The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1876-04-05
DRESS.

a marked difference in the manner in which
men and women have attired themselves, yet
there is scarcely caprice of fashion in which
one sex has INDUCED that has not at some
time had its counterpart in the other Men
who are fond of descanting upon the absurd,
extravagant and tasteless freaks Of fashion
shown in feminine apparel would find, by
studying the past annals of dress, that they
have all been adopted with variations, and
sometimes to even greater excess, by men.
! Not only have men worn laces, furs, Jewels
and embroidery, but they have also INDUCED
in the more secret arts of the toilet, and
adopted even the very cut, style and colors of
the garments they now. scornfully deride. 1t
is true that those days are over, aud the con-
trast between the dress of the two sexes is
probably greater now than ever before. Yet
we hardly know whether man is wholly a
gamer by the change. Ii he has somewhat
lessened the elaborate and minute care and
reduced the expense of his attire, he has also
sacrificed much of its picturesque and grace
full qualities. If he has diminished the num-
erous changes which fashion once imposed, he
has also submitted to scarcely varying rou-
tine, which permits of no adaptation to the
varieties of figure and expression which ma
ture in moulding human beings never forgets.
On the other hand, woman has perhaps
gone to the other extreme, and has spent an
undue amount Of vital energy in this direc-
ton. 1t is a difficult and delicate matter to
decide what proportion of our time and
money should be devoted to our attire. Dress
has two main ends in view, that of protection
and that of establishment. Like our dwell
| ings, its primary object is comfort its sec
onuary is beauty. Every wise man sees to it
that his home is thoroughly dry, warm,
healthful, convenient. Having secured this,
he then proceeds to make it as beautiful and
graceful as his means will allow, or his taste
may suggest. So with dress. Its first and
most important object is comfort protection
and health Whatever time or money is ex-
pended on securing these is well spent. There
never was time when fashion and health
were better friends than at present. There
are still some points of variance, but we have
every ground of hope that, as heretofore,
fashion will yield them, one by one, to the
higher law.
Some would have ms pause here. They
would dress for comfort, but not for looks.
They would select the plainest, cheapest ma
terials, and make them into the simplest,
most unattractive manner. They ignore
ornament, and undervalue all taste, elegance
or refinement as exhibited in apparel. Such
persons to be consistent, should equally
abolish all beauty in art They should for
ever eschew sculpture, painting, architecture
and poetry, and Danish the aesthetic element
from the world. 1t is needless to point out
the folly of such an extreme Nature herself
spreads out before lis a continual feast Of
beauty, to which our whole being responds in
gladness, and we sacrifice some of the best
elements in our nature when we shun her ex-
ample We could wish that fashion and
beauty were twin sis' ers but this is not even
the most strenuous advocate of the latest styl,
will venture to affirm. Yet, as fashion is
comfort, we may safely predict that she will
ultimately yield TO those Of beauty.
There is much in dress that forms tolera-
bly, faithful index to character. Wherever it's
higher uses are sacrificed to it's lower, there is
sure to be either weakness, poor Judgment
and poor taste, or selfishness, narrow minded
ness and vanity. When, on the other hand,
the dress is healthful, comfortable, neat,
tasteful and consistent, we shall rarely fail to
find that dignity and worth pertain to the
wearer. There are so many different ele-
emnts making up perfect attire, that we can
hardly ever behold it without thinking of
well-balanced mind. There is the purse, with
its many claims, to be considered. The want
of consistency is fatal. Expensive dress that
is largely out of proportion with the income,
and has been obtained by pinching in other
directions, or by recklessness that .jeopar-
dies honor, is indeed a sad sight. To follow
either fashion or beauty, or both, at such
cost, is ruinous and degrading. Then come
the claims of health, scarcely less imperous.
To satisfy these, woman must be faithful, |
practical student. More errors are commit |
ted on this head through want of proper
knowledge than through any other cause
When women becomes thoroughly educated |
in the brodest sense of the term, all her at
tire will be as loose, light, free and warm as
the most earnest advocate of health can de-
mand. After this will come beauty, which is
also matter of education, and can never be
spared /; and last of all fashion, which good |
judgment and good taste will never ignore,
though always assigning to it subordinate
place. The true woman is the mistress, not |
the slave of fashion she admits it into her
councils, but it never ruled by it.
Those who consider the claims of dress in |
this order will find it far more manageable |
subject than might appear from its complex
nature. It's best purposes may be fulfilled /
without occupying any very large amount Of
time or thought. 1t takes far less time and
money to dress consistently, beautifully and
be mingly than 1T does to dress for fashion,
vanity and display. If each one will only
cultivate her own good sense and good taste,
and resist all tyranny threatening their over
throw, there need be no fear for the gradual
improvement Of our costume, and for the full
attainment Of its true purposes.
"Ma,o said young Brooklynite, as he