The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-05-04
FOLLOW THE FASHION
A Famous Chicago Rabbi Talks on the
Mode af Dress.


Mode of Dress.
Fashion, said DR.. Hirsch. Is indeed
the great ruler of this world. It is an
unconscionable despot to which men
are willing slaves. The heavy artillery
ramparts. Eve forfeited paradise. and
the result Is the thralldom of mankind
to fashion. Let the world dcnounce
fashion as 1t will. men are infected By
1t. The question whether nascent
modesty forced man 10 cover himself is
not yet decided. The origin of dress.
though generally thought to be arbi-
trary, would, II all the facts were con-
sidered. show nationality. In northern
climes IL first originated. for there pro-
lection against the cold weather was
most needed. The Ioins were first
covered. When weaving was discoy-
cred the style OF dress became more
varied. The garment worn then By
the Greeks was thrown around tile
body much after the fashion that pIaids
are now worn. The garment later on
assumed the appearance of sleeveless
shirt tied in the middle. This was the
first type of dress and from IL sprung
the swallow-tail. The pantaloons werS
also the invention of northern clinles.
In Egypt cloth was worn around the
legs. To the Germans the credit of
first introducing pantaloons into
Europe is due. 1t was composed OF
two parts. tied at the waist Hence the
name of the garment in every language
IS in the plural The name was given
60 it By The people of Venice. who were
the first To join the two parts together.
Dress also had symbolical value. BY
it the different classes of society were
distinguished and it also marked the
differences of nationality, as each ma
ton had a costume of its own. The
dress of the peasant was different to
that of the miner. and the drawing
room called for garment different
from that worn while travelling. The
play of fancy, therefore. had not as
much to do with the introduction Of
dress as generally supposed. Political
ideas. too. influenced the change Of
dress A hat for years had been the
exponent of certain political procliyi-
ties. The Spaniartis, prior TO the Thirty
Years War. wore a stiff silk hat After
the war the soft hat was assumed In
England, political parties were symbol
lied by their headgear. The Puritans
wore a stiff hat That style of hat
was imported to America and il be-
came the symbol of Independence It
was taken back TO Europe, apd it was
30 obnoxious to rulers there that the
Car of Russia banished a man who
wore ii from his realms. and another
ruler put man TO work on the streets
for the same offense. The Kossuth
raey of the silk tile in America
Before Kossuth came here TO
walk the streets with soft hat was to
invite crowd to follow you. Modein
democratic ideas are leveling all dis
tinctions in dress. The eolored waiter
and the guest appear in the banquet
hall wearing the same style of dress.
The dudes. noticing this, sought to
effect a difference in attire by requiring
the members of their set to wear swaI-
low-tails of different color. The
beauty. but this applies more particu-
iarly to the dress of women than men
In nature. Darwin says. the male bird
puts on his finest plumage to be in
favor with the female. Women put or
their fine hats for men. or. perhaps. to
arouse the jealousy of their own sex.
The cloud colors were at first in
vogue because the people were unedu-
Gated. Their place is now taken by
profusion of shades of eolers toned
down. As one man is no man all have
to admit, no matter how they object
the dictates of fashion. The genius
had the prerogatiye of standing aloof
from all fashions. The crank and
sude also had their own styles As
ne people were not all geniuses,
franks or dudes, they will obey fash
on. Sensible men will submit to II
long as it does not injure health
When it does common sense will pro
test against it Fashion is an evidences
of civilization. and as such the scepter
will never depart from it.-Chicago
He..oId