Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-06-21
WOMEN AND TASTE

An article by Junius Henri Brown in
late number of WorthingtOa's Maga-
zene, asks and answers the question,
''Have Women Good Taste?" There
is at once so much truth, and so much
well, hardly venom, but something
akin to it-that the article might nave
been written by womanl Men are
usually kinder to our virtues and
binder to our faults. The argument
is good one. Biting as it is we shall
be all the better for needing its les
sons, some of which we quote, wishing
the entire sr icle were not too long for
our purpose. But all the while we
shall feel like naughty little dog
VIII ch has had s silky ears cuffed and
been set in a corner, whence, under a
cover of meek contrition, he still looks
ont With little sparkle of defiance in
his eyes, as if he would say-"Yes,
krow 1t, L am In well deserved dis
grace, but you like me very much, and
L am sure to be forgiven soon!'
"The first consideration, naturally
and imperativeiy, is in respect of
woman's attire, which, it must be allow
ed, is often the greater, if not the bet
ter part of her. There is nothing to
which the average woman pays so much
attention, or devotes so much time.
Poor or rich, plain or pretty, low or
high, young or old, it matters little.
Her whole life is an agony of clothes
What shall ] wear? What can 1 wearP
What should l wear? are the paramount
queries that haunt and perplex her
mind, every hour of the day, and every
day of the year. Ii taste could he ac-
quired by absorption in its mysteries,
she would possess it in perfection.
From early childhood to ripest age,
she revolves, mentally, "How shall L
be most agreeable?" "What best be-
comes me?" And the answer takes
the form of personal adornment, ever
the first and last of all her concerns.
'Do women dress in good taste?
Many, few comparatively, do so dress;
but not women generally, even at the
great social centers. The best dressed
women in the Old World are conceded
to be the I'arlsians; In the New World,
the New Workers. And even these
exhibit defects of taste in abundance. i
In the minor cities, abroad and at |
home, dowdylsm is the rule. No
doubt, women often have better taste /
than they show; but they lack indepen-
dence to follow their own ideas. They
are slayishly ruled by fashion, which |
And the fact that they will allow |
fashion to rule them proves that they |
are lacking in taste; taste being its own |
counselor, director, inspirer. They |
have always allowed 1t, and always will |
allow it,probably. !
The present generation has been call |
ed the generation of common sense as |
to fashions; and really it If, though
still far from what it hould be. Look
into any book of costumes of the past,
and observe what monstrosities of /,
attire 1t contains. They would appear |
incredible, If they were not authenti-
Gated. Such shoes, such arrangement |
OF hair, such head-ge r, sucl fur-be- |
lows, such petticOats! And the women |
who dOnned them actually believed |
that they were beautlfied, when they |
were deformed, made hideous. What |
astounding faith in the power of |
cloth S! Nearly every woman is zeal |
OF in this regard. She is raimentslly |
surerstitious to the core. The spirit |
of adornmeut is, in her eyes, infallIble. !
What she wears demonstrates her fanat- |
icism, the in,auity of her creed.
But we need not go back to the mid
die ages to reach this opInI IN. 1t is
forced upon us, to-day, IN the streets
OF any large city, in the public parks,
at the theatre, the opera, the concert
hall, wherever women congregate.
They still dress, as q rule, without suit
ableness, or judgment, or individu-
ality. Whether blonde or brunetta,
slender or stout, tall or short, graceful
or awkward, large-featured or small
featured, they wear the same kind of
garniture.
In our view much of this slavery to |
fashion is owing to lack of true self
respect on the part of women. MIR.
Brown says: "The greatest draw
pack to their development, their
roundness of character, is the prodig-
ious Importance they set on their per-
sonal appearance, which is in itself an
aesthetic fault. They do not seem to
think what they might do with their
mind or manners. They rarely ask |
themselves how their understanding is |
furnished; how they talk; what graces |
they exhibit; what ideas they awaken;
what sympathy they evoke" Every |
word of this accusation is true, yet we |
think the reason is not as Mr.. Brown |
thinks-because women set so over |
high a value on the body, as because |
they under estimate their own mental |
ance, think too little of their own per.
sonal attractions. Their desire to |
please Is inordinate, and their CONT |
dence in their own powers of pleasing |
being moderate, they fly TO fashion as
to a power which shall make them, il |
not beautiful, at least no worse look |
ing than other women. That many |
women whose taste IS really shocked |
by the vagaries and monstros1ties of |
the reigning mode continue to wear |
them we know. And we also know |
that they do so because they are afraid |
that by lack of conformity to fash |
Ions DEGREES they shall be made con- |
spicuous," which is literally the terror |
OF their lives. To many women fash |
ionable dressing means only sort Of |
Fortunatus "invisible cap" enabling |
them to slip quietly through the |
world without attracting notice. |
Said one of our acquaintances |
only yesterday-"Of course L bate |
these horrible puff sleeves and the de. |
testsble wings surmounting them, but |
If | don't wear them, l shall be noticed. |
If / do, no one will see me-" This wo.
man is fashionable In dress from sheer |
tImidity. 1t will take many lessons |
and many years to so cultivate courage |
i'll women that they shall become in
different to sneers or fatterIes. In |
fact, though they are farther along the
road leading to common sense, good
taste and self poIse, the same may be
said of good many of their brothers.
"AlI women happily" continues our
censor. ''are not Of this order There
are those who have great interest in
higher things. They are fond of con-
yersation, books, pictures, marbles,
bronzes, music, science, travel, new
discoveries. Nor do they despise
dress-no woman can afford to-but
they give it its proper place and Just |
proportion. They are neatly, becom-
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