Evening Star Newspaper, December 15, 1929, Page 104

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., DECEMBER 15, 1929. The Prince of Wales. . BY CAROL BIRD. RINCE BORIS of Bulgaria is the i best dressed man in the world. / ... As a symphony in sartorial perfec- tion, the Prince of Wales, who has hitherto sat alcne on the royal style throne, runs him a close second, even though his abdication is at hand. Mere commoners who also wear the crown of fashion in a democratic country like the United States are Mayor Walker, “the best dressed mayor in the world”; Grover Whalen, New York’s police commissioner; Adolphe Menjou, the best dressed motion-picture actor; Otto Kahn, millionaire philanthropist and art patron; Conde Nast, ,K publisher; Archibald Klumph, Cleveland rubber merchant, and Dr. Gayne B. Gregory of New York City. President Hoover is an indifferent dresser, satisfied if his clothes are neat arid well pressed, while Premier Macdonald of Great Britain, who was the cynosure of all eyes. when he recently visited America, wears the kind of raiment that contributes materially to his handsome appear- ance—always the proper clq(hes for every oc- casion. This is the way the fashion honors for men are distributed by Orcella Rexford, color psy- chologist, of New York City, formerly of Cali- fornia, who is said to be the best dressed woman on the American lecture platform.. Color is not a little stepchild in the scheme of life. . She fre- quently wears a pink wig at a lecture in order to bring contrast to her attire, which she always carries out in at least three colors, while her gowns are made up in all the hues of .the spec- trum. It is her thedry that diet and;cqlors are partners and that both affect the well-being and success of individuals. Her husband, Dr. Gayne B. Gregon, vbom she classifies as a “hydrogen type" and puts on her list of the seventh best dressed: man in-the United States, agrees completely with: her theories. His wardrobe is filled with radiant: apparel and his tailor now has an order -for three new full-dress suits for formal wear; ‘bne of golden brown, one of royal purple and an< other of dark green. He has discarded the con- ventional black for evening wear because, He sdys, it is a symbol of mourning, is a regative and is bound to dampen the hilarity of any" party. EM drink because they are repressed and” depressed,” Miss Rexford said. “The ‘world is drab for them. They work in offices done in dark brown, they wear dark brown suits, smoke dark brown cigars and then go home to dark brown domiciles. As often as not 8 Jenny Wren wife presides over such a domi-_ cile.. What is the poor man to do to bring a bit of color and zip into his life? Get drunk or develop a case of ‘flapperitis’ In a glittering night club with a bright little butterfly beside them all dressed up in iridescent hues and a glass of liquor before them, men can momentari=- ly forget that the world is in mourning so far as cclor foritheir sex 8 ‘concerned: Men step wut with gayly garbed girls into a more vivid The development of men’s fashions during the last hundred years, beginning at the left with the style of 1829. Palm Goes to Dashing Prince Boris of Bulgaria, Prince of Wales Second and Mayor immie’’ Walker I .eads Procession in United States, According to This Woman Psychologist. and joyous world and thus gain a temporary change.” . Those who cannot at first grasp the idea that one should match one's ties to one’s baked potatoes or keep one's shirts in harmony with one’s vegetables will have to listen attentively while Miss Rexford explains her theories on chemistry, clothes and personal color symphony. “There are 19 different chemical types,” as- serted Miss Rexford. “We get our personalities, build and certain other attributes from the focod we eat. Some of the various chemical types do pay attention to the kind of clothes they should wear to har- monize with their chemical make-up, but many of them ignore this important factor. “Men .who belong to the ‘sulphur type,’ for instance, are usually tall, with big chests, and their clothes look fine on them. These men generally go in for dressiness. The feature in which they are primarily interested is style. They always have the latest thing in clothes. If you glanced at such a man's wardrobe you would undoubtedly find about 15 different suits, for this type of man tires quickly of his clothes. He is always wanting something new. He goes in for fancy trimmings and braids and likes to wear a gardenia in his buttonhole. Such a man was probably a collegiate type in his youth.. He is a member of the class that puts over colorful clothes for men. It is the college boys who inaugurate bright ties, socks and hatbands for their sex. “There is the pot.nsslum man.’ He is a ‘go- getter,’ the typical salesman or orator type. Douglas Fairbanks belongs in this class. Some of these men are not so particular about their clothes, but, nevertheless, they always look well. This type of man goes in for sporty clothes. He is an outdoor man and athletic. He sets the mode for golf and county-club clothes and usually sees to it that they have plenty of pep and color. He does not place so much stress on the latest style, preferring comfort, color and dash. He Is correct in his attire and wears things suitable for the occasion. “Another dressy type is the ‘oxygen man.’ He is generally stout and Jvery jovial. He exudes prosperity and reflects’ this in his air and his clothes. He is the promoter type. Color and fashion do not appeal to him so much as com- fort. He likes to tell the world that he *h to reflect financial success in his attire. Htis quite apt to wear a camel-hair coat, carry a cane and have plenty of afternoon and evening clothes, He likes clothes to look as though they cost plenty of money, and he doesn’t skfmp on his wardrobe. “On the other hand, there are several types of men who not care anything at all for clothes. One of these is the ‘calcium type,’ tali, raw-boned; well represented by Uncle Sam in the cartoons. A man of this type wears his clothes until they give out. He would be satis- fied to buy a suit of clothes in his high-school days and to be buried in the same outfit. Such a man will keep himself looking neat and clean, as & rule, but his suit is often shiny, its cuils threadbare and his shirt frayed. The ‘calcium man’ usually does not have much money, and he is saving of what he does have. He has ster- ling virtues and qualities, even t.housh he cannot pose as a fashion plate. ¢ ITTLE'attention is pald to clothes by the ‘phosphorus man.’ He is the absent-mind- ed, college-) dprolessor type, who puts his umbrella in bed and stands up in a corner all night. If his wife did not keep close watch on him he would carelessly wander off some day in his old bathrobe and worn bed room slippers. Edi- son belong to the ‘phosphorus-calcium type.’ He cannot be bothered about clothes. Calvin Coo- lidge'also belongs to this type. “President Hoover is a muscular type, a men- tal-muscular-alimentive type. He is creative and exécutive—a man of action. Men of his caliber give no thought to clothes so long as they are well pressed and clean. President Hoover’s clothes are colorless and have no par= ticular individuality. But then, very few of our Presidents have been smart dressers. President Wilson was one of the best, notwithstanding the fact that he was a ‘phosphorus-sulphur-calcium type,’ which ordinarily does not care for clothes. He was an exception to the rule for this class. ‘The sulphur gave him a love of dress. Most of our actors are the ‘sulphur type.” “There is a certain type of ‘calcium man,’ combined with a ‘phosphorus type,’ who is a conservative but very beautiful dresser. He favors conventional attire. He would almost rather die than appear in church on Sunday morning wearing anything but a gleaming top hat and qutaway coat. This type of man has clothes for every possible occasion and wears them all equally well. “Quite the opposite from the ‘calcium man’ is the ‘silicon man.’ He is usually tall and good- Jooking. The Prince of Wales is a ‘phosphorus- silicon type.’ He has long set the standard by which other men gauge their style. He is fond of bright colors and introduces them in all his clothes, particularly his shirts and ties. The Prince of Wales is a good dresser, but, in my opinion, Prince Boris of Bulgaria is a better one. He looks splendid in everything .li¢ wears and knows how to dress to suit hlggwal type It is difficult to say precisely” what the well dressed man wears, because Well'dréssed men select clothes to harmonize with? * chemical make-up, and thus there can be 110 8pecific gen- eral standard, for there are so many different kinds of men. ‘Silicon men’ are gene: tall «and blond and have very slim like jewelry and wear rings and sum ‘!‘bey also love color. : “Striking styles of dress are affected by men who are combinations of ‘sulphur-pofsssium types’ or ‘sulphur-sodium types.’ 'nme are 3 artistic mén, writers, painters or lecturets: like highly individualistic apparel. - Elbert aufi- bard was of this class. So were Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt and Willlam Jennings Bryan. In Paris, in the Latin Quarter, you will see many artists of this ‘chemical type’ wear- ing velvet jackets, tam-o’-shanter hats and flow- ing ties. If they do not take out their liking for striking effects in clothes, they embody-it in their whiskers. They are prone to wear crisp little mustaches of various cuts, a la Charlie Chaplin, who falls into this class. The Van Dyke beard was first introduced by the artist Van Dyke. “All of thesé eccentricities in dress become those who affect them and so are in keeping with the wearer's personality.. - A man like Roosevelt could wear a wide-brimmed hat when others were wearing different shapes. But a conservative banker could not wear the flowing tie . of Mark Twain.and look properly garbed Otto Kahn and Grover Whalen, both extremely - well dressed men, are nevertheless of the con- servative type. They do not go in for dash and coler, but wear well cut, stylish clothes. They see to it that thfi' are sultably dressed for every different occasioh.” ‘Such 'a min ‘ds Kahn would be a caricature if he dressed as Elbert Hubbard Mayor “Jimmie” Walker. did, or donned a blue suit and an orange tie. Conservative types look best in more somber at- tire, just so long as it is not too scmber. [ OST of our American business men are altogether too staid. They work in some berly furnished offices all day, among heavy pieces of dark furniture, and wear only dark brown or dark blue suits. No wonder they like to step out at night with a gay little modern who wears colorful clothes! Like moths, they flutter toward the bright lights, and this is particularly true if the business man has a dull- colored home, with a wife who is also conserva- tive in her color scheme. If a wife fed her huse band, figuratively speaking, more rainbow= colored ties and gay-colored shirts and socks, he would imbibe less bootleg liquor. Color is an intoxicant, and a man would not seek to escape the drabness of his money-making career if he went in for more color sprees. “Wives—not only the wives of professional men but also those of men in commercial walks of life—should realize that it is economy to spend plenty of money on an extensive and radiant wardrobe for their husbands. In the end it may save the husbands themselves. It may require a great deal of patience on the part of a wife to revolutionize her husband’s staid style in clothes, but it is worth it. Ameri- can men are herdlike so far as clothes are con= cerned. They are afraid to inaugurate a radi- cal change in style. As a result they are the second poorest dressed’ men; generally speaking, in the world. The French are the worst dress- ers, The British aré the best dressed, and they set the syles for men just as the Frenchwomen do for their sex. Englishmen do not shy from color as do American men. “Men have surrendered to generations of tai- Jors for a hundred years. They have worn the same kind of trousers with scarcely a variation. They have meekly submitted to the domination of a garb designed to suppress, distort and hide their natural physical charms. Men’s ancestors wore beautifully colored brocaded coats, satin suits, frilled shirts, buckled shoes, and lost none of their manly qualities thereby. In nature the male is the most brilliantly cclored of the species, while the female is dull and drab. The reversal of nature's laws has worked untold harm to man, “Man’s clothes cause lessened vitality. As for color, men really love color, but have suppressed their natural tendency in this direction since the time of the French Revolution. Before this event men wore as cclorful attire as women. After the Prench Revolution color and beauty of clothes suggested the aristocracy and became taboo. Then the world went into a period. of mourning so far as men’s attire was concerned, and it has never wholly emerged from the gloom.”