The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-04-29
FOLLOWING THE FASHIONS.
The -4bsssrdity of Too Strict adherence
the Prevailing Styles.

the Prevailing Styles.
There are ladies in every community
who possess to a greater or less degree
the gift of Worth with respect to their
own attire, and to some extent with re-
spect to that of others. They conse-
quently prescribe the laws of taste and
fashion which their sisters are only too
glad to follow, and which many of them
do follow without any regard to facts
which should be taken into considera-
ton. For instance, when green is the
fashionable tint, and leader of the toa
wears green, which she will be sure not
to do unless it suits her complexion,
straightway all her followers array them
selves in green, though it makes some of
them lock like rights; but it is the
style, and "green it shall be-" Just so
in the wearing of the hair. The fashion
leader piles on the top of her head braid
after braid, and straightway all heads are
dressed in the same manner, with little
regard to what is becoming. to the shape
of the head and the character of its pos
SCISSOR. She has twenty-five ruffles on
her silk dress, and, presto! all skirts of
whatever quality are beruff1ed in the
same manner. She trails length of
silk behind her, and serges and calicoes
must trail, too. 1t is pitiful to see the
quantities of fabrics that cost from
twenty-five to fifty cents a yard that are
trimmed to death, and are nothing but
wretched limitations of fine clothes after
all. In country villages fashion is much
more rigorous and terrible in its tyranny
than in the city. One or two dressma-
kers set the style and everybody must
follow it or be odd and old fashioned.
But in large cities one may wear any
thing she pleases without attracting the
slightest attention. The effort seems to
be on the part of each finely dressed
lady to have something different from
everybody else, to wear hat or dress
or a cloak unique. and becoming. and
though the style is generally similar,
variations from it are innumerable.
Any woman who sets herself the task
of following the fashions will not be able
to do much else, for every month there
is some change which requires remodel
ing of the wardrobe or a fresh supply
But she who dresses so as to escape spe
cial observation has no very hard task
before her. Twice in the year, in the
spring and in the fall, she may give at
tention to the requirements of the next
six months, and between times occupy
herself with something else. When one
is having a garment made it is easier
than not to have it made in the prevail
ing style, not SO extremely fashionable
that in a short time it will be passed
but with modification and discretion, *
that it may be worn long time withou
change. 1t is this necessarily ripping t,
pieces and putting together again of gar
ments that might better be worn as the.
were made that consumes go much tim
in families and make SO many women, a
to their intellects, utterly barren ant
unfruitful.
Such fashions as tamper with tn
health, comfort and dignity of the bod.
should never be followed. Among thes
may lie named the piling on the head o
pounds of foreign hair, the compression
of the waist with steel and whalebone
and some of the styles of draping tn
skirt, which are simply absurd. Ores
ought to be an expression of character
and when it is so it will be worn uncon
sciously and attract but little attention
1t should suit the individual in color
texture, quantity and quality. Height
complexion, size, age, and temperament
should modify for each individual he
devotion to the fashion, and when sh
wears what suits her in all these respect
she will be we'll dressed.