The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1888-10-13

Strange Changes Ia the Fashions Within
Five Hundred Years =

The yOungster who looks upon the
recent rebellion against the style OF
starched shirt he was brought up in as
an evidence Of something new In the
world has much TO learn of the past,
says the New York Graphic. The plain
linen 'front.' glossy and stiff. 10 which
be has been accustomed as part of
every gentleman's attire, is no monu-
ment of the usage of centuries. as he
may imagine. II Is really "A result Of
the conventional law prescribing the
stern simplicity of the evening dress.
This Itself Is the result of elimination,
every color and extraneous ornament
which formerly adorned the exquisite
having been discarded and lines OF
rigid severity being adopted as the ex-
treme effort of elegance.
IL is not many years only about
twenty-five since IL became common
for men 10 have their shirts made up
away from home. Until then women
of every economical household made
the shirts for the men, and it may be
said parenthetically. wcll-fitting shirt
was ia those days curiosity. The
taste and fancy Of the fair seamstress
had every opportunity for display ia
the way of variety. and the result was
a surprising variety. RuilleS had at
that time nearly gone out of use, but
plaits, tucks, gathered fronts were
common enough. The tendency to-
ward simplicity brought reduction
la the number of these plaitS. until
three broad plaits. the last touch of
fancy work that WAS allowed. gave
way 90 the plain front that has been
the style for a dozen or more of wears.
This last is the only thing that really
harmonizes with the dress suit so
called, or evening dress
IL is not surprising that the fashion
should begin Ia change. and that new
materials should take the place, as they
are now taking il, of linen and muslin
for day wear and forneglige garments.
The very decided movement toward
white flannel that began last summer
is likely to be stronger this summer,
but every other available KIND OF
woven goods is now employed. Silken, 1
wooden. cotton, aud linen cloths az
numerous kinds find place. and the
taste that ndseNpresSion in colOrs and
even embroidery is no longer consider
ed outrc.
These changes, however, are trifling
compared with those that have taken /
place since five hundred years ago,
when the shirt became a thing 81 com |
mon use. Before that men had not
developed the under garment plan oi |
dressing. and wore their clothes in |
very different fashion from that now
in vogue. writcrin theSan Francisco I
Chronicle recently sketched in outline |
the various radical changes that have I
been introduced since the birth ~ the
shirt Habits ~ personal cleanliness, /
hc intimatcs, were not rs rigid IN thS
fourteenth century as in the nineteenth, /
and fOr 4 time the Shiri was worn like /
the modern ia conrcalmcut, /
partly because il WAS seldom ia "a con. 4
dition 60 bear Inspection. lis length I
varied in different periods acVord;ngto I
the fashion ~ The OHfcr garments. but .
il was kept hidden until ut lcugth an
ornamented baud. the precursor 81 the /
modern collar, began 10 show tie neck. 4
Then a display was i'm vogue of the /
lower part, between the duublet and \
the long hose. Then portions OF the
sleeve were exposed through slashes i'm /
the donblrt sleeves.
I'D the seventeenth contrary The collar /
was all that was generally SHOWN. and
dhis assumed. az some periods, cnor-
nous proportions and fantastic shapes.
From 1900 to 1900 A. d. there seemed
10 be a general desire 90 display a.
much rs possible of the useful gar
ment. The w,iist-ceat, worn over il,
was only caught together by loops M
the waist, and showed more than
modern observers would consider de-.
corous. The reaction from this was
the closing up of the waistcoat and
the growth of thecrayat. which latter.
az first a big as shawl. gradually
>nbsidcd to the stock" 81 our grand
fathers and then To the modern tie.
The various changes, narrated care
fully la detail. would Till volume,
but these few outlines show the general
character ~ the change. How 500
another revolution in dress may come
Il is impossible tn guess. but that il
will come some time il is certain, and
that the siarched shirt will suffer
change with the other garments admits
OF mo question.