Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-02
Why They Dress Badly.

should Lii to show bya few logical
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 refuse to learn from any
n 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 / speak of natural good taste,
I mean that fine instinct and feeling of
the beautiful which I do not think an
English woman possesses. A French
woman or American, living in the 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 as 1 can remem-
Der, 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 tc
bear upon dress, which they consider
such an important adjunct to the
woman-England alone refused to be
educated. America where the duty is
60 per cent.-enough to prohibit any,
thing, one might think-still has its
case after a of French goods arrive
by every steamer. England has no duty,
and it is so neal at hand compared with
America, and yet!
Then appropriateness: In France GER
tain fabrics aEe for summer, and certain
for winter, not a difficult or irrational
distinction-light stutfs for summer,
and straw hats and bonnets. To winter
belong fur, velvet, cloth, in fact, heavy
materials-of hats and bonnets
of velvet, felt, beaver. etc. What do
you S e in England? In summer, cotton
dresses with velvet bonnets, Or cotton
dresses (pink% generality and fur cares.
In winter, of course, we reverse this,
and wear fur cloaks and straw bonnets.
[ think, if possible, eaaggeration 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 tight fitting and clinging
in the skirt-were worn in Paris. A
year or two later they appeared IN Lon
don-at least, a year or two late. Eng
lishwomen tied their legs together tight!
1t was impossible to walk; it was indie
cent, it was ugly; and ii was not four
reau. When %tournures appeared in
Paris-generally a small silk bag filled
with cotton and scented with iris, Just
to keep the drapery out a little below
the waist-in this great country there
appeared terrible and vulgar m0nstros-
tiles, not only of impossible dimensions
andswaying fromside to side in the most
hideous and ridiculous manner, but
generally making the dress stick out
the bottom, whe"e it was never in
tended, instead OF at the top. The
same que ton of bad Taste makes THIN,
if they can't afford a good LII .ng, buy
an imitation, instead Of choosing some
thing OF less expensive material and
goodof its kind; for it is true they have
very little. as a rule to spend on their
clolhes, very Ii tie indeed. An Ameri-
can woman often spends on one dress
or cloak what IN English girl would
dress herself on for a year. But you
see 1 mention money last and taste first,
and l am sure it is the right order to
place them in; for I Lave seen women
who spent an enormous amount on
their dress, and the result was not sat
isfactory, because their tn ngs were
badly chosen. Whereas. a little money
and great taste a o. ten make a charm.
ing result
Another fault I find is that every one
here wears the same thing. There is
no ,ariety, no originality. and only one
fashion at a time, which is literally run
to d. ath. Remember the jer eys, ara
bonnets with an aigre!te, 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.
an Ane75can, IN London 1lWsey.