New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-06
yN SILK ATTIRE

What is to be the costume OF The Enlancl-
pated WOman9 There is evidently an lncreas-
ing gOrgeousness of array upon tho platform
wherever she sets her courageous fOot' MISS
Dickinson, having lately traversed continent,
bears a reminiscence of its broad acres behind
her in her train. Miss Logan was mildly cen
sured by her presiding officer on one occasion
for her personal splendors, and she now ap-
pears Gin heavy black velvet, heavy silk over
"skrt and panier, and gold ornaments" Miss
Field, on the other hand, according to Susie
"V." in The Springfield Republican, is clad In
Simple white muslin, pure as her aspirations"
Mrs. Paulina Davis, in the Hartford Con-
vention, was radiant in an Overwhelm-
cling confusion Of blue satin. black velvet, and
"white hair" and Mrs. ii. Il. Stanton in black
velvet solely. The latter lady, at the Newport
Convention last Summer, discoursed upon the
vanities of dress, while arrayed in brilliant
Roman scarf tied over the left shoulder and
beneath the right arm. Yet she bears testl-
mOny in a late number OF The Rerolution
against many of the new converts, who, be-
"ing persons of wealth, refinement, and cult
ovation, desire to make the platform highly
respectable, fashionable, unobjectionabo in
call ways" and regrets ito hear 50 much said
"iust now about the importance of keeping
"our platform clear Of all humble, plain
"spoken, uncultivated people" Now, which
is to be the attitudef Under which king, Be-
zonian, or which queenH Is it Eugene, or
Lucretia Mott, who is to regulate the costume
of the PLATFORM
1t is new problem for rcformers: Where
withal shall we be clothcdH In the anti Slavery
movement no such trouble came in. We utterly
fail to recall any bewildering gorgeousness Of
dress on that platform. Concentrated on moral
ideas, women bore no "traing clouds OF glory"
in the form Of dry goods, and men were plain
in costume as in speech. Stephen Foster, for
instance, as we recall him in those better days
of the Republic, had no leaning toward the
vanites of dress. There is tradition OF his
having once made speech in blue yarn nit
tens, when the weather was cold; and in
warmer moments he was apt to handle sinners
without gloves. Nor did Charles Burleigh
habitually dress his hair or his person accord
ing to the requirements OF vain world. After
all, there were some advantages in those good
old times, when simplicity of attire had
neither to be prescribed nor prescribed in The
LiberatOr. Feminine orators then dressed well,
as some still dress well, according to Dr. John
sons standard, 90 am sure she was well dressed,
"for cannot tell what she had on"
An eminent French writer has said that the
artist or man of letters needs only black
coat and the absence of all pretensiOns to put
him on the level of the best society. And the
author of Pelham sums it up more briefly,
"There is safety in a swallOwtail." This for
men,--and for women, every step into the avo
cations of men must involve something Of that
simplfcation of toilette which man has under
gone. "Let them be sea-captains if they will,p
said Margaret Fuller, but she did not recon-
mend purple and fine linen as q nautical rig;
nor does any shipmaster, except the Pirate
Captain of the dramatic stage, habitually tread
the quarter deck in silk and velvet. There
are fitting scenes for these splendOrs no doubt,
but the sOiled planks of public platform are
unfit. There should DO a conventional cos
tune and a convention costume. Women of
society cannot be won over by wearing dress
which every such woman sees to be inappro-
pirate. The attempt TO meet fashionable ladies
on their own ground by dressing more elabo-
rately than they do is like Mr. Richard
SwiVeller's efforts to demonstrate his clerkly
qualities by carrying pen in his mouth and
another behind each ear. There is such thing
as overriding. 1t is not desirable that ladies
should appear on the platform in the costume
of Miss Sally Brass; but 1t is safe to fall back
On the maxim of that anonymous countess who
writes Mr.. Routledge's Manual of Good So
ciety-" Ladies who are neither very young
"nOr very striking in appearance cannot do
"better than wear quiet colors." ~