The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-08-18
THE TALE or THE SHIRT.
Strange Changes In the Fashions within
Five Hundred Years.

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, to which
he has been accustomed as part OF
every gentleman's attire, is no monu-
ment of the usage of centuries, as he
may imagine. 1t is really result OF
the conventional law prescribing the
stern simplicity of the evening dress.
This itself is the result of elimination,
every color and cXtraneous ornament
which formerly adorned the exquisite
having been discarded and lines OF
rigid severity being adopted as the ex-
treme effort of elegance.
1t is not many years-only about
twenty-five-sincc it became common
for men TO 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 parcnthctically, well-titting shirt
was in those days n curiosity. The
taste and fancy of the fair scamstress
had every opportunity for display in
the way of variety, and the result was
n 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 a reduction
in the number of these plaits, until
three broad plaits, the last touch Of
fancy work that was allowed, gave
way to the plain front that has been
the style for dozen or more of years.
This last is the only thing that really
harmonizes with the dress suit" So
called, or evening dress.
1t is not surprising that the fashion
should begin to change, and that new
materials should take the place, as they
are now taking it, of linen and muslin
! for day wear and for rneglige garments.
J 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,
wooden. cotton, and linen cloths oi
numerous kinds find place. and the
taste that finds expression in colors and
even embroidery is no longer consider
ed outre.
These changes, however, are trifling
compared with those that have taker
place since five hundred years ago
when the shirt became Il thing of com
, mon use. Before that men had no
q developed the under garment plan o
: dressing, and wore their clothes il
= very different fashion from that nov
in vogue A writerin the San Francisc
h Chronicle recently sketched in outlin
8 the various radical changes that hav
5 been introduced since the birth of tn
C SHIRT. Habits of personal cleanliness
n he intimates, were not rs rigid IN tn
fourteenth century rs in the nineteenth
l. and for time the shirt was worn lik
n the modern undcrshirt, in Conccalment
IL partly because it was seldom in cor
s. dition to bear inspection. Its lcngt
II varied in different periods according
- the fashion OF the outer garments, bu
Ii it was kept hitklen until at length a
oruamcntcd band, the precursor Of TIL
! modern collar, began to show the necl
=, Then a display was in vogue OF tn
= lower part, between the doublet an
~ the long hose. Then portions of tn
- sleeve were exposed through slashes
es the doublet sleeves.
n In the seventeenth century the coll;
G, was all that was generally shown, IN
or this assumed, At some periods, emo
v nous proportions and fantastic shape
III From 100 to 1900 \. ID. there SCENE
ut to be Il general desire to display
s. much as possible of the useful "a
ne ment. The wa;st-coat, worn over
re was only caught together by loops