The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1891-12-24
GRAMMAR IN DRESS.
Now and Momentous Question Occupying
tho Enete fasteners.

Now and Momentous Question Occupying
tho Enste fasteners.
81 do hate a man who is ungram-
NAUTICAL in his DRESS" gentleman
said at one OF the clubs not long since,
and the remark was received with
approval by his hearers. sit is worse
for man to be ungrammatical than
for a wOman?" one of the company
asked after there had been little
comment on the first proposition.
''PerhapS not" was the answer:
''thOugh of course the grammar Of
feminine attire is thousand times
more complicated than that of male
habiliments, and there is more free
dom allowed" ''But on the other
hand" another put in, ''wOmeu are
better adapted to maste: the subject,
and the fact that there is more free
dom given them makes it the more
inexcusable when they do make a real
blunder."
What real blunder is was then
discussed, and one of the speakers said
that he had that day met woman in
deep mourning wearing russell shoes.
This was universally allowed as a
gross and perfectly inexcusable gram
NAUTICAL blunder. Another related
how Chicago lady had this summer
appeared at picnic in the mountains
in gown of blue satin trimmed with
real lace-''at the start, that is, he
added. ''BefOre we got home it was
also trimmed with pine-spills and dry
leaves and bugs and all sorts Of trash,
caught in the lace" 1t was the
opinion of the company that this also
was a grammatical blunder. Black
trousers with light coat, or dark
waistcOat with an otherwise light suit
were pronounced ungrammatical:a and
the same was SAID of stiff hat on the
tennis courts, although it was alleged
that on the club grounds at Nahant
this summer this thing had been seen.
The drift of the talk might have
been formulated in way not unlike
that in which one would have fOrmu-
lated similar talk upon the use of
language. 1t was implied or stated
that in dress one must consult pro-
priety, use, and elegance. The for
mer would forbid the wearing of a
satin frock, lace trimmed, to picnic
because the circumstances of picnic
make such a garment entirely map
prOpriate; just as in another way the
wearing of a robe de chambre in a
parlor or tennis suit to a reception
would be wholly inappropriate. The
fact that these different garments
have their individual appropriateness
must be recognized and respected.
The lady who appeared in the draw
ing-roOm in a bathing suit would be
guilty of so gross a breach of the
grammar of dress that it would prob
ably be regarded as running into posi-
tive improperly. The same principle
applies to the wearing of dress suits
in the day time, ard yet here the
principle of use comes in so that for
waiter or Harvard student on Class
day it is not ungrammatical to appear
in evening garb in the blaze of day.
Use is hardly more than another
name for fashion. 1t is the mode of
the day that determines this. To
wear the small clothes and full bot
toned wigs of our grandfathers to-day
would be most ungrammatical, and
yet in the old time it would have been
equally an error to appear without
them. This is constantly fluctuat-
ing rule Of which it is true the prin-
ciple remains the same, but of which
the application varies constantly.
Everybody recognizes it, and every
body is more or less Influenced by it.
1t is needless to point out that to be
too far behind or too much in advance
Of the changing fashion is to be de-
plored, but it is just here, it may be
remarked, that this principle passes
into the next, that of elegance.
Elegance is indeflnable, as it is the
highest branch of the art Of dress.
To be lacking in elegance may be
classed as a blunder, but it is only
those gross violations of elegance
which it is fair to put in the category
of grammatical blundSrs. Vulgar
and Over-extravagant displays of jew
elry, for instance, may be taken as an
example Of this sort of blunder On
the whole the takers at the club gave
themselves credit for dispOsing pretty
effectually of the whole subject, but
they had not therefore the right TO
suppose that the number of gram
NAUTICAL errors in the dress of their
generation would be any less.-BOstOn
Courier.