Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1855-11-24
The Fashions.

neck. We had hopes OF their coming
forward This fall, and performing the Of
fee for which bonnets were invented; but
there are no signs of such moyemeni,and
there probably will be none until Engenle
reiires into private life.
TO match the absurdity al the upper ex. !
iremity of their persons, ladies have adopt |
ed greater one at the lower. lllmhable
skirts, extended by hoops, are now the
rage. They are excessively unbecoming,
and, except for one purpose, excessively
inconvenienl. The one purpose Tor which
they are convenient Is cOnceGfmenf and
i: is said that for that purpose they were
originally devised. As these boundless
skirts are usually OF large, showy pat
ern, they give to the wearers the appear
ance of balloons in state OF partial col
lapse. Nothing more ridiculous has ever
been worn by women.
People who have the means oil know
ing, say that those parts OF ladies' cos
tune not exhibited to the public, continue
TO be very elaborately ornamenied. Fh's
fashion, we presume, originated with some
aspiring lady who wished to stand high
in The opinion of her washerwoman. For
" dollar night dresses, and thirty dollar
Oh. we-never-think- -aboul-ems, must have
an over-awing effect upon the soul OF a
laundress.
The fashion, of the male attire has nn-
dergone a complete revolution. to explain
which, il is necessary to write PIelim-
mary paragraph.
Ignorant reader, there are two sets oi
fashionable people, namely, the Few VINO
Sc, the fashions. and the Many who fol-
low them. The objects OF these two
classes are DIVERSE; ills the constant Ell
lori on me Y = dress differently from
the Many;itis is The ceaseless sTGsgfe uf,
The Many to dress like the Few; and
hence the frequent changes Of the fashion.
A tailor whose customers are Of the Few,
recommends pattern by assuring Them
that "only this one piece has been imPor'
ted, and therefore it cannot become COM
mon." A tailor who ministers to the
Many is particular to inform his customers
that he is "sellinG great deal Of The SUBJ
stance under consideraiion,or that it is'all
the 90" Now the ingenuity Of man is
great, and il has become extremely diff.
cult for the Few 10 preserve their dearly
loved peculiarly. Ii the Few wear pro-
.use jewelry, the Many wear sham. lfI
the Few addict themselves 10 the costly
fabrics, such as lace, velvet, fine cloth, ,and
silk, nothing is easier to the many TO wear
such close limitations of the same as 10 de-
~ detection.
Three wears ago the leaders Of fashion
delighted in heavy gold watch chains i'm
mediaiely, all Birmingham is taxed TO
produce The gilt resemblance. Anon, tie
heavy gold watch chains are discarded
and plain, black ribbon streams across
The fashionable breast. BY that time the
sham chains had begun 10 show their bras
sy nature, and nothing was more natural
than to throw them aside, and come into
The new fashion. Two years ago the
world wore its ovcrcoat ridiculously short,
and the fashionable Few made bold strike
for peculiarly by suddenly elongaline the
tail of that conspicuous garment TO such
degree that it almost swept the pavement.
In few weeks the Many adopted the elon-
CATION, and Broadway was thronged with
gentlemen dressed la PuseyIle. The
reader is now prepared to understand the
momentou: revolution that has taken place
in genllemen's costume.
For some years past the tendency OF
fashion in the dress Of gentlemen has been
toward the rough and ready. Coarse, or
rather coarse.looking material, made into
garments of loose and unscientic patterns,
have been much in vogue. The Many
were rather slow in adopting this fashion,
and clung londly TO their brosdcloih and
satin. But they caught the trick at last,
and OF course il became necessary for the
Few to take measures to regain their lost
peculiarly. The result is what may be
termed the Solemn Costly style of dress.
The blackest and finest broadcloih; frock
coats voluminous and long ; vest devoi9
of pattern or ornament, but of The finest {
material. with buttons fabulously expen-
sive and perfectly plain shoes, polished !
not by the patent leather manufactures. bat Z
by .'my man )" hats Of the anti-kossu-
THAN period, and CLOSED severely era
vats lied with Brnmmellian lastidious-
ness in short, to have every garment un-
expensive and elaboralely
elegant, is now the aim Of that class of ,
young gentlemen who spend happy ex-
is,ence in showing the rest Of mankind ,
how to dress. On ihIs occasion Ibe Few !
have set the pattern which the many will
find it difficult TO copy. But they will
copy it. aud as soon as they do, il will be
The fashion no longer.
rl.ItL..l