Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-04-01
Fashion.

- w hats this a sleeve lis ike demi cannon.
Fashion is the mos, despo,ic of ryran,s We
are al, slaves to it. One might as well be OUT
Of the world, as out of the fashion. No per-
son dare appear in public, arrayed in garments
Of past years cut and material. II he did
be would lose all influence, perhaps be follow
ed and hooed at, aud gazed upon as great
natural curiosity. In our magazines the lash
template is more eagerly studied and valued,
than The beautiful mrzzotnt OF Sartains that
occupies the next leaf.
The fashions OF the present day appea to
the only sensible and becoming ones that
ever were worn, and the portraits of our an
cesors seem fantastic, grotesque, the height
of extravaganza, dressed up for fun /; and the
belle Of two generations hence, hen she hears
that her grandmother swept the streets with
her elegant brocades, will thank fortune as size
trips along, displaying her well-lurned ankle,
that she did not come into the world al peri.
cd when dresses were so long that men were
entirely dead to the fascinations Of a pretty
foot.
Painters and sculptors, in their works Of art,
carefully avoid the reigning fashion. knowing
the absurdy of lis appearance at later day,
and adopt for their heroes the Roman ,oga, or
tie classical Greek costume, and their ladies'
they envelope in graceful draperies Of no par
tcuar date,
Ia China, fashions never change; they con-
,nue from century 10 century, unvarying.-
Thus great expense and trouble is certainly
avoided but some OF their faculties re never
called into action Ii requires an astonishing
rubbing up Of ingenuity to devise and arrange
new fashions for every change OF season, and
consequently in the Celestial Empire, their
chiet powers Of invention lie dormant
n "a rp : a hpt
the mobiles and poorer classes, the superior and
inferior beings, there must necessarily exist
come difference in costume, to mark the dis
tincton-s something to dazzle the eyes Of the
lower orders, and make them sufficiently rev.
erence the higher accordingly court dresses
came in vogue, decorations of gold lace, a
great display of jeweIy, and all the gIittering
paraphernala wealth can purchase. Such
customs may be OF vital Importance in an aria
tocracy but are they IN Republic where all
men are equal?
Il it il absolutely essential that we should
change our mode OF dress with every phase OF
| the moon, why need we be dependant upon the
cast IF fashions of France and England The
Spaniards have costume of their own-and
beautiful and becoming il is--so have the
Turks, and the Indians, aud most nations. But
America, which once asserted her independ-
enCe of Eng land, is, in point of fashion more
dependent than ever upon the mother country.
Wy can we not have fashions Of our own
Why can We not in thssc days OF conventions
have one regularly organized TO meet quarterly
al Washington let it be composed ot fashion.
able ladies' and gentlemen from the most iash>
ionabe districts of the United States let them
meet in grand and solemn conclave, and let
them De invested VITA full powers, to decide
upon the fashions Of the next three months
bel-crowned, or "KoSsuth, whether bonnets
ar, to be "pobes," hoods or tides whether the
hair is to be lett in flowing locks or tied ina
long queue like the Chinese, or frizzed and
powdered as in the days Of our grand parents
When this convention is in full force, we can
take our own stand and cope with any nation.
! - Boston journal.