Men’s Winter Fashion Fads of 1900

Men’s fashions and fads change almost as often as women’s…  The following is from the Winter of 1900– “All these are fads and fancies, jotted down for reference. Collars are still being made with a curved surface in the back and two great pokes in front. Even the all-around turn-down collars have this rounded back. In England there has been a perfect mania for brilliant hosiery, and even the “socks” worn with evening clothes are no longer of the conventional black silk, but are of the brightest hues.”

Long-sleeved undershirts are an abomination, and the better class of goods are so made that the sleeve does not reach below the elbow. The long sleeve is very easily remedied. It can be cut off and the arm hole bound with tape. Many men refuse to wear drawers which extend below the knee, and they have these garments made reaching only to the knee or have the superfluous part cut off. In that case it is almost necessary to wear garters, and many other men insist that these stop the circulation of the blood and are useless.

All these are fads and fancies, jotted down for reference. Collars are still being made with a curved surface in the back and two great pokes in front. Even the all-around turn-down collars have this rounded back. In England there has been a perfect mania for brilliant hosiery, and even the “socks” worn with evening clothes are no longer of the conventional black silk, but are of the brightest hues. Violets and red in checks seem to be about the most popular. The combination known as Roman is also very much in vogue, and in silks these are always pretty, with the harmonizing though contrasting colors of pinks and blues.

Violet is also used in the new tie colors and the new shirtings. Stripes are still popular in four-in-hand ties, and combinations of violet and black, and violet and white, and black and white for four-in-hands are very effective. There is also a fad in London just now to make very bad knots. careless and one-sided and anyway. This is to show that you have not purchased a ready-made cravat.

Among the other English novelties seen recently was a double-breasted, claret-colored evening waistcoat, with garnet buttons worn in shape of a “V.” All the evening trousers made in London have white braid down the sides. – The New York Times, 1900

 Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Thumbs Up to Learning Etiquette

    We at Etiquipedia have mixed feelings about using the “thumbs up” gesture. Instagram is positively littered with “etiquette enthusiasts”and “étiqueteurs,” making like modern-day Goofuses and Gallants on video, with a “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” or shaming “finger wag” system, of demonstrating the proper and improper ways of doing something. The “thumbs up” signal has, overall, a positive connotation in most English-speaking countries. Popularization in the U.S. is generally attributed to the practices of American World War II pilots, using the “thumbs up” to communicate with ground crews prior to take-off. However, its meaning varies significantly from country to country and culture to culture. This hand gesture is considered very rude in several countries, including Iraq and Iran. In other countries, like Germany, France, and Hungary, the gesture can simply indicate the number one (the “Ok” gesture means the number zero, or “0.”) 

Starting in 2007, the “thumbs-up” appeared on India’s one-rupee coin. And it’s in India where you’ll find a “thumbs up” gesture used as part of the logo of “Thums Up,” a popular brand of Indian cola. American Sign Language users in the United States use a single thumb up, tilted slightly and moved, or shaken rapidly, from left to right to indicate the number ten, or 10. When held stationary and thrust toward another person the meaning is “yourself.” When lifted up by the other palm, it is read as, “help.” Nowadays, due to social media’s global reach, the “thumbs-up” sign on Facebook and other sites– as a clear statement of approval or agreement– is becoming much more acceptable than it once was.

Warning from Agriculture Dept... 

“Etiquette can be tricky when traveling overseas”

WASHINGTON (AP) - When an American travels abroad with an eye on new markets for farm products, it’s best to be on good behavior and to observe proper etiquette, the Agriculture Department says.

For example, you are in an Arabian Gulf country and have consumed several small cups of bitter cardamom coffee. You would rather not drink more. Should you; 

• (a) place your palm over the cup when the coffee pot is passed? 
• (b) turn your empty cup upside down on the table? or 
• (c) hold the cup and twist your wrist from side to side? 

The answer, according to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, is (c). But the quiz may be a trifle suspect, since the final of 10 questions offered to test a reader’s business etiquette says: 

“Body language is just as important as the spoken word in many countries. For example, in most countries, the ‘thumbs-up’ sign means ‘OK.’ But in which of the following countries is the sign considered a rude gesture?”

•  (a) Germany, 
• (b) Italy, 
• (c) Australia.

The answer, the agency says, is (c). But a spokesman at the Australian Embassy denied that his countrymen consider a ‘thumbs-up’ gesture offensive.

