New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-17
Considerations concerning Clothes.

As for yestments," writes the wise and
witty old moralist, Montague, " to whomsOev-
er would bring them back to their true end,
which is the service and convenience of the
body, whence are derived their original
grace and fitness, | would PROFOUND, as Of
things imaginable the most fantastic, among
others our square bonnets and that queue of
plated velvet which depends from the heads
of our women" But Montaigne, though a
philosopher. was no refOrmer even in clothes
Fantastic and ridiculous as the usual costume
may be, its absurdlty will not, he says turn
away man OF understanding from using
the ordinary style for, though the sage
should inwardly withdraw his mind from the
crowd, and keep it in condition freely to
Judge all things; yet outwardly he ought to
follow entirely the received forms and fash
i0ns-a sort of doctrine which we Yankees
pretend to hold in no repute, but which We
really practice more than most other people.
Nowhere is fashion more tyrannous than in
America nowhere, except perhaps in Eng
land, is orthodoxy according to tailOrs and
milliners so universally cOnformed with, nor
the outward garniture of the community 50
submissively and mOnotOnously cut after the
same pattern for every person. In France,
Germany and Italy. while there Is a general
simihtude in the style of dress, one may see
the variety of individual taste and fancy; in
America everybody makes haste slavishly to
mimic the latest fashion, whether in the tie
of cravat, or the longitude Of a gown.
In this waste Of conformity, -and let no
scoifer decide the theme as unworthy Of Sc
rious rumination, for it concerns humanity
of all ages and genders,-it Is grateful to
hear the voice OF innovation. Whoev-
er disturbes a tradition, and comes with
questions Of reason and common sense TO
shock hereditary and undisputed usage, is
a benefactor And so the contemporary re-
yoluuonlsts in dress,-the artists of Eng
land revolving at the angularity and awk-
.wardness of masculine array, and the wo-
men of America protesting against petit
boats and induing their charming persons
in tunics and baggy trowsers, are alike de-
serving OF grateful mention. And of the
two the need OF praise prominently be-
longs to the latter, for they do not merely
propose, but perform. As much as action
is better than speech, and example more
excellent than Precept, 50 much are they
more laudable than their artistic compeers,
who criticise and condemn the things.
imaginable the most fantastic " which So
ciety prescnbes for mems wearing, and vet
submit to the prescription, and daily 90
abroad as respectfully and ridiculously cos
tuned as ihe unthinking rest of mankind.
Nor, though as now advised, we cannot
acquiesce in the beauty Of the peculiar vest
IRE doaned by our fair reformers, do we de-
ny the force Of their augmentation. What
they say about health is especially worthy
Of attention, and none of then opponents
have satisfactorily answered it. But it is
remarkable that their movement should
seem 10 be just the reverse Of that set on foot
by the London artists above referred to.
The latter condemn the masculine garb, be-
cause 1t is stiff, angular, inconvenient, and
ugly from the mOnOtony and barrenaess Of