The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-03-17
FASHION,

]ies that hardly admits of attack, and in none
of its forms is it so unreasonable, so imperous,
so despotc, as in the Protean one Of Dress
Men and women bow down to Fashion with
a devotion that would shed lustre on the
brightest page of martyrdom-idolatry that
gives the blush to the blindest faith of Paga-
nisin. The African savage can give you a
better reason for his alteration Of his Fetish
than the fashionable woman can assign for
her servile compliance with the oracles of the
Partisan priestess that come to her bnrdened
with sanctity that the DEGREES of Delphic
Apollo never possessed to the most superstci-
Gus heathen- sanctity compared with which
that of her own religious creed practically suf
fers In all other matters, in matters of do
nestle economy, matters of religion, matters
of general interest, all intelligent women (pro-
perly, as we think,) do not yield implicitly
to the opinion OF any one. She may differ
from her clergyman, her husband, her friends
In such matters she reserves to herself the
right of thinking for herself; but in Fashion,
in respect of the cut of dress, the shape of a
bonnet, the circumference of crinoline, and all
robe, she is the eager slave Of an Unsuitable
Deity, upon whose altar she piles comfort and
convenience and health and happiness without
murmur. AT each returning season the
Juggernaut of that Deity comes FORTH and
woman's reason and discretion, and too often
modesty, precipitate themselves beneath its
greedy wheels with the headlong ardor of the
Hindoo victim. .-.I54-
Pure, chaste women, whose white souls were
never soiled by an immodest thought, whose
lips never uttered an uaclean word enter the
train of the goddess, and blindly follow her
through all the absurdities, monstrosties- mllst
we not say indelicacies?-of dress. With some,
to array themselves in exact fidelity to the
latest style is the highest duty Of lite-all
others must give way to it, to earn the APP
plause of fashionable compeers, their own ideas
are overstepped; that womanly reserve, which
is the sheet-anchor Of her purity, is set aside;
and, in the exigency Of their pride, they put
their propriety at the mercy of their milliner,
their modesty at the discretion (?l of their
dressmaker. There are frequent exceptions;
but too many, the multitude, in fact, thought
lessly trip along the broad way, We say
tboughtlessly, for we know that in most cases
it is mere thoughtlessness. a.ajea.aa
We do not believe that the women of our
country, if they did but reflect upon this mat
ter, would continue thus to violate the plainest
dictates of good sense and ordinary decorum,
much less the monitions of conscience on
other subjects as sensitive as the etouch me moi"
1t is the force of habit the result of education,
that has confirmed and strengthened and sane
tiled this violation of first principles, and that
blunts the edge of their discretion, or rather
excludes its exercise from the domain over
which fashion has established exclusive iurs-
diction. '
The maxim ''as we'll out of the world as out
of the fashions has cast its Upas shadow
over their minds. and in the obscurity Of that
shadow, they do not clearly perceive the boun-
diaries Of right and wrong, often indistinct to
the most cautious, too apt to be thoughtlessly
overleaped in the excited chase of pleasure.
We appeal to our Southern women to take
time and reflect upon these matters. For the
last four years they have. from, necessity, from
the force of circumstances, taken little part in
the pomps and vanties Of the fashionable
world-they have shown themselves capable
of throwing aside every obstacle in the path
of duty to their country
Let them go one step further, and do their
duty to themselves. Let them prefer the in
ate dignity of true woman, to the foreign
airs of Fashionable one--let them choose
whether to be the comfort of home than the
pride of a balroom-the blessing of the
hearth, than cynosure OF the streets. Lei them
put true kno,cledge IN their heads instead of
false hair on them; the red and white of
health and purity rather than that Of chalk
and rouge upon their cheeks; intelligence
rather than arsenic in their eyes; and surround
themselves with a CYCLE of virtues instead of
circumference of crinoline. Let their am
btion rise higher than to be mere
"Moppits made of pref mess and pride"
Let them aim rather
Sin their race
g To rear the graces into second life,
10 give society its highest taste; v..
Well-ordered home mans best delight to make;