BRIDEGROOM HAS NO TROUSSEAU=

A whole outfit of new clothes is never considered necessary for a
bridegroom, but shabby ones are scarcely appropriate. Whatever his
wardrobe may stand in need of should be bought, if possible. He should
have, not necessarily new, plenty of good shirts of all kinds,
handkerchiefs, underwear, pajamas, socks, ties, gloves, etc., and a
certain number of fresh, or as good as new, suits of clothes.

There was a wedding not long ago which caused quite a lot of derisive
comment because the groom's mother provided him with a complete and
elaborate trousseau from London, enormous trunks full of every sort of
raiment imaginable. That part of it all was very nice; her mistake was in
inviting a group of friends in to see the finery. The son was so mortified
by this publicity that he appeared at the wedding in clothes conspicuously
shabby, in order to counteract the "Mama's-darling-little-newly-wed"
effect that the publicity of her generous outlay had produced.

It is proper and fitting for a groom to have as many new clothes as he
needs, or pleases, or is able to get--but they are never shown to
indiscriminate audiences, they are not featured, and he does not go about
looking "dressed up."

=THE WEDDING CLOTHES OF THE BRIDEGROOM=

If he does not already possess a well fitting morning coat (often called a
cutaway) he must order one for his wedding. The frock coat is out of
fashion at the moment. He must also have dark striped gray trousers. At
many smart weddings, especially in the spring, a groom (also his best
man) wears a white pique high double-breasted waistcoat, because the more
white that can be got into an otherwise sombre costume the more
wedding-like it looks; conventionally he wears a black one to match his
coat, like the ushers. The white edge to a black waistcoat is not, at
present, very good form. As to his tie, he may choose an "Ascot" of black
and white or gray patterned silk. Or he may wear a "four-in-hand" matching
those selected for the ushers, of black silk with a narrow single, or
broken white stripe at narrow or wide intervals. At one of the ultra smart
weddings in New York last spring, after the London fashion, the groom and
all the men of the wedding party wore bow ties of black silk with small
white dots.

White buckskin gloves are the smartest, but gray suede are the most
conventional. White kid is worn only in the evening. It is even becoming
the fashion for ushers at