The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-04-18
Why They Dress Badly.


reasons why the dress Of the ordinary
run OF English women is so unsuccess-
full. First. because they have not nat
ural and ms motive good taste. Second,
because they re use to learn from any
one else, and have no advantages in
their own country for improving them
selves. Third, because they have no
sense Of what is appropriate. Fourth.
BECAUSE they always exaggerate. Fifth,
because they have very little money to
spend on their clothes.
When spe of natural good taste.
mean that fine instinct and feeling of
the beautiful which 1 do not think an
English woman possesses. A french
woman or American, living in tie wilds
o. the country, out OF the way OF
fashion, will even then, by her own
natural taste, make or order to be made
pretty things, her own sense of the
pleasing and appropriate being her
learn means that, whereas all the civil
lied world has. as long a can remem-
Ter, gone to Paris for fashinns-t0
Paris, where dress has been for cen
turtles an art and a study. where artists
design dresses, where all that is clever,
and tasteful and ingenious is brougi to
bear up dress, which they consider
such an important ad unct to the
woman-England alone re. used to be
educated. America where the duty Is
30 per cent.-enoush to prohibit any
thing, one might tn nk-still has its
case after case of French goods arrive
by every steamer. England has no duty.
and it is SO near at hand compared with
America. and yet!
Then appropriateness: In France cer-
tain fabrics are for'summer and certain
for winter, not difficult or irrational
distinction-light stuffs for summer,
and straw ha and bonnie 8. To winter
be ong fur, velvet, cloth. in fact. heavy
materials-of course hats and bonnetS
of velvet, felt, beaver. etc. What do
you in England? In summer, cotton
dresses with velvet bonnets, or cotton
dresses pink generality and fur ca es.
In winter. of cOur e, we rev rse this,
and wear fur cloaks and straw comets.
l think, if possible, e aggeration is
worse than anything, but of course it
all comes un,.er the head of bad taste.
A few years ago '.fourresu gowns
at is, very ght fitting and clinging
in tn skirt-were worn in Paris. A
year or two later they appeare IN Lon
don = at least, year two later Eng
lishwomen tied their legs togeth r ii hit!
1t wa impossible to walk; it was indie
cent, it was ugly: and was not four
reau. When tOurnures appeared in
Paris-general y small silk bag filled
with cotton and scented with iris, just
to keep the drap-ry out little below
the wa;st-in this great country there
appeared terrible and vulgar m nstros-
ties. not My of impossible dimensions
and swaying from side to side in tie most
hide us and ridiculous manner. but
generally making the dress sti k out
at the bottom, where it was never in
tended, instead of at the top. The
same que ton of bad taste makes them,
il thew can't afford good thing, buy
an imitation, instead of choosing some
thing OF less expensive material and
good of its kind; for it is true they ha o
cry little. as rule to spend on their
cl III 8. very Ii tie indeed. An Ameri-
can woman often spends on one dress
or cloak what an English girl would
dress herself on for year. But You
see i mention money last and taste first,
an am sure it is the right order to
place them in; for ave seen W men
who spens an enormous amount on
their dress, aud the result was not sat-
isfactory, b, cause their tn ngs were
badly CHOSEN. Whereas. little money
and great taste can o. ten make charm
.ng result
Ano,h n fault find is that every one
here wears the SAM thing. There is
no ariety. no originality. and only one
fashi n at q time, which is li.erall, run
to i, ath. Remember the jer eys, and
bonnets with an aigrette. sailor hats;
and now those hideous st al ,ht-brim-
med French hats, which bid fair to be
worn by every creature in the place
IN american, IN London Times.