The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-11-13
WEST CONVICTION, KY.
Feminine Fashions and Masculine
Critics.


"Pray, sir" said tair, anonymous
correspondent of the Spectator, ''what
have you to do with our petticoatsH H
The substance of the same question is
very often asked in these days by ladies
who are called to task for their eXtrava.
gauce or want of taste in dress. Not
long since long and certainly eloquent
complaint was made by an ardent ''wO-
man's-rights" advocate of the onslaught
made by masculine critics on each new
fashion as it comes into vogue. Yet it
may be doubted whether our wives, sis
ters and daughters in general would be
any more inclined to echo the complaint
than to follow it's author into the heat
and dust of the conflict for woman
suffrage. Our ladies, undoubtedly, like
TO have their male kind take notice OF
their toilets and attire; they are frankly
pleased when their carefully prepared
devices to array themselves are compli-
mented; and we suspect they would
rather be criticised on this score than
have their pains go entirely for nothing.
The author oil book prays for ''slash-
ing criticism' in preference to being
utterly ignored; and, for less mercen-
airy reason, Ophelia is better satisfied to
be told that pink is less adapted to her
complexion than magenta, than she is
when her husband tells her next morn
ing that he really thought she wore
blue. 1t is to the credit of the ladies
that they dress, in many cases, to
please the sex of blunter tastes; and, as
to extravaganza, the domestic chaneel-
lor OF the exchequer has a5suredly the
right-and the sensible ladies freely
accord ito allude to the annual esti-
mates.
Besides, the young lady who so sharp
ly took the Spectator to task was possi-
bly, ignorant or forgetful OF certain men
who have, and always must have, a
great deal to do with tour petticoats." !"
For some of these, Worth, OF Paris, is a
brilliant example. Is it not fact that
not only the makers, manufacturers,
jVbbers and sellers of laces aud silks
are men, but that the tashioners OF tncs e
fabrics into elaborate, graceful and in-
genious robes, the people who measure
Tor them and cut them out, are men also J
Not only 80, but the mysterious cre-
ators of the often bizarre and startling
fashions which lend new life to trade
and feminine ambition every month or
two are a little coterie of fas hion
dfaugh ts-men, hid away in some rear
street in Paris. We know that in Slak-
speare's time men-dressInakers We're
extant, for IT was such a one who came
to take the measure of the shrewish
Katherine, nor has the custom, as is
pretty we'll known, quite gone out yet.
Some critics, in their heat, blame the
ladies for the sometimes uncouIh fash
ions that invaded society; as a fact,
persons of their own sex are the cul-
prits. The ladies but submit to long.
established and very obstinate despot-
ism. 1t is but a matter OF justice to
declare that the "pull-back" and the
"bustle" were the products of masculine
brains. 1t saves tne reputation of the
gentleR sex for taste, and all that can be
said is that the ladies have not that
masculine trait, courage, to defy the
fashion tyrants. History records that a
French medical student invented the
"bustle," and an Austrian gentleman
''crinolineD and we suspect that every
fashion that has been discried as de-
formity may be traced to a masculine
source. The Partisan despots must be
unearthed and deposed before we can
hope for a reform in the creations OF
fashion. We are quite sure that, if they
were superseded by a fashion court OF
intelligent ladies, dresses might vary in
form, but could never cease to be grace
ful,-GApp!eJon's Journal.