The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-10-06
Fashion and Common Sense.


II there is one locality more than another
where the voice Of common sense is never
listened to it is that very extensive one
where fashion reigns Who ever thinks of
listening to the suggestions of the former
when the decree of the potentate has gone
forthi Tight sleeves for the ladies' and
tight combinations for the gentlemen l. in
the fashion Surprising the advocates OF
common sense protest. saying it is impo.s i-
BILE to move ones limbs in thsma cannot
bend the knee before the portrait of my
tuniest hopes, says one; | cannot get the
bands to the back OF my head, says another,
which is far more important And fashion
replies. cannot satisfy all tastes. Ny laws
| are mostly made for the unrefecting; if you
reflect you never will be satisfied That
snich you complai in Of now is only a temp =
| AIRY Inconvenience; when can no longer
eighteen in your limbs, sleeves AMI leggins
vii take such ample proportions that the
real size of an arm or leg will be a subject
.or dIvination. Fashion has no Respect of
person; if high heels are introduced for the
| te benefit Of short people, low heels ar,
never introduced at the same time for people
who are already taller than they care to lie.
The latter must wait their turn for the opp1-
site fashion, and then unusually short per-
sons have their boots made to order il they
wish to reach up to the elbow of their supe-
riors In height submit to be looked upon
a. dwarfs by tall people, If they prefer to
keep in the fashion.
Fashion preten1s to have an eye for
beauty. II this he true, she enacts at least
that all her followers he modelled after the
same fashion. They must have heads and
fnces of q uniform Size and shape, that the
hat or bonnet of the season may become
them all, and they must have a uniform tint
,lf
suit it. Those who study fashion in dress at
the expense Of their personal comfort are
surely wanting in common sense, yet We
most of us do 50. and it seems as though we
like doing SO, since the fashionable ani I'M
comfortable article is preferred to the I'M
fashionable AMI comfortable one, though it
may cost more than double the price of the
latter.
Common sense suggests that in hot
weather clothing for both sexes should be
light III texture AMI color; but Ii fashion
dams that ladies' dresses be heavily
trimmed AMI il she refuse to give her con
sent to garments of II summary nature being
introduced for gentlemen, no one has the
courage to pay attention to personal com
fort. When ladies' skirts are made SO mar
row as to be inconveniont for walking and
liable t. assist the waarsr to an awkward
fall in descending from carriage, OF when
they are wiiened T., u luiicruus width to nd
nit OF unlnanhgeabla crinolne, or
hurdened with the useless trains to be
iragglel in the streets or trodden on
iii the ball room, who ever thinks of
refusing to obey The nonsensical mandate2
Even the most ondurate end by giving in,
believing they arc NOR ridiculous to hold
out, t!.un to stand alone with common sense.
Nothing, for instanoe, could Indicate more
pininly the folly of making long trained
dresses tue fashion, than 10 SEQ ayear or two
ago how tho latter was necessarily punched
up in the most ungrnceful manner, or ihe
wearer was compelled to have one hand al
ways engaged with holding up the super
huous yard or two of stuff, making her in
variably wish that artificial hands had come
into fashion with the trains, to allow of her
using her natural ones in solne more protlta-
bic way