Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-09-25
ART AND NATURE IN DRESS.

Yesterday we stood looking at q flower. bed, into
which some really exquisite roses, besides pansies,
mignonette, English daises, verbenas, ard other
had beea transplanted. Kate, our Irish
coUk, and n beautiful girl, by the way, was hang
ing out the Mondays washing to dry, over a plat
OF rich new grass, green and velvety, and delight
inl to the eyes and feet. She sympa'hized with
our admiration of the grass, and the delicate,
soul. enchanting roses but this" said she, ID
the purtiest flower Of them all, | think !" and she
pointed out q sprig OF the scarlet bloom oftho fish
geranium, 1t was gayest, and therefore hand
soonest to her-she required not the yearning no.
illness OF the lily, nor the grace and love inspiring
perfumes Of the roses and pansics. We would
not give one half.expanded rosebud, with the
blush diffIsing itself outward from its odorous
heart, for n basket full of fish. geianeums. But
which was iight2 Often, when we have beer
thinking upon dress, MS q subject for study, to be
cultivated as a fine art, we have gone to nature,
who is the mother Of art, for lessons. We have
seen that she mingles all culors with effects which
are truly harmonious and why should we be
more arbitrary than she in her adornment Of the
10 wers, when we would prescribe the hues and
combinations for n lady's toilette? Tho puritan
pansy" puts on a yellow vest with its purple vel
vet robe the queenly tulips are gorgeous with
stre0ks of red anG yellow, gay enough for an In.
dian squaw the florist labUrs for rainbow effects
in his pet dahlias ; the poppy hiunts her scarlet
looped petticoat, and the peUny shakes out her
NN ~ 6NJ
her blue robe with a scarf Of pink while one
and all, without exception, find a mantle Of green
becoming. Nature tries all kinds of experiments
with the materials at her command, and her suc'
cess is always certain. If nothing in nature is
ugly, then is nothing in art ugly when it simply
copies nature and it cannot truly be said Though
it is often asserted that good taste limits the colors
OF the toilette, and that drab, or black, or white,
slightly relieved by some trimming in harmony,
not in contrast, is the only really elegant costume.
1t q dahlia can look we'll in purple, black. and
yellow, then why not q lady If u maiden fast.
ems the hounces Of her azure ball dress with pink
garlands, che is only copying the pattern of the
morning ~glories-and would she ask to be more
modest and tasteful than they /?
Still, there seems to be such a thing as the cor
respondence OF attire with the complexion, height,
style, and years. The fragile lily of the valley
does not depend from a mullen stock, nor is the
superb japonica nestled amid The moss and grass
with the violet. Therefore ladies may well and
proudly study, which of all the various patterns
and hues best assimilate with the character of
each and therefore it is that we enter our protest
against the blind adoption of any and every color
and shape which fashion may dictate. Upon the
brow of fashion is written, change she is q
chameleon yet there is no woman (almost none
but will pronounce her beautiful, whatever aspect
she assumes and the number is precisely equal
who will pronounce her thrown off aspect as hid
eous OF ludicrious. The woman who adored her
N6''N 80 49, ~ ChhN' " o'N $780,
der skirts, now turns from the memory with uplift-
ed hands. The name of fashion is caprice, and of
her followers is folly. Itis we'll that nature
knows her own mind better, else, some seasons We
should have all the flowers of the garden, regard
less Of what was intended for them. dressed up il
the queenly bell shaped robe and snowy trail 0
the Gala again we should have the h%ollyhocl
and peonies all squeezed into dainty ladyslippers
and anon, the violets and primroses smothered il
the mantle of the dahlias.
Let word come over from Paris that green is t
be worn by Mistress Fashion, and straightwa.
every sallow.faced woman becomes "sicklied oe
with the pale cast" of j%aundice. Or let tn
mandate be blue, and no face is so forid but tina
it can afford a deeper tint for the sake of being il
the fashion. No woman is toe short for plaids o
too tall for stripes, when they are fashionable
nor too thick for short waists, nor too thin for Ion
ones.
1t is impossible to arrive at any fixed standar
Of taste in dress for it is q curious fact that, who
cur eyes have become accustomed to, that we n
gard as becoming. Most new fashions ~displeas
when first seen, and become more charm ing as "
! grow familiar with them-we regret to chang
{ yet after the change is made. it grows more beat
tiful than the last. Studying the art of dress
like gazing into a whirlpool of b~ubbling waters
the longer it is continued, the more confused Y
q grow. We would only suggest, that while fasbiC
\ i is not neglected entirely, propriety, becomingnes
style and place, be also respected.-A Lady
Cosmopolitan Art Journal.