The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-03
The Latter Had Its Growth and Develop
ment with tho Accnm ulAtlon Of
Wsaltll.-Amsrican Women.

AAANC ~ W0b a. tAAt VIM UuAt 4Al0ES
Stuart acquired her Rracss; she foste led
art, she importsd f.om Italy her tluxuriss.
Her court consisted OF al the beautiful
women OF her day, which naturally drew
to it all the elegant men Of that period, and
thisof itself created fashionable society. In
England one need 20 no further back than
Queen Elizabeth, for, though a great mon
arch she had = woman's weakness fo1
society. She was a ooquette, adorned her
self with care and exacted from all hez
conrtiers a strict observance of the eleganc,
les of life. There must have been a very
fashionable society at tho time the earl OF
Leicester gave to Elizabeth his fete at
Kenilworth. In the daysof Cromwell there
was An interruption. Charles II. rssto. cd
the old order. His court, though licentious,
was very fashionable. He brought French
manner into England. No one Gun read
the Memoirs Of the Count of G,ammont''
without seeing that in London, Paris and
New York human nature docs to-day what
it did then. In those days a gallant man
when he woosd q woman took his life in his
hands.
At the present time ono can hs rdly SON
ceive the importance which was attached
in England to getting admission to Al
mack's in 1914. The gates to this exclusive
temple Of the beau monde were guarded by
lady patronessss, whose SMILES or frowns
consigned men and women to happiness or
introduced from Paris the quadrills, and
the may waltz became fashionable
about the same time.
To come dow to tho history of fashion
in this country. There was . simplicity
Sst great dignity and fhsraess. At Lady
even low. The grace, dignity and purity
of the American women are proverbial.
She has made society. In all American
cities, and even in small villages.
you will find there 10 a society and
women in It who give to it il. tone and
and responsibility; certainly a good foun-
dation to build on. Then, when wealth ao-
cumulates In the large cities, and . more
luxurious life 10 led. fashion naturally
ereepa in to mould things and give it's
definition of what is elegant and to be the
mothers were indeed stately danes, but. as
society grew oldef. easy, pleasing, cour-
teous manners were adopted and found
mole becoming.
In other words, American society became
Europeanized, and now to-day in New York
one would find in London or Paris. A
fashionable circle must necessarily be a
small circle, but ever ready to widen. The
fashionable world is always ready and eager
to gather in recruits; those are most &C
ceptnble who can add new enjoyment.
In our early days if there was any seat of
fashion it was Philadelphia. The fashion
able American world later ON gathered an
nually under one roof at Saratoga; there
you saw all the American bellies from hhe
north, south. east and west. Newport did
not become fashionable until the forties.
Thav khoro oil 1ivaH nt hrta!o Tbaro ron,
an advantage in this. al it brought together
the brilliant and attractive people under
one roof, and it gave a foreigner an insight
into our fashionable life that he can in no
way now obtain. Again, a beauty there
gained a reputation that became national.
There we're not the same dividing ines that
now exist in society. Boston sent there as
large a contingent as Philadelphia and Bal
timore; all met in one ballroom. There
was more simplicity aud less display, but
CO tainlv as much beauty. refinement and
cultivation as our women can now boast of.
But about 1S4G New Yo'k, with her great
facility Of communication with Paris and
London, took the social lead and has ever
since hold it, so that fashion here NAV be
said, like Venus, to have risen from the sea.
Certain localities with US then became fash
ionable; still there was great simplicity in
dress. equipage and entertaining. We had
no Central Park, one or two rich families
set the fashion, a passport to society was a
good family connection, and wealth had
not the power that 1t now possesses, As
We grew richer we became more extrava.
CANT. lived in inc houses and approached
nearer to the old void. An increaseo of
fashion came in with an increase Of wealth.
The unobtainable is ever before the Amer.
Jean eye, therefore fashion with Americans
is always striving. The repose and dignity
which belongs to her she 10 deprived Of by
American restlessness. Fashion abroad is
v1-n IL yE - |
whereas here il ia incessant effort. 10 be
out of the swim is to be non-existent. a9=
A few years ago the old New Yorker was
satisfied to remain in this quite up to the
1st of July and return to it by the lat of
October. but now at the close of the Lent
fashion commando one to cross the ocean
and spend April. May and June in Paris
and London and return to ones country
place by the LIST of July. bringing now
gowns, new hats and new nner For
merly a qniet country house was all a
fashionable woman needed; now she must
needs have a palace by the sea. In Eu-
rope. even to this day. royalty itself goes in
a most quiet and unostentatious way TO
some Watering place to recruit. surrounded
by as little ceremonial as possible, but
here when summer bursts on them the
fashionable people prepare for a social
r cam sdGit;o, horses. now car
life Of paiety. One sees at American
watering places from morning till night one
gay oavalcade of charmingly dressed women.
At the casinos the morning 10 passed. where
one finds all exquisitely and becominolv
dressed; then comes a midday luncheon, 4
luxurious meal, to which guests are alvays
hidden. and the afternoon drive. which in
again a Display in dress and eouipaQc: then
there is an exceptionally fine 8 O'Clock din
ner, which 10 literally handsomsr and more
elaborate than any city dinner. and finally
a dance at the casino or q ball at one or
other OF the private villas. Fashion exacts
all this.
America has no court to set the fashion.
The seat OF government Is not the seat Of
fashion. and New York ~sooiety has always
had some one woman of fashion who ID able
to control tho society of her time. ID il a
mistaken idea that all fashionablss. must
have fortunes, for both In London and in
Paris some of the most fashionable have
but limited means. yet every fashionable
door is open to them. and there are impor-
tant members OF society in both these cities.
New York ia rapidly approaching she condi-
tion in which the most agreeable and sought
after people are no longer those who pos
ssss the greatest wealth.
In london one must needs crawl TO reach
thu social summit supported by one or 9th
Or member Of the nobility. but hero there il
no nobility to worship. and day by day
there IL less prostration before the golden
cali. We worship only ourselves!