Huntsville gazette., 1884-04-12
Why They Dress Badly.

| should like to show by few looical
reasons why the dress of the ordinary
run of English women is so unsuccess-
full. First, because they have not nat
ural and instructive 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 spei TX of natural good taste,
| mean that fine instinct and feeling OF
the beautiful which l do not think an
English woman possesses. A French
woman or American, living in tie wilds
OF 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
only guide. Then their refusing to
learn means that, whereas all the civil
ized world has, as long a. can remem-
Ter, gone to Paris for fashions-to
Paris, where dress has been for cen
turies an art and a study, WHERE artists
design dresses, where all that is clever,
and tasteful and ingenious is brought to
bear up dress, which they consider
such an important ad unct to the
woman-England alone refused to be
educated. America where the duty is
60 per cent.-enough to prohibit any
thing, one might th.nk-still has its
1f Il,
by every steamer. England has no duty,
and it is so near at hand compared with
America. and yet
Then appropriateness: In France Ger.
tain fabrics are for summer, and certain
for winter, not difficult OF irrational
distinction-leh stuffs for summer,
and straw has and bonnets. To winter
be'ong fur, velvet, cloth, in fact, heavy
mater;als-of course hats and bonnets
of velvet, felt, beaver. etc. What do
you e in England? In summer, cotton
dresses with velvet bonnets, or cotton
dresses (pink generality and fur ca es.
In winter, of cour. e, we reverse this,
and wear fur cloaks and straw Eonnets.
| think, if possible, e aggcration is
worse than anything, but of course it
all comes under the head of bad taste.
A few years ago 'fourreau gowns
that 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, q year cr two later Eng
lishwomen ted their legs together tight!
1t wa; impossible to walk: it was indie
cent it was ugly; and it was not four
raou tVhaY tpur.n,,rrc onnoaraI ~,
Paris-generaliy small silk bag file l
with cotton and scented with iris, just
to keep the drap2ry out little below
the waist in this great country there
appeared terrible and vulgar m nstros-
tiles, not only of impossible dimensions
and swaying from side to side in IL e most
hideous and ridiculous manner. hut
generally making the dress stick out
at the bottom, where it was never in
tended, instead of at the top. The
same que ton of bad taste makes them,
if they can't afford good thing, buy
an imitation. instead of chosing some
thing OF less expensive material and
good of its kind: for it is true they have
very little, as rule to spend on their
cl .lhas, 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 mention money last and taste first.
and | am sure it is the right order to
place them in; for lave seen women
who spent an enormous amount on
their dress. ard the result was not sat
isfactory, b carse their things were
badly chosen. Whereas. little money
and great taste can o ten make charm
ing result.
AnOih hsr fault find is that every one
here wears the same thing. There is
no ariety, no originally, and only one
fashi at time, which is literally run
to d ath. Remember the jer eys, and
honnets with an aigrette. sailor hats;
and now those hideous st ri ght- brim-
med F ench hats. which BID fair to be
worn by every creature in the place :
an aaRsf-i al. IN Loadon Ii3aes.