The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-06-14
Tie Eject of CIot,,es.

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immense influence. upon our life that
thlhk the late bronze statues (which have
not proved a silccess) should have been
looked upon as II sort of hint at a reac.
ton, a very natural desire to see if bodies
have any show at all III these days of
blGkram. #haircloth and sleeves.
we may almost begin to look upon our
for the sake of which our society is
tolerated: Never before in the history of
the world has so much been written, SO
earnestly and seriously, about clothes.
The dress is actually considered before
the woman. -. = :
First of all, we hear that woman
hear that she was > pretty woman. and.
incidentally, we are finally told that she
Is very clever or good woman. The
order III which the items of her individual
makeup are given is significant. ra
Men have been heard to say that they
prefer to act as escort to well-dressed
woman than pretty one. The fact that
a woman dresses well is beginning to
cover-a multitude of sins. Women arr.
making dress an undesirable influence
with men,. We shall soon have men
breaking off engagements because they
flnd that their fiancers wear ready ma de
coats.
Does not a certain style of dress de-
nanu ana inspire certain sort of re-
frcshment for it's wearer! Millinery of
the highest French type calls for and
gets champagne. while sailor hat mere
~ suggests soda drink or beer. 1t is
impossible to offer a Frankfurter to one
who wears white kid gloves.
And if dress has such an influence
upon what the attendant man supplies
to the woman who wears the gown for
which he has such a high regard, how
Il III
tlons? have seen man waste brill
lant conversation upon the being that
was inside a gorgeous Paris gown, when
it that same being had been inside a cali
co one he would not have talked at all
to her.
Taiiors are the only saviors of some
men and dressmakers of some women.
be tolerated. 1t is well known that the
woman who is always well dressed
either gives all her income or all her
mind to the matter.
We are in great danger of losing indi-
viduality now that we are becoming
merely animated suits of clothes.
, A man used to ask a woman to bcstow
woman herself that he paid Difference to-
Now a suit of clothes asks a suit of
clothes to go somewhere. where both
suits can be well seen and all the atten-
ton that the male suit pays the female
suit are the grade Of attentions that
such a female suit merits.
LII the very latest and most advertised
novel of Yesterday, before any other
description is given of the hero. the
writer remarks: He happened to be
Immediately dressed
This remark is significant in the mod
ern novel. 1t means that when once the
reader knows that the man wears good
clothes and does not pay an afternoon
call Ill evening dress or go to a ball in a
sweater, nothing else matters much.
The mans mentality. virility. spiritual or
moral nature is of secondary importance.
Thou shalt not be badly dressed is al
most recognized as an extra command
ment. 49,.
= The right of all artist to 20 long
haired, of all enthusiast to wear bad
boots. of a poet to wear threadbare
velyeteen coat. or a thinker to keep his
cuffs out of sight, has often been Sc
verely questioned by those who guard
with solicitude those dollhouse exotics
popularity known as the eonventionalities
1t has often occurred to me that we
ought to recognize in this apparent disre-
gard of appearances the healthy evidence
of a few independent and fearless minds.
absorbed in something better than the
shape of trousers or +he style of neck
ties.
There are enough fanatics on the mat
ter of dress. Why not sanction the ex-
istence OF few on the small matters
of art. poetry, music and religion. which
sometimes absorb the mind so that the
great subject, DRESS" is obliterated!
And yet a man may be prof1igate
or a woman callous schemer and the
tit of their clothes unconsciously is rec
ognized by the world as a factor of
their redemption from octracism.