The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-02
A STUDY Tn COSTUMES.
Jennie June Expresses Her Opinion
About Modern Fashion" and
Gives Some Ideas of Art
as Applied to Dress.
The Cashmere, Greek, Ancient Greek
and Graduate Costumes IS Ap.
piled to the Art Of Dress.
ing To. Day.
GSDeciaI NeW York letter.

[SpeciaI NeW York letter.
The faults in dress and the absence Of that
freedom and diversity necessary to the de-
velopment and cultivation of lasts seem to
arise principally from the acceptance by
women of incompetent authorities and the
failure to apply to dress the sense and iEtelli.
gcnce usually brought to boar on other sub
jects, It has become a sort of axiom that de-
Walton from Observation-Disclosures that may
happen at the moment to be-must be ugly
and unbecoming, and beautiful dress, like
healthful food, wholesome perhaps, but not
in the least agreeable. 1t does not seem to
strike The devout worshiper OF novelties
and --latest ideas" that increased change cam
not always DO in the right direction, or that
the "style, , which merely represents the trick
of the moment, can have no necessary or
true relation to personal elegance and good
taste. Both the merits and defects of our
mode of dressing are more conspicuous in this
country than in others, because the follow
ers Of fashion are mora numerous, moro
money is spent upon dress, and the distribu-
ton Of prevailing ideas more general. 1t is
not means or resources that are lack
ing, simply knowledge Of principles,
and this is an acquisition which takes time
and implies MI education in art. Ignorance
of truth in regard to dress is as bliSSful as in
respect to other things. While a woman is
declared to be "exluisitely" dressed who
wears a heterogeneous assortment Of colors
~ lk y Sorr,, kL,S .,,,o, ,,,il1 ha
satisfied with herself and her methods. Forms
heretofore had nothing to do with fashion.
The increase and decrease Of artificial humps
and excrescences-the shortening and length
ening Of skirts, sleeves and boulceS-the
drawing in or imitation, have al been con-
Quoted on purely arbitrary principles with
out any reference to truth in art or nature.
The imbecility of it all, looked at from an
abstract point Of view, is more than tunny,
1t is pit!able. Why a woman sensible on all
other points should ask anHiously il she must
wear q "bustlc," or do any other one OF the
dozen things that fashion ordainS to-day that
1t did not ordain yesterday. would be lncredi-
be il it were not common. Tho false stand
ard set up leads every one astray., If gown
is in the r~eigning mode it is "stylish," if it is
of costly material it is " beautiful" or "ele-
CANT" aud the wearer is "magnifcently"
dressed, not common. But there is hope for
the future. American women are beginning
to study form, and when they have once dis
covered the se ret of true beauty and grace
they will bs quick to apply it. Heretofore.
like arithmetic learned at school, they did
not think of applying art to everyday life.
but even lessons are taking practical shapes
and the latest studio idea, that of the "cos-
tune class" will perhaps suggest the line
upon which Improvement must b~s5in-that
OF nature, not caricature.