The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-03-29
Love of Dress.

A distinguished physician writes in The
Herald of Health Of a recent visit to
Europe and how our notions of dress are
esteemed there I:
It pains me to say it, but perhaps we
may be benefited by seeing ourselves as
others see us, the opinions that American
girls in Europe have won are anything but
creditable and desirable. -.
While visiting school near Frankfort
on-NIain, asked if there were any Ameri-
can pupils, and the proprietor replied,
mo, we do not take them, they dress SO
"xtravagantly, they think and talk so much
of their clothes, that they disturb the quiet,
simple ways of our German girls and
~ find their influence does us more
hurt than their money does us good" In
Dresden | knew an American lady who
could not find private school where they
would take her daughter, for similar
reasons. Who could have imagined for a
moment that when the bondage of trailing
street dresses was once removed, and short
ones sanctioned, that you could ever find
human beings in the shape of women
yielding homage again to that most filthy
and abominable of all fashions But you
see, even now, on the ruins of burned
cities, trailed offerings Of silks and Thibets.
So long as women were kept in indleness,
or allowed to do only such work as confin-
ed them within doors, there was less need
Of practically in dress. Now that she
completes with men in most of the activities
of life, shall the style of dress not be chang
ed to meet this new dispensation. Or shall
we still see her in this bondage of attire,
that enslaves her at every step? You will
find weeks of labor spent, with each change
of season, in making or remodeling clothes
that do not stand gagged by the latest
ukase of fasion. You are invited to an
evening entertainment in Germany, at the
house of q professor, perhaps, where you
meet with persons the most intellectual
and cultivated-persons whose names are
known and honored in all lands; the
hostess appears in a quaint dress of drab
silk, that served as her wedding one four
teen years before the bodice is long, the
sleeves are mutton-legged but dear Mrs.
Grundy's presence is not felt; no one
seems to scan her from head to foot and
'exolaim. "how horribly she is dressed, how
dowdy she looks ~ Six months
time, at least. would have been ex-
pended upon that dress had it kept pace
all of those years with the ever recurring
changes OF laSnOn anu III tnat Time, with
the cares of q family-and they are not
few that deyolve upon the wife of a scantily
paid German professor she has learned,
with her children, to speak English SO
well as to be able to entertain those of her
guests speaking only that language. You
will find, as rule, in all lands, that the
most cultivated and best bred people
are the most simply and unpre-
tendingly dressed. You find in
Europe women dressed suited
to their occupation; the French shop girl
in q neatly. plainly made black ALPACA.
The home-spun and woven wooden gown
of the German servant girl meets her me-
cessities for years. The dress of the Eng
lish and Irish serving girls are made Of
some, substantial material. But let them
emigrate to America, and what do you
see this epidemic rage for dress attack
ing them Immediately. AS soon as Brid-
get gathers together few spare dollars,
she takes her mistress for prototype, and
goes forth, prayer-book in hand, to st.
Xavier's as gorgeously arrayed as the mis-
tress to st. Paul's. sil sa.ff