Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-03
EV VENING STAR
coMMUNICArED.
Female Vanity and Extravaganza.

wv. EuttOF T6TWiG Hl0 ds u representa-
tive Of my sex, the ladies, to present through
the columns of the Star, a few commonplace
reflections on the much mOoted subject-Fe-
Gale Vanity and Extravaganza; and offer a
few facts by way Of consideration, whether
the ladies alone, or the gentlemen equally
with the ladies, are chargeable with these fol-
lies L am aware that a position involving
the responsibility Of q class who have been ac-
customed to regard themselves only as suffer-
ers In this matter will not be readily admit
ted, and is liable to meet with ridicule; but
absurd as it may at first appear, L think the
position we have so long occupied, Of unobtru.
slve listeners to the severe charges made
against US, entities Us to patient hearing on
this subject
The representations almost every day given
of us are but little better than advertise
ments of Wholesale variety stores, or to say
the least, of senseless, walking lay figures en-
veloped in immense folds of silks, satins, vel
vets, turs, laces, ribbons, fringes 90, rival
Ing the rainbow in variety of colors, and the
hOt-house in combination Of aromatics be-
sineared with rouge and pomatum, and only
Kept from falling to pieces and being scatter
c. to the four winds by huge bands and clasps
OF gold, and hoops of whalebone And for
| this, we are indebted not to verbal criticism
aione-most OF the newspapers of the day
abound with like carcatures One gives AS
| the result Of careful investigation the as
founding fact that the annual cost of dressing
our fashionable ladies averages from five hun
| dred to two thousand dollars each, aud " A
large merchant and importer says, we are
paying more duty on artificial flowers than on
| railroad iron. The women are not educated
| Alright, they are going to bankrupt the coun
try unless there is a change. More is thought
| of show than substance We are having
| scores of millions annually for ladies' orna
ments which are of no use. We cannot afford
1t. 1t Is worse than sinking the gold in the
sea. Another says, "0nly think Of paying
three hundred dollars for one founce for
dress; 1t is HORRIBLE" And another, s'The la
dies think nothing of paying ten, fifteen, and
twenty dollars for fan, and from FIVE to ten
for pocket handkerchief, and about the
same for collar" And finally, some one of
our suffering brethren has invented a system
OF relief, In the form of a plan of GfUerttsSng
through the papers any article which we
may be so fortunate as to purchase, thereby
saving the time and money ordinarily expen-
ded in the exhibition of such articles
NOW, the foregoing are only moderate speci-
mems OF the estimate of ladies' expenditures;
but to every sensible woman they present
much less than an enviable picture Still,
we do not deny the charge of extravaganza
We viii not pretend to say how much the
average cost of dressing us is But we do
deny the charge Of sole responsibility in the
matter. How, in the name of common
sense" says one, "do you expect to shift the
responsibility to the shoulders of the gentle
men! Are we notcOntinually groaning under
this system of taxation, and begging for a re
lease from the same 2" You are; but your
practice contradicts your preaching We
might refer to example in self-defence and
reckoning two or three changes Of broadcloth
yearly, and about the same of silk and linen
summer garments with hats two or three,
boots and shoes from three to six pairs; linen,
merino, and silk underg by the quan-
tity; gloves, hosiery, neckties; a gold watch
and fixtures; occasionally quizzing glasses;
with wines, cigars, cOlOgnes, carriage riding,
theatre going, billiards, sightseeing, &c,
and make out quite respectable offset to our
system of money dropping. But aside from
all this, we think we can find sufficient to JUS
tify the charge of equal responsibility
The excuse usually given by the ladies for
their habits OF extravaganza is: "The Gus
toms Of society require it )" and, indeed, this
is the principal reason. But for this fact COM
paratively few would subject themselves to the
wear and tear of body and mind necessary to
keep up the practice, even admitting the re-
quisite funds TO be more generally the fruit of
other labor than our own. But who estab-
lished custom? The gentlemen have had
quite as much to do with it as the ladies' The
gentlemen claim the hOnOrs Of manufacturers
and importers, aud the ladies like to see them
wear those hOnors mantuily. The gentlemen,
too, most generally bring new styles into mar
ket, and retail them out and what lady, we
ask, could put on the air of satisfaction and
admiration that cur male mercantile dealers
do when they wish to display an article of
goods to best advantage? Why, in this par
ticular, our female merchants bear 10 com
parison.
Again, the gentlemen are great admirers of
costly display, as may be seen in their seec-
tions OF goods. For instance take a company
Of neatly dressed ladies, and ask as many
gentlemen to make their selections of dress
from among them, and two-thirds Of them
will select the most expensive materials.
Again, father or husband, of wealth,
wishing to make present Of cloak, or
shawl, to his household goddess, will be much
more likely to select a tifty-dollar one, than
one less And tho successful suitor, anxious
to give striking testimony Of his love, will
think fan that costs less than ten dollars, or
a ring less than fifteen, is altogether too tri-
fling for the occasion; thus setting the exam
pie, and encouraging the desire to contin-
uance, which by and by almost invariably be-
comes burden, and perhaps the total ruin
of the highest earthly hopes.
And lastly, the gentlemen aspire to a show
of wealth and distinction in their social rela-
tions. Now, we do not think the admission of
relish for the society Of the intelligent and re-
fined of the opposite sex, any breach of mod
esty-for we think the relish mutual and uni
versally admitted throughout the christian
lied world, and see no cause for greater as
tonishment in an effort on the part of the
ladies to meet the demands of the age in this
than in other particulars. The gentlemen,
as all know, have quite the advantage of US
In advances, oyertures, and field of action,
consequently, we sometimes accede to terms
they would despise. We grant that they some
times condescend in their gallantry, but not
as often as do the ladies in their attachments.
"The winding path to the rose-decked cottage,
And the country lass In hempen b-own,"
have no charms for the present age, for even
the country laddie almost as soon as he
emerges from his pinafores, manages to escape
to town, and one years training fills his brain
with pretensions to the mayors daughter.
Gentlemen discourse very sweetly about the
charms Of simplicity in personal appearance
and household arrangements, and yet walk re-
gardlessly by the humble dwelling possessing
those attractions to some imposing structure,