Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-06-29
From the London Magazine.


ISashion.-It has been amusing, lutterly, to OBJ
serve how customary it has become to rail at the
style Of dress made use of by our modern bccs-
Their stays sleeves, bonnets, buses, &c have been
subjects of nimadversion and satire from all quar-
ters; yet we perceive that the dear creatures
are whit less bewitching than were their mothers,
who, III their youth, armed themselves for conquest
in tight sleeves, Topped up gowns dimity pettcoats,
and pgmy bonnets; their great grandmothers With
their hoops, somachers, pudding bags, powder,
| patches paint and pomatuu1.
1t is not unlikely that some antquary of the 9th
century, meeting by accident with of the parn-
graphs of the present day, may gravely stute. that
our females coal buckets upon their heads and
yonng balloons tied t. their arms and though their
sleeves have now taken the appearance of WINGS
| 1--WE presume in come measure to realize the wish
expressed IN the popular song of SID be butterfly,
yet it does not spoil the conclusion, that the ladies'
of our times as flghty and high flown as the
Whole OF their fascinating sex have been since the
days of Eve, who. to her immortal honor was the
first who mi reduced the art of the toilette into the
world and though it is not record that she had
coueur de rose, parfume de huc dc rose, pap
iottes tweeZers any The thousand things neces-
sary make of her daughters of this day eft to
be SEEM, yet, we dare say, that possessing those
feelings of human nature which from her have been
transmit ed thro every pulse of her posterty she felt
as great throb Of pride, and showed much taste
! in the arrangement of her little garment of fg
leaves, any of her of the present day does
when she has spent two three hours in setting off
her beauty blaze for an appearance the ball room
lQ,
right, be all the side of the men, while their own
dress, IN comparison with every thing that is simple
or beautiful IN nature, IS preposerous & ineegsnt
Nothing but the force of habit, which reconciles US
to Whatever s fashionable, creating artificial taste
and making what is deformed appear pleasing could
possibly prevent uca from perceivng how very ri
diculous is the form of the present hnbilirnents,
| The human figure Is now no longer subject for
| the contemplation OF the sculptor. man is nov,
formed upon the beau ideal possessed by tailor boot
maker, and halter, with little assistance from the
| taste of some such milksop as Brummell.-Now in
stead of stepping from his portals proud of exhibiting
4 combination of thews and snews that would ena-
BILE HIM to overcome the Numidan lion, which is
| wha. young Roman would most have plumed him
self upon, a man struts forth two legged animal
with birds tail, his feet squeezed into pair of these
most ortureus and asteul of all COVERINGS yceot
I'sWelliDgton bOots" which OBSCURE with clumsy
wrapper of backened calfskin the most symmetrical
and beautiful part of the human body namely the an
Gle; his neck is swathed and bandaoed round with
muslin or silk in such manner that, we're one of his
hardy ferefathers (wbo feared no darnuae 10 their
throats but from the steel of the foemap to see him
DE would imagine that some CHASTITY wound or loath
81 me disease were concealed beneath the unuasura
covering
Rising proudly from beneath the neckcoth are the
two sides OF the shirt collar; supporting the face,
II were, 10 prevent the head from falling of on eithe
side, then, to crown all, comes the hat 0 We fail
ones! would ye have subject for laughter? Observe
the thing With which the ssiord of the creation,
proudly surmouuts his superb figure that figure
WHICH, we are tolo tue creator formed after his OWL
| likeness.-Examlne it's qualities Is it formed fol
use? II scarcely covers the top of his head and in
most cases, the wearer is anxious about il
than his person. Does its durability recommend il
to hmP No! for it is worn it has fitted itself
to the shape of hsskull Is it for the great comfort
with which 1t may be worn? Comfort! why an iron
sauce pan might be worn with nearly as much ease.
Witness the deep blood red furrow which marks the
brow of your beau, who has just taken the beaver
from his smoking head. Perhaps, then, its beauty
thus induces the wearer to carry it? Surely no one
can look at such cuusily shaped thing and call it
beautiful How much more elegant is even the fur
bead IN thousand tempests' What, then, can in
duce man to lnfilct upon himself the penance of
Transporting such an incumbrance about with birn?-
II Ia the fashion, ''Are ye answered."
The primitive object of dress was merely to cover
the human body from the severity of the weather:
but, the arts Of CIVILIZATION increased the appeal was
made 10 conduce to adornment. well as warmth g.
protection Still. however though the texture was
improved, and ornaments of gold silver and Jewels
appended the Costume retained its graceful slmpici-
ty What can be more beautiful, or show the human
figure to advantage than the plain short frock
OF the aDcents? or what give more dignity to the
person, than the folds of the Roman toga3 Com
pare the tuDIc velvet rock of the eude aces with
the mathematical cut thing called in otr times
and tell US which is the most graceful.
No sooner had the days Of chivalry gone by than
tue cavaliers. who before could please their lady
loves but by feats of arms, turned their attention 70
the adornnent of their persons. Then came in sue.
cession, the fashions of the LONG doubJet the short
beard the half beard and The peaked beard the hrb
beaver, the low beaver, and the square beayer and
nnnnerable other fashions more or less ridiculous
10 form an idea of the deformities of the modern
modes OF Dress nothing more is necessary than IN