Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-09-04
TIE GAUDY SEX.
WOman's Dress a Badge of Inferiori,y
IAmerlcan Socialist

AS to the question of the sexes,
think that womau's love of dress is
the stamp of her inferiorty. 1t
ends the discussion with me. l
can't respect my sex as do the
other while we are such creatures
of dress. Here man and his wife
are projecting a journey. The man
is equipped in au hour, and his at
tentlon is free for the higher con-
siderations of the occasion; but the
woman must have week for her
preparations, aud starts off tagged
out with shopping and dress-mak-
ing and packing Go to Wilhelmj's
concert. The gentlemen perform.
ers are not distinguished at all by
their dress, unless it is by its sim
plicity.. Wilhelmj's black coat is
buttoned across his vest up to his
collar, and his wristbands are quite
inconspicuous. But the lady singer
comes in dragging a peacock's tail
unspread, and tattooed from head
to foot with colors and frills and
embroidery. What is a wedding to
woman? 1t is BRIDES satins
and laces and jewels. The senti-
ment of the circumstance is all
smothered in dress. She can
neither feel solemn nor gay
she is spectacle of
clothes. You bring me Scripture
for her relief: "Can maid forget
her ornament or u bride her at
tire ?" l don't say she can any
more than leopard can change his
spots; L only say it is something
which stamps her inferiority. II
you quote revelation, l will quote
should be appare!ed in brighter
colors and with more fanciful dec
orations than a woman, and should
think more Of his appearance. See
the peacock and gobbler and roost-
er. and the male bird generally.
The lion cultivates flowing name,
but the lioness wears her hair as
M eek as a Methodist. The human
female seems to have lost her natur-
al prestige, and is fain to make her.
self attractive in meretricious ways.
Imagine a man COMPRISING his
ribs with stays or trammeling his
legs with skirts, let alone swathing
them after the mummy fashion OF
to-day. Imagine him spending an
hour every morning In fixing his
hair for a day long torment. He
will have his dress subservient to
health and comfort and freedom of
breath and motion. You say he is
in bondage to the changes of FASH
ion rs well as women are. But he
contrives to keep these conditions
intact. His new styles are
not allowed to intrench on his com
fort ard health and the highest in
terests of life. Ii he change the
sweetness aud uncoDsciousness of
short locks; he does not let them
grow inconveniently long, or can.
ker his head with frouzy chignon.
IL he changes the fashion OF his
coat it is almost unnoticeable, and
you may be sure it is at no sacrifice
of ease. His pantalOons may be
cut little more bagging or little
more statuesque, but never with
trails or any impeachment to his
nat1ral gait. His hat is always
the came serviceable sunshade, and
his cap the same protection from
the weather, no matter what the
details of style. Well you say
that the women dress to please the
men, and IL women are foolish men
make them so. My answer to that
is, that men are as fond Of pleasing
women as women are of pleasing
men, and more so; but they have
wit enough TO accomplish their OBJ
ject without the monstrous sacri-
fees women make. Whether any
amount of education and opportu-
nifty will give women this wit, or
diminish the advantage man has
gained, remains to be seen.