It  may  be  what  younger  blades  will  wear  when  they
reach  his  age,  but  in  the  present  day  the  effect  is  ridicu-
lous. We  may,  therefore,  give  as  a  general  rule,  that
after  the  turning-point  of  life  a  man  should  eschew  the
changes  of  fashion  in  his  own  attire,  while  he  avoids
complaining  of  it  in  the  young.  In  the  latter,  on  the
other  hand,  the  observance  of  these  changes  must  de-
pend partly  on  his  taste  and  partly  on  his  position.  If
wise,  he  will  adopt  with  alacrity  any  new  fashions  which
improve  the  grace,  the  ease,  the  healthfulness,  and  the  con-


132  gentlemen's  book  of  etiquette.
venience  of  his  garments.  He  will  be  glad  of  greater  free-
dom in  the  cut  of  his  cloth  clothes,  of  boots  with  elastic  sides
instead  of  troublesome  buttons  or  laces,  of  the  privilege
to  turn  down  his  collar,  and  so  forth,  while  he  will  avoid
as  extravagant,  elaborate  shirt-fronts,  gold  bindings  on
the  waistcoat,  and  "expensive  buttons.  On  the  other
hand,  whatever  his  age,  he  will  have  some  respect  to  his
profession  and  position  in  society.  He  will  remember
how  much  the  appearance  of  the  man  aids  a  judgment
of  his  character,  and  this  test,  which  has  often  been  cried
down,  is  in  reality  no  bad  one ;  for  a  man  who  does  not
dress  appropriately  evinces  a  want  of  what  is  most  ne-
cessary to  professional  men — tact  and  discretion.