The spokesman, not identified, told a reporter “We have other fingers that might be rude, but not the thumb.” Lynn K. Goldsbrough, editor of Foreign Agriculture magazine in which the article appeared, said the information was taken from a book on taboos around the world and used in the quiz. When told about the reaction from the Australian Embassy, Ms. Goldsbrough laughed and said, “Maybe he’s from a different part of Australia. I guess you can’t believe everything you read in books, huh?” 

Another answer to a question advised prospective exporters to refrain from tipping in Iceland, although it’s permissible in Britain and Canada. And the normal work week in Saudi Arabia is Saturday through Wednesday. 

In Japan, where giving gifts is common among business acquaintances, one should “thank the giver and open the present later.” It would be bad form to open the present immediately and thank the giver, or suggest the giver open the present for you.

 Good topics of conversation in Latin America might include sports, the weather or travel, the report said, but religion and local politics should be avoided. If flowers are in order as a gift to a hostess, some ground rules are in order, since “both the type of flower and color can have amorous, negative or even ominous implications,” the report said.

 “Purple flowers are a sign of death in Brazil, as are chrysanthemums in France in Switzerland, as well as in many other northern European countries, red roses suggest romantic intention.” – By Don Kendall, AP Farm Writer, 1987

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

19th C. Table Manners and Innovation

A napkin or doily used in each hand, would have been much better! – Frederick Stokes’, “Good Form: Dinners Ceremonious and Unceremonious,” 1890, contrasted the crude gnawing from end to end with the more polite grasping with a folded napkin or doily. 

In the 1880s, works such as “Social Etiquette of New York” demonstrated that the ongoing debate between traditional European manners and new American ways favored the Continent. In the late 19th century however, Americans began to become comfortable with themselves and formulate their own rules for formal table setting, serving, and eating.

The serving in eating of corn on the cob has been an enduring issue for American authorities on table manners. In “Hints on Etiquette,” 1844, Charles Day decreed that rather than gnaw at the cob, the diner should scrape the kernels into his or her plate and eat them with a fork. 

The serving in eating of corn on the cob has been an enduring issue for American authorities on table manners. In “Hints on Etiquette,” 1844, Charles Day decreed that rather than gnaw at the cob, the diner should scrape the kernels into his or her plate and eat them with a fork. Frederick Stokes’, “Good Form: Dinners Ceremonious and Unceremonious,” 1890, contrasted the crude gnawing from end to end with the more polite grasping with a folded napkin or doily. 

The ever practical Emily Post simply discounted corn on the cob as suitable food for formal dining.

Food writer and Ladies Home Journal editor Sarah Tyson Rorer, America's first dietitian, proposed more demanding method of scoring each row of kernels and pressing out the content with the teeth, leaving the hulls attached to the cob. The ever practical Emily Post simply discounted corn on the cob as suitable food for formal dining.–From Encyclopedia of Kitchen History by Mary Ellen Snodgrass

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Men’s Fashion Etiquette of Winter 1900

The English call this a “morning” coat, because to them there is no afternoon, and day is divided into lightness from the rays of the sun and the proverbial candlelight, which is dusk followed by night.
–photo source, Pinterest 

Among the novelties in men’s dress this Winter there has been an effort to bring again into popularity the old-fashioned black cutaway coat. The English call this a “morning” coat, because to them there is no afternoon, and day is divided into lightness from the rays of the sun and the proverbial candlelight, which is dusk followed by night. 

The morning coat, which has been in use some time in London, is a long cutaway coat, of black material, single breasted. Again the outside breast pocket makes its appearance. The skirts or tails are almost the length of the frock, and extend nearly to the bend of the knee. This coat can be worn to afternoon affairs, and is as good form as the frock, except at a wedding, where it seems no other garment except the “Prince Albert,” as it was once called, will do.

Some of these coats, like the very ultra fashionable frock coat of the seasons, are bound with black ribbon. This is somewhat out of the conservative run, and the new “trimming” does not improve the looks of the coat. You cannot have a frock or a cutaway coat too plain. It is in its absolute absence from any “fixings” wherein lies its style.

