The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-11-27
The Esthetics of Clothes.

What is meant by null dress. mat term
is not quite so strictly construed on this
side of the country as Oh the other, and
especially in Europe, For instance, at
an artists reception i'll this city, year
ago or more, The same requistion was
made. 1t created great deal Of hut-
tering at the time, partly for the reason
that only one artist was positively
known to have q dresscoat, although two
had been seen in that costume. 1t was
inferred that the second costume had
been hired for a special occasion. Bo-
hernia was especially stirred because
there was a great dearth of dress coats
among the fraternity, but no lack Of la
tent genius and other accomplishments.
The question was at that time referred to
several experts, not SO much to get an
exact definition of the term as to make
it broad enough to let in well dressed
people who were not in full dress. At
some former receptions there had been a
license not altogether agree able 70 many.
The "warmus," the bobtailed jacket and
the linen buster, while they are perfectly
consistent with neglected genius; were
held to be y little off according to the
most liberal standard Of clothes esthetics.
Strictly interpreted, "fuli dress" means
dress coat, that is, a Swallow tail, y
gloves, u low cut vest and shoes This
definition, however, is modified so that
the dress coat is made to meet all these
requirements. At the leading Opera
House in Paris no person is admitted
who does not present himself in dress
coat. In this city, however, there has
been a good degree Of social freedom i'll
the matter of dress,
Az evening parties, where no hint is
given about dress requirements, persons
appear in Swallow tails" and in f!pc!1
coats, and no one appears to note the
difference. l.atterly, however, there Is
strong disposition to initiate the more
strict conventional usages which prevail
III the Atlantic cities. Something of
what may be called the freedom Of dress
will disappear, the social democracy Civ
ingway to more acistCcraticr requirements.
Probably, if one was to attend a ball or
party, dressed so as to attract special at
tention, all the reasonable requirements
OF the occasion would have been fairly
met. People are sometimes embarrassed
who are well enough dressed, iut who
meet others so elaborately dressed, OF
as to the phrase is, got up, that
they cannot possibly feel comfortable by
such striking contrasts There are Il
great many people who, not having worn
a dress-coat for twenty CT thirty years,
have Il sense OF The ridiculous in putting
on a garnet similar to one worn by col
ored walters a: fashionable hotels. Ii
they were required TO appear III that
costume they would decline to accept
social invitations, and, as q matter o:
fact, hundreds do, while others, not hay
ing C. garment of this kind decline 10
buy one. But here, as in View Norl,
there are 'depots OF supplies. 81 Alr.-
chant tailors, IL many instances, keep
the garments On hand u loan to Gus
toners for special use. Polite society
does not inquire whether, one appears in
his own dress-coat, or has borrowed il
for the OCCASION any more than II IN
quircs whether the diamonds lave been
hired or are really genuine. Ovcrdrcss-
ing is the tendency just row, although
il is not easy 10 say what that really IS
at fashionable party, where the dis
play is expected 10 We merely one Of
clothes. Good taste VI. eYc.d gar
itv sc much in csr.s i've ,lrrss.ll. "a in