The Republican journal., 1897-10-14
DRESS.

all animals that are unable to clothe them
selves Man can clothe himself; and he
is endowed beside with an appetite for
dress, no less natural than an appetite for
food.'' But modern sociologists have
shown that this appetite is not natural,
but an acquired one, because originally
dress was neither requisite to health nor
an object of desire, but was invented later
from motives of vanity. Mankind learnt
to smear their bodies with unguents as
protection against cold and heat, next to
stain or paint them with various colors,
and then to decorate them with pictorial
designs, before they discovered the COM
fort or beauty of dress. "Men led the way,
amy and seclusion of wives were practic-
ed together, men dressed extravagantly
and women simply. The Median no
bles, for instance, 'wore loose robes, float
| ing in the air; had long hair covered with
rich bonnet, bracelets, chains of gold,
and precious stones; they painted their
faces and mixed artificial hair with that of
NATURE After polygamy was banished
from Greece and the sexes were thus on
more equal footing, the Athenian ladies
developed sudden appetite for sumptu-
GUS dress, although they never appeared
in public. They consumed the whole
morning at the toilet, employing paint
and every drug for cleaning and whiten-
ing the skin; they laid red even upon their
| lips, and took great care of their teeth;
their hair, made up in buckles with a
hot iron, was perfumed and spread upon
the shoulders; their dress was elegant,
and artfully contrived to set off fine
shape 1t would thus seem that a con-
seriousness of increased dignity stimulated
the desire to improve natural beauty by
art.
There can be little doubt that the head
was the first part of the body which was
dressed or ornamented. Nature had pro-
vided flowers and feathers ready to hand,
and it is still a chief object of female
adornment. Josephus says that the jew
ish ladies powdered their hair with gold
dust. African princes do the same. In st.
Gregory time 'the women dressed the
head extremely high; environing it with
many tresses of false hair, disposed in
knots and buckles, so as to resemble
reg ular fortifcation.'
l. Etoile, in his Journal for 1898, was
the first to mention white powder for the
hair, and be tells us that the nuns walked
the streets of Paris curled and powdered.
Europe.
But whatever may have been the origi-
nal motive for dress, whether utility or
vanity, we, to- day, should be guided in
its use by three causes: health, modesty
and pleasure; whereas most of us are
ruled by fashion OF pride. We have now
no sumptuary laws except those unwrit-
i ten ones prescribed by custom. All are
free to obey or neglect them. But in
olden English times, rank or position was
readily dscoverable by the dress which,
|
lamation, was made imperative under
pain Of heavy fines. In Elizabeth reign.
those who could spend GAO year might
wear sarcenet in the lining of their hose.
doublets, hats or caps. apprentices at
| the law cutter barristers merchants
householders in city or town, and call
who dispended e20 a year." might wear a
Welt of velvet in their gowns, jackets or
coats. All other classes were also speci
| tically legislated for, even to their night
caps.
| However various the changes that NAV
result from fashion, all modes inimical to
health, modesty and comfort, should be
discountenanced by the sensible of every
rank of life. 1t is simply ridiculous that
we should permit ourselves to be SO much
controlled by the whims of dress desig.,
ers and dress promoters, acting from
purely selfish and mercenary motives, and
utterly regardless of the common welfare
Thus stays and tight lacing produce a
multitude of mischiefs. Among others
| they distort the body, displace the vital
organs, impede respiration and circula-
ton, cause indigestion, shorten life. and
produce premature births and still born
Thin soles are answerable for a host of
pulmonary complaints. Delicate women
and children wear boots and shoes that
| would kill navy. High heels interfere
with natural locomotion, and cripple the
best formed feet. Rolling the hair up
| with pins in little tufts, leaving patches
of scalp exposed, induces neuralgia. Low
dresses produce chest complaints and
rheumatism, and violate common modes
| ty. How many tens of thousands of fair
women are voluntary martyrs to these in
| furious methods. But the most offensive
of all are the long skirts which sweep the
streets and roadways, gathering dirt and
| filth, microbes and bacilli, at every step.
On a wet day one sees our women with
draggle- tails behind them licking up the
mud and sweeping it around their legs
and ankles. This is one of the foulest
| sights that fashion can offer u.s. In sum-