Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-07-26
THE SWAY OF FASHION

THE SWAY OF FASHION
Changes in the worlds affairs gen
orally; in its politics, its religions, it's
industrial affairs and general conven-
ti0naliSms may originate almost any
where. PETER, the bearded, and Simp-
son, the sOckless, may create a politi-
cal sensation on the dry plains Of
Kansas, Schweinfurth may start new
religion in Illinois, men in New York,
Mississippi or Washington may evolve
machinery or methods that change
the modes Of harvesting, running rail
| roads or weaving cloth; the world will
take kindly to any improvement in
manners that comes from any source,
but fashions must come from Paris.
and someone has said on this subject;
Among the mOnarchs and rulers of
earth there is one whose throne never
tOtters, whose scepter's sway is never
disputed, whose crown is as fixed as
the top of Mount Blanc and whose
subjects are eternally loyal, devoted
and submissive is his, or her, ma
jesty, the Partisan dressmaker."
For decades, in fashionable circles,
in all the civilized world, people have
been, and are, classed as savage or
civilized according as they adopt or
ignore the fashions set by the leading
dressmakers OF Paris.
These despots crush out individual
ism as displayed by taste in dress in
the four quarters of the globe. A new
| style is brought out in Paris and In six
weeks it is adopted in New Archangel
Bombay, Melbourne, Rio Janeiro, Cape
Town, Boston and San Francisco. Nc
one stops 10 inquire or consider
whether it is becoming or the contrary
It may bc condemned as "irrational'
| by female rcformcrs and declared by
doctors to be injurious to health, but
women are not to be scared by little
things like these. By their conduct,
/ If not by their words, they declare that
they would sooner be out OF the world
than out Of the fashion. Some go out
Of the world in consequence of being
in fashion, but they do it with their
eyes wide open.
The folly Of adopting the styles set
by Partisan dressmakers has been
many times pointed out. Discarding
expensive dresses made but a few
months before has been declared
to be wasteful and absurd. 1t
is a piece Of extravaganza that
does not promote pleasure. Women
who boast OF their indie
pendeHce quietly protest against these
changes, but at the first ball, reception
or opera they appear rs examples Of
animated fashion-plates.
That arbitrary changes in the styles
Of ladies' dresses result in some good
is likely They give employment to
many persons. They create a new de-
mand for new sorts of goods. They
stimulate the inventive faculty. They
increase trade. They afford new
subject for conversation. Then IL
must be remembered that fashion, like
love, levels rank and station. The
maid in the kitchen soon adopts the
same style OF dresses as the
mistress in the drawing room. BY so
doing she becomes in some sense her
equal. A century ago the financial
and social standing of every female
could be told by her dress. Such is
not the case now. The dresses of the
first lady In the land and those Of the
girl who washes dishes in a chcap
boarding house are made in accord
ance with the directions given in the
last journal OF fashion.
But why are the male and female
dressmakers Of Paris allowed to have
a monopoly in their branch of bust
ness? Are they more enterprising and
tasty than persons who follow the
same craft in other cities? Why do
persons who have genius for dress
making 90 to Paris to study and prac-
tice, as persons who have genius for
sculpture 90 to Rome? IL is difficult
TO answer these questions. The in
ventive faculty Is stronger in Amerl-
cans than in any people on the globe.
They have revolutionized the art Of
making furniture and carriages. They
have made the best agricultural i'm.
PIGMENTS ever produced. Many OF
them are models OF beauty as well as