National Republican., 1883-03-20
MEMS DRESS.
The Changes in This Direction Proposed
by English Rcformers.

The Changes tn This Direction Proposed
by English Reformers.
Mr.. Gotch, an English architect, and others
have lately been testing some of the features
of mems dress by the principle of utility,
sometimes too narrowly construed. One of
the first things they have condemned is the
cylinder hat. It would surely be hard to
prove any basis of utility for that; IL seems
equally out of the question to claim for it that
it is in itself ornamental. The best thing to
be said for IL is that many mems faces look
well under the black cylinder, however alb
surd IL may be in ITSELF There are several
good substitutes The black felt " deerstalker'
lulllls the requirements of utility, and is in
itself of graceful lines; mans face looks as
well under IL as under cylinder hat. The
Tam 0Shanter," again, is ne plus ultra of
convenience, has no Objectionable lines in its
contour, and suits most faces. The clerical
round soft black felt Is as conducive to RE-
spectability" of appearance as any possible
head covering; otherwise it would hardly
have become clerical.
Next after the cylinder hat comes, In the
condemned list, the article we call trousers.
These, it is said, sin against utility in that
they ignore the knee, whereas men bend their
limbs ut this point hundreds of times n day.
There can be no question, with any one who
has tried them, of the superior convenience
of the knickerbocker, which does not ignore
the knee, but terminates at it. So seeing
further that the trousers Is garment with
no claims to grace the dress reformers propose
to relinquish trousers for the knee breeches
Of our grandiathers.
Our present coats have not been assailed
with any great effect. The dress coat Is
usually laughed at, but question If il could
be fairly ruled inconveniont or on the whole
ungraceful when cut without curtness Prob
,ll I.s
sharper angles, and making it fuller Against
the usual coat Of morning wear in the present
day little has been alleged as yet nor do
| think there is much to be said to its detri-
ment. 1t is not inconvenient, and II has little
| of foolish ornament, unless we reckon in
| that category the slit at the wrist and the two
never used buttons and button holes. Tho
two buttonsput on the waist behind have been
condemned as useless and explained as sur.
vivals of the time when all gentlemen wore a
sword, and required these buttons 20 keep the
sword belt in place; but it is n question
whether the buttons might not fairly pass
muster rs ornamental detail, and in all prob
ability thay have been retained, in spite of
| the disuse of tho sword belt, because they sat
isfy desire of the eye for some breaking
point at the waist. They may pass, then, rs
ornaments having relation to the lines Of con-
| struction.
Neckties are another article which dress
reformer5 would like to sec regulated. To
construct pasteboard and silk article in
sham folds of unnatural smoothness, and fix
| it under the chin as if it were really doing
honest duty as n tie, is manifcstly bad taste
these constructions should be cschewed by
him who aspires to dress we'll A kerchief
which can be and is tied, or passed through a
ring, or folded fiat, passed round the neck,
crossed in front, fixed with gold or jeweled
pin, is the eligible substitute Some men
manage this quite iaultlessly already.
Sticking up collars must be condemned. In
so far as they stick up they arc inconvcnient,
and necessitate some fastening Mt the back of
the neck to keep the tic in place. whereas
the turned down collar keeps the tie in
place. and does not present stiff edge to the
check or throat.
Men who care to dress with any regard to
| principles-in other words, with tastc'-will
easily think out other details, or see modifi-
cations in views expressed above, which |
should be sorry TO put rs dogmas, though
! they may have served to set us thinking and
discussing.
Some of the reformcrs call for more color
in mems apparel. This is n thing TO be do
sired, but also to be adopted with caution.
To run into cOlors because q black coat does
not look well in picture-an objection free
qucntly made to black-would be rash. The
reason given against black is insufficient, il
black looks well in actual life, as on the
whole it may be said to do. Still, it is proba-
BILE that, with careful artistic guidance such
as will not come all at once, men might use
moro color than they do,
Texture is another matter which will have
to be carefully considered There are subtle
difficulties connected with this, as all the Ia,
dies know, and subtle successes to be won
Between velvet and silk of the same shad,
there may be sufficient difference in effect tC
made or mar a costume. But here | am Oh
-. Al Il 4 4 A.. ~ 4
l must excuse myself from going in.
| JOHN CROWDY,