Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-02-06
70 The LAST wRinkl r
an Appeal for Individual Taste in the
Choosing Of Costumes


an Appeal for Individual Taste in tn.
Choosing Of Costumes
1t is perhaps a sign of the times in a
regard that is to be regretted in thia
country. if in no other, that it should be
thought matter Of sufficient moment rs
an item OF news to send across The 1T
lantIc ocean that the Princess of Wales
still clings to the toarnure. It is quite
enough, and more than enough, that
English women find that circumstance
one OF Importance; but when it interests
American women generally we are led
to fear widespread servility, a rever-
ence for rank and title improper to US;
for. according to infallible newspaper
tests, items are published Of the sort that
readers are eager to have.
But this bit Of information has at any
rate some use in giving rs the question
why every woman in this country, where
all are sovereigns, should not be as indie
pendent as the gentle princess is, and
why we should all be so slaYishly ODE.
dlent as we are to every within Of fashion
Nomatter whether we are tail or short,
stout or thin, one design and cut he's to
answer for all Of us. In the day of tour.
nQres the fat woman proudly rolled about
IKE puncheon in her dress inprover.
because her next neighbor, who was thin
as rail, made herself visible to the
naked eye by her enlarged draperies.
AND now, when that day is done, the
one thin as rail has become again the
shortest distance between two pointe.
taf g., ! a 4
the others skirts. It makes no difference
to any Of us that our chins are peaked
and our heads are long, we will have no
headgear but that which appears above
the dlmpied chin and tho apple shaped
head OF our companion, and we even 90
SO far, when fashion has approved Of a
certain color, as TO use that color iadis-
criminately, without regard to our
blowzy or our paliid faces, our hair that
quarrels with it. our eyes that are put
out by it.
Perhaps nothing but q national cos
tune, an article which we never shall
attain, and which it is hardly desirable
that we should attain, will Go away with
this subserviency. But is it quite i'm
possible that each one Of US should make
the world little less nonotonous by the
use of a variation Of individual taste.
and while obeying the general trend OF
the prevailing fashion, modify it to the
exlgencies Of our own personality? IF we
dislike the short skirt, find it only be-
trays ungainly feet and makes us
bunchy ard dowdy and ungraceful, why
not, in adopting in the main the decree
and design Of the arbiter Of dress as far
as may be best, lengthen the skirt il we
wish? Or, if it is the long skirt that is
decreed, and it seems to US unsuitcd to
our needs, and we feel soiled and drag
gled and stringy in it, why should We
not, still keeping the main lines in other
respects, shorten cur skirt to our con
venience?
Not needing thus to depart from the
prescribed mode widely and in all re-
spects we should still be unnoticeable,
but we should be comfortable in BODY.
and If others allowed themselves the
same freedom we should be comfortable
IN mind as well if when the fashion were
not to our convenience we dared to dis
regard it, or to modify it to an extent
sufficient for our needs, and not sufi-
Gent for conspicuous remark. 1t might
very possibly give Us more work in the
planning and cutting, require more at
tention to the demands of the mode
throughout all the rest of the toilet, in
order still to keep in touch with the
style, but it would at least relieve our
parlors and our sidewalks Of dead mo-
notony -Harper's Bazaar.