The cutaway coat is also used a great deal for riding. In this case, it corresponds in texture and pattern to the riding brecches, and it has a hip, as well as outside breast pocket, and it is made with a decided regard for the waist line. The coats of to-day are so fashioned, that at first glance, one would think that the wearers had corsets underneath. In England, many military men wear stays, and there is a rumor that a few do the same here. There is, however, a very well-fitting undergarment which has a waist to it, very much in principle the same as corset, and which gives–with the cut of the coat– the appearance of a decided figure. – The New York Times, 1900

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette of Prospective First Ladies

Although a lot has been spoken and written about the capabilities of Presidential candidates in the coming campaign, very little has been said of the woman who may share the success of any one of them. Of course, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, wife of New York's Governor, who is the leading Democratic candidate, needs no introduction to Americans. Born a Roosevelt, she kept the illustrious name intact by marrying one. Mrs. Roosevelt is no stranger to polities and diplomatic usage, so in the event of her husband's victory in the coming campaign she would fit into the role of White House hostess like a hand into a glove. Mrs. John Nance Garner, wife of the Speaker of the House, would also make an ideal “First Lady.” Since her marriage in 1895, she has been “Texas Jack’s” secretary and advisor. Their ideal partnership constitutes as romantic a story as any in the pages of fiction. Then there is Mrs. Newton D. Baker, who is equipped for the job of presiding at the White House by reason of her association with diplomatic society during her husband's tenure of office as Secretary of War in the late President Wilson's cabinet. One unusual possibility deserves mention. In the event of Governor George White of Ohio being nominated and elected, he will bring the youngest “First Lady” in history to the White House– his 24-year-old daughter, Mary, who is now his official hostess in the Gubernatorial mansion of Ohio.

These Potential First Ladies Well Qualified for Position

Wives of Three Leading Democratic Candidates and Daughter of a Fourth Ideally Suited for Job of White House Hostess.

WASHINGTON, June 17. Although it is an oft-repeated truth that every American boy may consider himself a potential President of these United States, we rarely, if ever, hear a word about the prospects of the girls who are destined to marry these boys. A strange oversight this, seeing that it is perfectly logical that if every boy has a chance of becoming "First Gentleman" of the land every girl has an equal chance of acquiring the coveted title of "First Lady."

Take a few of the present candidates for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency: Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, of New York: Speaker John Nance Garner, of Texas; Newton D. Baker, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Governor George White, of Ohio. The capabilities of these candidates are well known, but how much is known of the woman who will share the success of any one of them? Of course, Mrs. Roosevelt, by reason of her distinguished family tree, is the more familiar of the potential “First Ladies.” Born a Roosevelt, she kept the illustrious name intact by marrying one on March 17, 1905. Most of Mrs. Roosevelt's life has been spent in the service of her family and more than a half-dozen civic movements.

Mrs. Roosevelt is no stranger to national politics, having proved her metal on many a campaign platform. In the last Presidential campaign, she fought tooth and nail in support of Alfred E. Smith, the Democratic standard-bearer. Ironically, Smith is her husband's bitterest opponent in the present fight for nomination.In the event of her husband's victory in the coming campaign, Mrs. Roosevelt would fit into the role of White House hostess like a hand in a glove.

Mrs. John Nance Garner, wife of the Speaker of the House, though not as widely known as Mrs. Roosevelt, would also make an 18 carat “First Lady.” Since “Texas Jack” married the former Ettie Rheiner, in November, 1895, she has been his secretary, helper and advisor. There is very little about politics that Mrs. Garner does not know. The story of Speaker John and his wife deserves a whole volume to itself if justice is to be done to one of the most ideal partnerships in politics or any other field. Their struggles and triumphs constitute a romantic story rarely found outside the pages of fiction.

Then there is Mrs. Newton D.Baker, who, as Elizabeth Leopold, of Pottstown, Pa., married the present Democratic “Dark Horse,” in 1902. Mrs. Baker would also make an admirable White House Lady, knowing, as she does, the highways and byways of social and diplomatic etiquette. Though her. home is in Cleveland, O., Mrs.. Baker has been established as one of the capital's most popular hostesses since the day in 1916 when her husband took office as Secretary of War in the cabinet of the late-President Wilson. She has persistently worked for the cause of working women for many years; knows politics inside out and her pet ambition is to be an artist and to sing. Though she is not very hopeful of her husband's chances of being named to carry the banner of Democracy, Mrs. Baker is the most consistent admirer of the “Dark Horse.”

While on the subject of potential “First Ladies,” one unusual possibility deserves mention. In the event that Governor George White, of Ohio, should win the nomination. and be victorious at the polls, he would bring the youngest “First Lady” in history to the White House. She is his daughter, Mary, 24, the eldest of five children. Governor White is a widower and when he was elected Governor of Ohio, in 1930, Mary automatically be came his official hostess. Who knows, she may yet rule the social functions in the House of Presidents. – Calexico Chronicle, 1932

 Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Royal Etiquette Maintained in Wartime

A seemingly unflappable diplomat, the war didn’t stop him from expecting the strictest diplomatic etiquette be observed, even if the country had been invaded.

