The Dispatch. [volume] (Provo City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1891-01-28
The Brightest Paper in this Section.
For THE DIsPATCH:l
A PLEA FOR GOOD CLOTHES.


alive of giving advice, cautions Hor-
ATTIC while on his travels to let his
habit be as costly as his purse could
buy-''rich, not gaudy; for the apparel
oft proclaims the man, - added he. In
modern colloquial phrase, Horatio
WAS TO dress as well as he could.
This WAS excellent advice, for de-
spite the querulous criticisms of many
groundlings, a good coat is good
thing. 1t is not only good thing as
a substantial possession, or a protec-
ton to the body or a necessary gar
ment; it is also good thing to have
from moral, social and ethical stand
poizt, 1t would be, perhaps, going too
far to place good clothes on plane
with honesty, sobriety and diligence
as factor in mans success in life,
but there can be no doubt of the fac
torShlp existing.
This is, of course, no new or original
sentiment, any more than vaccination
is new preventive against smallpox;
but the occasional re-application Of
both does no harm. One or two
thinkers have expressed themselves
very plainly upon the ACCESSIBILITY of
man being well clad. Sir Richard
Steele, who was rich in experience, of
very motley character. says in No.
$50 of the Spectator: 'It is an aSser
ton which admits of much proof, that
a stranger of tolerable sense, dressed
like a gentleman, will be better re-
ceived by those of quality above him,
than one of much better parts whose
dress is regulated by the rigid notions
of frugality.'
Perhaps one of the best collects on
the adyanta. es Of good clothes is that
found in Colton's 'Lacon." 1t is
not every man, it runs, ''that Can
afford TO wear a shabby coat; and
worldly wisdom dictates to her disci-
pies the propriety of dressing some
what beyond their means, but OF liying
somewhat With them; for every os.s
sees how we dress, hut-nnne- NOW
we live, except we choose to let
them"
The modern application OF these
morals Of attire can be easily pursued.
The value of good clothes can be
estimated and experienced in a hun
dred different ways. Try as he may
TO disabuse himself Of the idea that he
judges men by the exterior, the EN-
ployer who does not inSensibly look
with more favor upon his spruce than
upon his Slouchy employe is a great
rarity. The Top or dandy is in no wise
referred to here, for lie is as much an
extreme as the SLOUGH. The shabby,
careless-in-his attire clerk may be as
honest as the sun is bright in
Utah, but there are few outside of
his Intimate friends who will even
go h., Il Lot do an
rough shtil to find the sweet kernel of
a lovely life. He labors under a
positive disadvantage i'll his dowdi-
ness and it is the duty of these pene
trating friends of his to bring him
down out of his impractical careless
ness into the everyday, superficial
life OF this hurrying world, where peo
pie have no time to analyZe their i'm
presSions, and where we studiouslY
ignore the divine precept to ito judge
not by appearances
1t is a perfectly natural sentiment.
after all, that of sizing up man by
his attire. The dog barkS at the i'll
dressed man, Obvious of the fact that
be is a prominent member of the So
cietg for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, and the child goes instinct
lively to the best dressed of its grown
up sisters sweethsarts. Nothing more
could be expected from children and
dogs, it might be claimed by some an
gular and acid fellow, but On the other
hand it may be claimed with equal
force that conStancy is the dogs Chief
characteristic, as innocence is that of
the child. The dog may attach him
self for life to ragged tramp, and live |
on half crust day for love of him,
and the well-dressed sutton may turn |
out to be a bigamiSt and horSe-thief. |
These things are of the eXigencieS of |
life, and do not affect its principles.
A man has frequent cause to person
ally appreciate the Importance of good |
clothes. An applicant for position
viii present his claims with 80 per cent. |
more cheerful aplomb and inSinuating
if he knows that his
coat fits him well and that there is no
schism between his vest and trousers.
Many poor fellow has made an unsat-
Isfactory showing of himself because
Of his dreadful knowledge that his
pants bagged horribly at the knees.
A shocking bad hat has been the ex-
of thousand brilliant aspir-
atoms, and down-trodden pair of
shoes has led to many shattered hopes.
Success with women is largely a mat
ter Of clothes Wealth, title and noto-
riety are the three other engines Of at
tack, but they are not much, if any
thing, stronger than the one of habiii
mentS. If the reader cares nothing
for victories of this sort, why he can
pooh-pooh the whole thing - arena,
prize. panoply and all; but if he does
care, he should certainly pay heed to
his dress. The punning apothegm may
be objectionable at so early time of
The year, but a good suit is largely a
matter Of clothes, especially if well
pressed.
The sly fortune-hunter knows this
we'll enough, and whenever he starts
1ut to capture and enslave he always
puts on his warpsint in the shape Of
brilliant raiment-not too brilliant,
out just brilliant enough. He may be
4 clerk on $50 month, but, following
the wisdom of the ancients via Cotton.
he starves himself on two poor meals
day to blossom out in four new suits Of
clothes a year. 1t is a very hard ex
Derience, this living in Grub street and
playing the bun racket, but our young
fellow meets his reward, He is receiv-
ed into fashionable drawing-rooms
because of his clothes, and makes up
for his missing meals by loading up at
5he supper table like an Indian prepar-
ing for moose hunt. He is as empty
headed as he s stomach lank. but his
clothes are tirSt-clasS and of latest cut