattern both inside and out, and another of vicuna wool, cost £22. Six silk nightshirts figured up to £3O. Two dinner suits were £2O each. Dressshirts, four dozen of linen, and half that number in batiste, came to £l5O. Sixteen pairs of silk braces cost £45. Coloureel shirts, twenty-four in number. at 50/ a shirt, amounted to £57 odd.

Pearl studs, with matched sleevelinks; one dozen black satin ties, twelve scarfpins, six dozen linen collars. eight pairs of shoes for the house, and four dozen linen handkerchiefs, tipped the scales at £367, making a total of £ 1279 expenditure for house garments purely, which leaves but a small margin of the £721 out of £2OOO for street dress.

Verily, marriage becomes a more complicated problem the longer we live.