Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-06-03
The Effect of Clothes.


Clothes are beginning to have such an
immense influence upon our life that /
think the late bronze statues (Which have
not proved a success) should have been
looked upon as a sort of hint at a reac-
ton, very natural desire to see if bodies
have any show at all in these days of
buckram, haircloth and sleeves.
We may almost begin to look upon our
selves as suits of clothes, hats and boots,
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 a woman
wore a stunning gown" after which we
hear that she was pretty woman, and,
incidentally, we are finally told that she
is a very clever or good woman; The
order in which the items of her individual
makeup are given is significant.
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 are
making dress an undesirable influence
with men. We shall soon have men
breaking off engagements because they
find that their iancees wear ready-made
coats.
Does not certain style of dress de-
mand and inspire. a certain sort OF re-
freshment for its wearer? Millinery OF
the highest French type calls for and
gets champagne, while sailor hat mere
ly 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
much more has 1t upon our converse
tons? I have seen man waste brill
liant conversation upon the being that
was inside a gorgeous Paris gown, when
if that same being had been inside cali
GO one he would not have talked at all
to her.
Tailors are the only saviors of some
men and dressmakers of some women.
Without these saviors they would not
be tolerated. 1t is we'll 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 woman to bestow
her society upon him and it was the
woman herself that he paid Difference to-.
Now a suit of clothes asks a suit of
clothes to go somewhere, where both
ton that the male suit pays the female
suit are the grade of attentions that
such female suit merits.
In 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 in 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.
The right of an artist to go long
haired, of an enthusiast to wear bad
boots, of poet to wear a threadbare
Telveteen 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 conventionalities.
1t has often occurred to me that we
ought to recognize in this apparent disre-
gard of appearances the healthy evidence
of few independent and fearless minds,
absorbed in something better than the
shape of trousers or the lyle of neck
ties.
Inere are enough IandC1 on the mat
ter of dress. Why not sanctionfthe ex-
istence OF a few on the small N alters
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 a profigate
or woman a callous schemer and the
fit of their clothes unconsciously is rec
ognized by the world as a factor Of
their redemption. from octracism.
But Heaven help them if their clothes
are not well CUT. M. w. in New
York Recorder.