By today's standards, men wore formal dress every day in the 1890s. The color lithographs and line drawings of men dressed for work that are shown here bear striking contrast to men in the streets now. That very fact makes these clothes more than interesting today, they are actually time capsules for the lifestyle of a century ago. Heavy woolen cloth that has lasted a hundred years, and practical styles that were always comfortable and smart-looking bear witness to the time before automobiles and electricity. Now they have become antiques themselves.
The hundreds of cloth swatches that appear have subtle patterns and plenty of texture to withstand much use. Vintage clothing collectors and designers will marvel at their variety.