San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-07-09
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
MEMS FASHIONS NOW TEND To-
WARD WHAT THEY WERE THEN.
The Dandy of the Future viii Strongly
Resemble the Fop of a Century Ago.
Some of the Old styyes-Fashion Con-
sists of Just Two Things.

Mems fashions have invariably begun with
eccentricity brought about by a revolution
in society or morals, and are as invariably
driven out by vulgarity-that is, common
use by the crowd. The essa list Hazlitt SAYS:
Fashion begins and ends in two things it
abhors most-singularity am vulgarity.
What was yesterday ridiculous tom its be-
ing new, tomorrow will be odious from its
being common"
At the same time fashions have a tendency
to work in a circle.
1t is now exactly hundred years since the
origin of our present tail or "clawhammer"
coat came into existence, while the modern
dandy has returned to the bunch of seals
dangling from the fob and talks seriously Of
introducing satin knee breeches for dress
wear.
The dress coat Of today, which in its pres
emit form has lasted with but the slightest al
teration in style for nearly forty years Qonger
than any male fashion ever lasted in previous
centuries), owes its origin in cut to the alter
ations in 1850 of the cutaway coat of the last
years of Louis XVI, of France.
IN wAsHINGToN'S TIME.
The facings of the military uniforms to be
seen in all the portraits of Washington were
at first detached so as to flap loosely, and
then, standing forward, left the collar only
turned over, and so gradually made way for
the square corners at the bottom of the lapel.
This threw back the side of the coat until the
ugly, but useful fish tails We're the result
Transition in male attire, as well as in poll
tics, was the order of the day, and it is not
unlikely that many of the free and easy fash
ions of 80, the year which saw as great a
revolution in European costume as ever oc-
CURED, came over from America to Paris
with Lafayette and his companions, for the
Quakers of Pennsylvania and the woodmen
of the new country could have neither time
nor inclination to devote their energies to
powders and puffs
The overcoats of this period we have al
ready seen return with one or two capes and
very little alteration, except in the set of the
collars and cuffs.
Here the dandy of the period allowed his
+aste to run wild The material was usually
the finest Lyons fabrics known as taffetas
poult de sole and gros grain, terms still in
use for the thickest line of silks. These were
embroidered with metal, gold, silver or cop
per threads and patterns, which not only rep
resented buds and flowers or stars but often
launched out into trees and sea weeds, cas-
cades and pyramids, and even INDUCED in
pictures representing perfect panoramas Of
country farms or military camps
The three cornered hat of 'S5, still worn by
the soldiers in 80, was already altered to the
chapeau a cornes, or horned hat, which Eng
lish admirals and directors of the British
army have not yet discarded.
But the flaps of this hat were falling, and
the pointed crown was already visible, sur
rounded by a narrow brim, though the hat
band was in some measure decorated with a
bunch of ribbons or a cockade
a FRENCH DUDE IN 1870.
A translation from the French of that day
will describe dandy of 1870 better than any
modern writing: "The elegant of the day is en-
tirely unlike his predecessors. He has turned
over to old men and soldiers the hideous cooked
hat lately in vogue. He appears now as often
without powder as with, leaving the curly
growth of nature unsoiled by -four and grease
This head be now adorns with the tall
crowned round hat with its silken band and
its national cockade. Lafayette introduced
the red, white and blue as the national colors
of France.J He wears his frac from the En-
glish 'frock coat1 diminished behind 30 a
Gods tail, adorned in front with two short
revers or facings, which look like an outside
vest left open to show the wide waistcoat be-
meath.
"a long cravat of various colors ending in
lace at both ends is tied carelessly two or
three times round the neck and fastens in
bow beneath the chin. The breeches of ker-
seymere or doesllin tight to tie leg fasten be-
meath the knee with a rosette and an oval
buckle over long striped stockings usually
made of silk. With this either top boots, the
lower part shining with English backing and
tho tops left in kid or calf of the natural color,
or low shoes without heels" Buckles were
still worn on the Shoes and the hunter after
bric-a-brac may still find as elegant steel shoe
buckles in this country as he can in Paris or
London.
When couple of years later the shoe buckle
was replaced by the shoe tie it was almost as
bad to the old conservative mind as the depo-
Sition of monarchy.
When Minister Roland presented himself
on his nomination before Louis XVI the
poor being thought himself insulted by the
shoe ribbons worn by the new functionary.
Never before had anything but silver or dia-
mond buckles appeared at court. The mas
ter of ceremonies nearly tainted, and even
Gen. Dumourlez, who had not then thrown
OFF the royal party, turned up his eyes and
calculated: Society is indeed lostI"
THEY CALLED THEM "PANTALooNs
1t is interesting to know that braces or
suspenders had not made their appearance
hundred years ago. The breeches were sus-
tanned over the hips by band and buckle.
Braces are first advertised in the French
gazettes of 1892.
Probably the suspenders were necessary as
the trousers (pantalonl were now coming in.
Pantaloons had Deen practically in use as
pajamas now are for the dressing room and