Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-02-27
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,FilOSnfH in Fashion.

simple, it wears q simple garb if oom-
pick, its costume is complex, and is
sub. divided according to the needs Of
the numerous classes. In its broad out.
lines, costume Is 80 certain an outcome
of the conditions of life that it is almost
possible tosay, Tell me what q nation is,
and I will tell you what il is dressed
like. Costume has 2 rationale definite
enough, and developers in acertain order,
affecting the very texture of the mate
rial worn for the texture itself has its
own! mute language 'fhe lines OF
woven materials, like the lines in faces,
have certain Significance and charac-
ter OF their own, inseparable from their
texture and shape, and quite apart from
the impression produced by color.
Broken and diverging lines and sym
metrical lines have their proper mean
ing, indicating restlessness Or repose,
and in draperv obey laws as distinct as
those which govern the plated folds of
, stalactites 30 that when we say certain
garments do not . suit a certain fysi-
ognomy, We mean, or should mean if
we analysed our words, that the lines of
the accessories dc not belong or wolk
up to the main Object-the individual !;
in fact, the form of the costume is out
of harmony with the type of build, ex.
preston, manner and habits of the
wearer. Long folds always convey the
idea Of 'repose; abbreviated ones,
movement and vivacity; broad folds.
weight and grandeur puny ones COM
monty the reverse. Enough they may
make UP in length what they lack in
depth and sobriety of shadow because
the distance that the eye has to travel
determines the interval OF impressions
reaching the brain. Naturally, il there
are very few impressions in a given in
terval, rs in the case Of long lines, they
will suggest quiet, and be correspond
ingly deep. If. in tie same interval, q
number of impressions follow each
other swiftly, as in the case of short
lines, variety and change are suggested,
and the Impressions are transient and
shallow. One cannot connect q Roman
matron, ennobled by thousand folds,
with undignified haste, nor conceive
the precise cut-a-way figure of the mod
ern business man as lounging medita.
lively through Gothic arches and this.
not by reason of association, but be-
cause the lines of folds have their own
subtle meaning and language. It must
be remembered that the costume Of ad-
vanced civilization seeks simultaneous
~ to protect, to conceal, and to display
the body. This is an achievement i'm
possible in our climate save by mo-
ments. Our climate is too unsettled,
our race too mixed, our classes too nu-
merous, for one coat to suffice us.
Hence there can never be permanent
national weather costume. Every form
of garment has its advantages and its
disadvantages long, loose CARDS, for
hot climates, close-ftting kinds for cold
ones. Both adorn and display the body,
but each with different cachet. Small,
close, dapper- clothing has a certain
crisp attraotiveness, suggesting activity
and marking each feature of the form
head, arm, foot or waist-with sonle-
thing of pleasurable emfasis. Long,
undulating folds, with their accompan-
iment Of color, carry on the eye, unite
one part OF the body with the rest in
Its languid and gracious entirety, and
undoubtedly add grace to gait that
lacks it, and smoothness to action which
is abrupt and ungainly. The strongest
recommendation Of garment is. that
it is becoming" BY this We mean
that it supplies some want in the body.
It enshrinesand "throws up " the head
and complexion or it defines pleas
antly the most interesting fysical char
acteriRtics ); or it conceals such defects
as are common enough to excite re.
mark. A becoming garment always
offers OH examination q good reason
for its popularity, and this popularity
refers, not to its intrinsic utility, but to
the opportunities it gives for improving
appearance. Most of the longest-lived
fashions are in some way becoming"
and it will be found that fashions gen.
orally have basis of good sense. Every
fashion shows in its course three we'll
marked Eases. First that of good sense
in the triple motive to protect, conceal
or display the body second, that of
ments third, that OF ridiculonsness
and consequent decay. The extrava-
gance comes ,unconsciously for it is
human nature to be childishly glad Of
a new idea, and childishly to drive the
idea to death and with the first ex.
cess-the first ribbon too much, bit OF
wadding too much--owing to the inev-
liable vitiation of the eye in habituating
itself to artificial ornament, begins the
decadence, which is only stopped by
good sense circling back. The deca-
dence Of almost every fashion takes the
direction of bulk. Size being il itself
a distinguishing mark. all fashions are
apt to enlarge themselves until it be
comes clear that, as everybody has shot
up, or out, to equal proportions. con-
spicuousness is better secured by q
sudden swoop buck to common-sense
II the decadence does not take the d.
rection of bulk, it too often takes the
worse one of the g vanishing point :"
the aim in either case is to surprise aud
attract--to outshine some one else
little either in modesty or courage
till the general effort ends in general
defeat.-Honae Journal.
DYING WITH HIS FATHER.-A touching
incident is narrated in connection with
the account of the death of Captain
Weatherley and his boy in Zululand: