Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-08-24

whole. it is we'll for them to i" follow the
fashion," and take their chance. But
whatever mutations may take place, they
should all study neatness and economy,
and be careful to avoid every thing that
savours of extravaganza and above all,
pay more attention to the cultivation OF
the mind, than to the decoration OF the
person. Tue, ii is frequently necessary
for lady tc display her taste, and show
her ability u please by the arrangement
of her dress; but at the same time she
should avoid lavish use ofgay and.cost-
ly apparel-reilecting that in general,
| ----4--Love
| Needs not the foreign aid of ornament,
But is, when unadorned, adorned the most.
| But we are wandering from our pur-
pose.
Two or three quizzical essays have
lately appeared in the Advocate, respect
ing the dress OF both sexes, with particu-
lar reference 10 what is 10 be the etiquette
among the fashionables who are to dance
the giddy round Of pleasure at the
| Springs, the present season; and one OF
them scandalizes the sex by talking of
false hair, otto of roses, rouge, cheek
pumpers, musk, chicken-skin gloves,
false eyebrows, antique oil, &c. &c.
The celebrated DR.. Caustic, who edits
paper in Vermont, has lately given the
alarm about tight pantaloons-and 1t Is
understood that the ancient and honora-
Bile families ofthe Sheepshanks, Spindle
shanks, Randy-legs, Knock knees, Bow
legs, and Sharp-shns, SC. OF that pa
trlotic state, at once took up arms against
the innovation. Now we have heard of
no such change in this goodly metropo-
lis; on the contrary, we probably should
not have attempted to amuse the public
with this article, had not our tailors sent
US home pair of white drilling paD!a-
looms of huge dimensions, with an extra
yard thrown into petticoat plaits about
the hips. In Charleston we learn from
the "right merrie" and face,ious editor
OF the Courier, the 6eam monde have
given the sedate citizens another cause
ofalarm, by introducing indecent curtail-
ed apologies for coats, with short jackets
to correspond. In Rome, says the edi-
tor, " luxurious as she was, and inventive
OF every graceful decoration of feature
and person--in Greece, the land where
the images Of the body and the images
ofthe mind were equally chaste and clas-
steal, no man would dare to appear in
public in one Of those economical coats,
which are daily to be seen in the streets
OF. Charleston. Dress was deemed Of
such importance among the Romans,
that the period Of manhood was marked
by an investment with the toga. And
| how "venerable would Prianl have ap-
pearcd, asking the body of Hector, if in
stead of long flowing robe, sweeping
the earth submissiyely over his head, to
shield his sorrows from the conqueror
Of histson, he had worn gingham jacket
in the costume of these days.
This freak of fashion has not yet made
its appearance in ew-York, nor do we
much fear it will. II it should, however,
we recommend, as would be we'll, in all
similar cases, mean between extremes.
For ourselves, we wish to 90 be neither
ridiculously in, nor extravagantly out oil
the fashion," We should therefore
equally dislike coats so long wasted that
the pockets come down to the knees, or
SO short as torequire ladder TO climb
up to them. Nor would we have our
garments as tight as the manner OF some
is, as we agree fully with our friend Doc
ftor Caustic, that to pinch and pinion
rational and innocent body, being in the
Peace ofthe United States, is contrary to |
the imprescriptible rights OF freemen,
which guarantee the uninterrupted en-
ioymcnt OF limbs, as well as life, liberty
and properly.
| But after all, as we have said above,
fashion will have its sway. We are no,
very old, but the changes we have wit
messed, are surprisingly numerous, and
almost incredible. Within thirty years, !
we have seen the fashionable's head with |
curls as stiff as if cut in marble. He has !
had high fore-top, and low fore-top-
he has worn a cue and club-he has |
had his hair tied close up, and tied low !
down-powdered and frizzled-ana last |
Of all saunderized. Whiskers, or mus
tachoes, as they are now called, have
been shaved away up tothe temples, and
again suffered to grow haifcver the face.
Goats have been long skirted, middling
skir,ed, short skirted, and sometimes
with no skirts at all At one time hang
ing as loose as a waggoner's frock, and
at another made tigh, to the shape, and |
cut away like the wings of game cock.
His inexptessibles have been immodest-
ly tight, and indecently loose-somc-
times covering the feet, and at others |