Though gray cutaway suits and gray top hats have always been worn to the races in England, they do not seem suitable here, as races in America are not such full-dress occasions as in France and England.  But at a spring wedding or other formal occasions a sand-colored double-breasted linen waistcoat with spats and bow tie to match looks very well with a black cutaway and almost black trousers, on a man who is young.

=THE BUSINESS SUIT=

The business suit or three-piece sack is made or marred by its cut alone.  It is supposed to be an every-day inconspicuous garment and should be.  A few rules to follow are: 

Don’t choose striking patterns of materials; suitable woolen stuffs come in endless variety, and any which look plain at a short distance are “safe,” though they may show a mixture of colors or pattern when viewed closely.

Don’t get too light a blue, too bright a green, or anything suggesting a horse blanket.  At the present moment trousers are made with a cuff; sleeves are not.  Lapels are moderately small.  Padded shoulders are an abomination.  Peg-topped trousers equally bad.  If you must be eccentric, save your efforts for the next fancy dress ball, where you may wear what you please, but in your business clothing be reasonable.

Above everything, don’t wear white socks, and don’t cover yourself with chains, fobs, scarf pins, lodge emblems, etc., and don’t wear “horsey” shirts and neckties.  You will only make a bad impression on every one you meet.  The clothes of a gentleman are always conservative; and it is safe to avoid everything than can possibly come under the heading of “novelty.”

=JEWELRY=

In your jewelry let diamonds be conspicuous by their absence.  Nothing is more vulgar than a display of “ice” on a man’s shirt front, or on his fingers.

There is a good deal of jewelry that a gentleman may be allowed to wear, but it must be chosen with discrimination.  Pearl shirt-studs (real ones) are correct for full dress only, and not to be worn with a dinner coat unless they are so small as to be entirely inconspicuous.  Otherwise you may wear enamel studs (that look like white linen) or black onyx with a rim of platinum, or with a very inconspicuous pattern in diamond chips, but so tiny that they can not be told from a threadlike design in platinum—­or others equally moderate.

Waistcoat buttons, studs and cuff links, worn in sets, is an American custom that is permissible.  Both waistcoat buttons and cuff links may be jewelled and valuable, but they must not have big precious stones or be conspicuous.

A watch chain should be very thin and a man’s ring is usually a seal ring of plain gold or a dark stone.  If a man wears a jewel at all it should be sunk into a plain “gypsy hoop” setting that has no ornamentation, and worn on his “little,” not his third, finger.

=IN THE COUNTRY=

Gay-colored socks and ties are quite appropriate with flannels or golf tweeds.  Only in your riding clothes you must again be conservative.  If you can get boots built on English lines, wear them; otherwise wear leggings.  And remember that all leather must be real leather in the first place and polished until its surface is like glass.