Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-10-22

Their Requisites for Dress Are
That They should Conform TO
Modesty, Comfort, and Above All,
TO the Requirements of Health
Long Dresses and Tight.Lacing
Condem mned.
By LADY COOK, nee TENNIE C. CLAFLIN.
Lord Kaimes remarked, in his His
tory Of Man," that Providence hath
clothed each animal that is unable to
cloth himself; and he is endowed be-
sides with an appetite for dress, no less
natural than an appetite for food"
But modern sociologists have shown
that this appetite is not a natural, but
an acquired one, because originally
dress was neither requisite to health
nor an object of desire, but was in
vented later from motives of vanity.
Mankind learned to smear their bodies
with ungents as a 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 comfort or
beauty of dress. "Men led the way,
and women followed" Then, while
polygamy and seclusiOn of wives were
practiced together, men dressed ex-
travagantly and women simply. The
Median mobiles, for instance, "wore
loose robes, floating in the air; had
long hair covered with a 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 taste for
sumptuous dress, although they never
appeared in public. "They consumed
the whole morning at the toilet, en-
ploying paint and every drug for
cleaning and whitening the skin; they
laid red even upon their lips, and took
great care of their teeth; their hair
made up in buckles with hot iron,
was perfumed and spread upon the
shoulders; their dress was elegant, and
artfully contrived to set off a fine
shape" 1t would thus seem that a
consciousness of increased dignity
stimulated the natural desire to i'm.
prove natural beauty of art.
There can be no doubt that the head
was the first part of The body which
was dressed or Ornamented. Nature
had provided flowers and feathers,
ready to hand, and it is still chief
object of female adornment. Josephus
says that the Jewish ladies powdered
their hair with gold dust. African
Princes do the same. In St. Greg
ory's time "the women dressed the
head extremely high, environing it
with many tresses of false hair, dis
posed in knots and buckles, SO as to
resemble regular fortification."
L'Etoile, in his Journal for 1893,
was the first to mention white powder
for the hair, and he tells us that the
nuns walked the streets of Paris curled
and powdered. This fashion still lin
gers throughout Europe.
But what may have been the original
motive for dress, whether utility or
vanity, we, to-day, should be guided in
its use by three causes-health, mod
esty and pleasure-whereas most OF
us are ruled by fashion or pride. We
have now no sumptuary laws except
those unwritten ones prescribed by
custom. All are free to obey or neg
lect them. But in olden English
times, rank or position was readily dis
coverable by the dress which, either
by the legislature or by royal procla-
mStion, was made imperative under
pain of heavy fines. In Elizabeth's
reign, those who could spend G4O a
year might wear sarcenet in the lining
of their hose, doublets, hats or capa
apprentices at the law" utter bar
risters," merchants, househOlders in
city or town, and call who dispended
EGO year," might wear a Welt of vel
vet in their gowns, jackets or coats.
All other classes were also specifically
legislated for, even to their nightcaps.
However various the changes that
may result from fashion, all modes
inimical to health, modesty and COM
fort, should be discountenanced by the
sensible of every rank of life. 1t is
simply ridiculous that we should per-
nit ourselves to be so much controlled
by the whims of dress designers and
dress promoters, acting from purely
selfish and mercenary motives, and
utterly regardless of the common well
fare. Thus stays and tight-lacing
produce q multitude of mischiefs.
Among others, they distort the body,
displace the vital organs, impede res
piration and circulation, cause indi-
gestion, shorten life, and produce pre-
mature births and still-born. Thin
soles are answerable for host of pull
monary complaints. Delicate women
and children wear boots and shoes