– Public domain image of Baron Cartier de Marchienne

King George Felicitates Leopold on His Birthday

LONDON, Νον. 3 – King George sent congratulations and best wishes today to King Leopold of Belgium on his forty-first birthday. The strictest diplomatic etiquette was observed. Baron Cartier de Marchienne, the Belgian Ambassador, received a visit from Sir John Monck, Vice Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, who conveyed the messages in the style observed for years. There may be something irregular about handing on the greetings to King Leopold. He is living in his own land under the watchful eye of the Germans. – Wireless to The New York Times, 1942

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

British Etiquette Advice of 1900

It is not etiquette to ask a woman’s age, the price of her bonnet, or the name of her dressmaker. It is not etiquette to introduce disagreeable subjects, such as premature burial, vivisection, dissection, mother-in-law, Parliamentary patriotism, and disinterested charity.

Miss Beatrice Knollys, who has many friends in this city, and who is the writer of many of the little dialogues which have been published from time to time in “The London World,” “Black and White,” and other periodicals, has brought out a brochure, with advice on “The Gentle Art of Good Talking.” 

Some of the hints in making conversation can well be taken by many people in society. Here are a few:

• It is not etiquette to talk of the Ten Commandments. It is unpardonably personal.  

• It is not etiquette to talk to a widow or a widower about second marriages, for you only make them fib faithfully over the dear departed. 

• It is not etiquette to ask a woman’s age, the price of her bonnet, or the name of her dressmaker. 

• It is not etiquette to introduce disagreeable subjects, such as premature burial, vivisection, dissection, mother-in-law, Parliamentary patriotism, and disinterested charity. 

• Give a person a higher title than he owns. 

• Mistake a cad for a gentleman, a plain woman for a beauty, a silly man for a celebrity, any woman for a photographed star, any man (especially a clergyman) for a soldier. 

• Talk shop to the young men or the young women who have just entered into their new career. They will be delighted, for no one loves shop conversation so much as those who are only on the doorstep of it.” 

This is a key, possibly, to the average British conversation. – The New York Times, 1900

 Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

A Duke’s Respect of Court Etiquette

The Duke and the Queen seem always to have been on very affectionate terms, perhaps because he took her part in the controversy about the Prince’s position. “Let the Queen put the Prince where she likes,” he said, " and settle it herself; that is the best way.” An anecdote is told which shows that the Duke had not much respect for the traditions of Court etiquette when they conflicted with the dictates of common sense. 
– Photo source of the Duke and the Queen from the tv series “Victoria”, Pinterest

In 1845 the Queen and Prince Albert visited the Duke of Wellington at Strathfieldsaye. “The Duke,” writes Mr. Anson, the Prince's secretary, “takes the Queen in to dinner and sits by her Majesty, and after dinner gets up and says, ‘With your Majesty's permission, I give the health of her Majesty,’ and then the same for the Prince. They then adjourn to the library, and the Duke sits on the sofa by the Queen for the rest of the evening until 11 o’clock, the Prince and the gentlemen being scattered about in the library or the billiard room, which opens into it.”

Mr. Anson also writes that the Duke, under provocation from certain too curious impertinents, had put up a large notice in the grounds directing the people who wished to see the house to drive up to the hall door and ring the bell, but that they were to abstain from walking on the flag-stones and looking in at the windows. To an application from a newspaper for particulars of the Royal visit, the Duke replied: “F. M. the Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr._________ and begs to say he does not see what his house at Strathfield Saye has to do with the public press.”

The Duke and the Queen seem always to have been on very affectionate terms, perhaps because he took her part in the controversy about the Prince’s position. “Let the Queen put the Prince where she likes,” he said, " and settle it herself; that is the best way.” An anecdote is told which shows that the Duke had not much respect for the traditions of Court etiquette when they conflicted with the dictates of common sense. The late Lord Albemarle, when Master of the Horse, was very sensitive about his right in that capacity to sit in the sovereign's carriage on state occasions. “The Queen,” said the Duke, when asked his opinion, “can make Lord Albemarle sit on top of the coach, under the coach, behind the coach, or wherever else her Majesty pleases.” – The New York Times, 1874

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia