New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-12
MEN AND THE FASHIONS.

In nearly every reference to the rrvilc worship
Of fashion It j. taken Cor granted that woman l.
the worshirpcr. But this assumption does not
accurately record the fact. Doubtless she il a
worshippor. but IN every man will he found
kn.-.ling V her sidr-morc than that, he X not
only a worShprcr Of fashion on lis own account,
Int h" would be most unhappy, not 10 say angry,
mortal if his women folk should talk" his cynical
filings At fashion seriously, and ignor" it, dccrccs.
II plcascs him and does not at all offend tn"
women to hold them mp slaves to fashion. But
the cowardy fellow il himself such a cringing
slave 10 fashion that h" gees on year after year
wearing costumes who'c abSur'lity and inippro-
priatcncSs in many respects h. has long ago ac-
knowlcdgrd.
There il the plug" hat, for instance. From
the artistic and utifarian point of view il ia
utterly indcfrnsihlc. IL Is unsui''d 10 III" windy
and stormy weather of winter and sprin-, and in
summer IL il lttlr less than a crime. IL il con
sirucicd in defiance of all hygiene principles. Ii
il ugly too: like vice. il il monster Of n fright
full micn. l'ut, like vice. also, il brcomcs toer,-
bic and even beautiful in aspect by constant
usage a prIori. the plug" hay habit ought to
find no followers among intelligent people who
think for Themselves. i'ut a. a matter of fact it
does We would not be- understood "a mdugug
in any criticism of III" plug hat, much less as
organizing crusade against il. Potential as The
Tribune has been and il IN the great i.ld Of
FORM there are limitations even 10 its power: and
il has neither the intention nor tic desire To make
tlcsc limitations evident to the world by running
nmuck against the Nccr"cs Of fashion We have
not word Of criticism for the men who wear
plug hats: thcy form n large proportion Of our
hest and most intelligent citizens. Even the man
who wears a plug" hat while riding a bicycle
may. and doubtless does. adorn every station he
fills. All we mean TO imply in these philosophical
remarks is, that in their devotion to fashion
women but initiating men. They only
acting they know men are most desrOus of
having them act We are aware that this admis-
sion may appear to he Il base surrender Of that
claim to superiority in this matter which men
always make for Themselves. and which some
women weakly allow We are also aware that we
are taking the bread ont of the mouths of nlmcr-
Gus fcllow-craftsmcn who have found money and
fame in jokes about womnn's subscrvicncy to
fashion. But mono of these considerations can
tempt to ignore the cold facts in the case. TAX
ing no attitude on the great question of fashion
as such, we simply remark that who go
year after year wearing plug hats, merely be-
caus, they displayed in the windows Of hat
stores, have no right to make jokes about the
ing reign of crinoine.
But weak man is with respect to fashion, We
are glad to be able to say that he is showing sonc
disposition to let his good sense assert itself in
matters Of dress and adornmcnt. Not many years
ago most American men would have been ashamed
TO wear boutonnicr. They would have consid
cred il n mark Of cifcminacy. Now il is brcom-
ing one Of the most common. it is one OF the
most appropriate, adornmcnts Of gentlemen, not
merely on formal or festive occasions, but during
business hours. In itself tho wearing Of u flower
may small thing. But il may have an
unsupported influence in the direction of manners
and tastes. And II there were other consilcr
ton il Is a good thing for men, most of whose
lives are immersed in the artiilclaities Of life,
thus to be brought into contact with bit of M
ture, with its manifold suggestions OF simplicity
and beauty. Moreover, In many little details OF
dssus which we have not space here 70 snurnssate