The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-25
REVOLUTION IN H

hGNOAu AN HhSIlkON.
Another excitement of more momen
than the Fenian demonstration, tn
Mexican Empire, the National debt
negro suffrage, or the restoration of tn
South, has been created in "Crinolin
dom,n. by a sudden radical change il
fashions. The desIotic and tyrannica
milliners have issued their genera
orders for the season, and the slaves L
fashion behests in humble submission
Alas, for the plethoric pockets of pdter
fdmi1ias Shoddy must bow to the
behests of fashion, and Petrolia will
change her bonnet eff it busts hel
dadd." Changes in politics, revolutions
in society, or the overthrow of govern
ments, do not possess half the interest
to the female world that does the least al
teration in the shape of bonnet, the cut
of a cloak, or the curl of a hair. Every
woman in the land, old OIL young, hand
some or homely, feels a lively interest
in the newest styles, and as being out of
b fashion is not tolerated by the grand
world, it condemns to seclusion all who
fail to conform strictly to. the rules estab-
lished by the milliners, and approved
by the leaders of the ton. No matter at
what cost, our wives and daughters
must have fashionable garments, and
new-fangled bonnets, and queer head
gearing, even if the larier and the coal
house be both empty. They must appear
well at the theatre, at church, and on
Main street, though poverty and want
and hunger and cold, stand sentinels
over their scanty boards and ~fireless
hearths. Betterhave a fashionably shaped
bonnet, than a good dinner-a new
fashioned silk dress, then a ton of coal.
We would not care so mach about these
~exacting caprices ofthe votaries of fash
ion, We're they confined to those only
who can afford to comply with their fire.
quent demands for change. We should
have no objection to the wives and
daughters of the shoddy contractors and
petroleum millionaires bedazzling, be-.
%dizening, and bespangling themselves
with diamonds and pearls, and gold and
tiDsel, and changing the cut of their
cloaks, the style of their bonnets, or the
fashion of their hair, twenty-four times
in every twenty-four hours, but should
rather rejoice that they Were thus put
ting in circulation some of their ill-got-
ten and easily acquired greenbacks, to
benefit the world at large, and support
the poor women who labor night and
day for a small pittance to supply the
constant demands of the changeful and
hckie goddess of fashion, were it not
that their example is sought to be follow
Ell by those whose fortunes do not adj
nit of such lavish expenditures. The
wealthy can well affjfd to adopt all
'hese changes, to live up to the fashions
OIL the times, but persons in middling or
circumstances would soon
II themselves Impoverished and re-
duced to want in their efforts to follow
these e~xtravagant leaders. Fashion. as
followed so closely by women, is the
cause OF more misery in the world than
all the vices and designations to which
men are addicted, and to which they are
not unfrequently driven by the tyranni-
cai rule OF this Moloch of our society.
we do not object to changes in style of
aress, ana, indeed, often find them very
agreeable pleasing and graceful i'm
provements, but then when we 10 get a
perfectly beautiful and becoming stvle
Oh bonnet, cloak, or frock. whv
not mold ON to it, at least lon~
enough for us to become acoua;,tad
WIN us peculiar b%eautis~, and advar Z
lagos and claims to admiration over ifs
predecessor. Great reforms are lo' idlv
for il this matter of such fire. .,,,ent
and ur, necessary changes in the ia ihions
a,a the ladies could not confer > mora
lasting benefit upon mankind than NV
adopting some fixed principl es to res,i-
late the caprices of the fashionable
world. Let them adopt aJsound plat
form, the principal pla axis in which
shall be simplicity in dr. ess and conserv-
atism in fashion, admitting of no inno-
vations or radicalism- A neat, graceful
comfortable, elegant, durable and cheal
style of dress should be adopted ant
maintained, despite the arbitrary ant
interested rulings of milliners and man
tua-makers to the contrary, ever
though they be headed and backed by
the gay and capricious queen of thu
French.
Another change in bonnets has taker
place. A radical change at that, ant
monarchical too, for We are to hav'
+" crowns now, instead of thu
neat little crownless and modes'
republican bonnets and jaunty hats
of the past year. This revolution
will cost the country more money than
it would require to pay off the National
debt. There is one thing about the
new bonnets, which is decidedly inter
esting. 1t SEEM that leading milliners
have combined to prevent their trade
being defrauded of its just rights. Last
year the Fanchon bonnet, with the
water fall was so simple that every lady
in the land could manufacture her own
from the pattern of her neighbours. This
the bonnet makers determined to guard
against In f%uture-and the result il the
water fall and Fanchon have both hao,,