The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-05-04

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theysax Mith II premise q su1sAins ana "A a.
iowsuA bua Il I'm IN uncomlbFsahle psopsnaisy fr
seassAinE out md naking mAailsst sAs dslcsof
the WHndlehe ThezD b no concealiax skahbie
ns@ @ wear ana ter non ths psrsisasns eys o.
The accusing IN, Happily Or mankind % h
Dor Of dressing ID sne Of insigni6canl inper.
tance. Ths differences IN the shApe II sccak, lie
cat Of pair OF trowserz. the color OF texture Of
material, o. the curl Of the hrim Of The hat ere
matten ssaiE aatlsd for In wsaiss wiEAout
the necessity Of much anxiety On his part The
customer i, mora q lea, in the hands Of his
tailor, who il autocratic, and against whoae de-
cision there b literally no appeal. There are
men whsse STATURE physique, and weIl-bred air
permit them the exercise Of NDme originality
in their daily attire; they can afford to wear Pc
culiar coats, eccentric neckties. and unconven-
tional hats; bat, q . rule, the best dressed man
is he who is uniformly neat, and whose costume
Is the least noticeable. When spring comes
round men have. IS q rule, only TO give orders
and accept what is allotted TO them they know
that no amount of cleaning, turning or cleansing,
win make the old coat into pew one sufficiently
respectable to escape the critical eye that is ever
upon it.
For women, bswever, spring fashions have al
together fresher and more fascinating signia-
canoe. They not only give an intense pleasure to
the wearer, as satisfying natural craving, but
are full of unspeakable charms and rejuvenating
ideas. Men are popularity supposed to know
nothing about women's dress, and it is the fixed
idea of the wife that the husband is absolutely
ignorant of the composition of the gown that is
selected to be pleasing to his eye; but, if the
truth be told, the rougher and ruder sex is far
more critical than it is supposed to be, and this
the woman knows well enough, or she would
not bestow such an ininity of trouble on her
personal adornment Women dress, no doubt,
to delight themselves; but they also dress in a
far greater degree to fascinate and please all
who are about them, and with whom they come
in contact at home, abroad, or in society There
are few unprejudiced laymen who win fail to
observe what rapid and startling improvements
have been made recently, effected by American
women in the art of dress. 1t may be due to ed
ucation, treatises lectures, rivalry or what not,
but directly our wall papers, chintzes, and dec
orative furniture took a new departure, so did
our women's gowns, and not only in the materi-
al of which they are composed, but in the art
with which they are arranged. The men who
are not supposed to know much or to care any
thing about such matters, would fail to pass an
accurate examination in the precise style Of the
new costumes that encase the form like we'll
fitting glove, and reproduce the features of
statue. Yet, unless they are dull indeed, they
will rejoice at the healthfulness and common
sense OF short pleated skirt, instead of the in
convenient trails that used to sweep the streets
and help the scavenger, or that compromise of
bunch of petticoat and dress which was so
looped-up as to be kicked to and fro by the heels
as if it were football. Indeed, 1t is impossible
for them to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue or
Seventh street, one of these fine spring mornings,
without being convinced that our ladies are con-
sidering dress a fine art and, in the matter of
tnts, colors, shades, and form, are borrowing the
best ideas of their grandmothers without imita-
ting their eccentricities.