The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-06
All "Siaves to Fashion,"

When paterfamiias draws his check
to settle the miliner's bill for the new
hats for madam and the girls, impera-
lively needed because the fashion is
changed and they could not think of
appearing in the streets or at church
in those perfectly horrid, old fashioned
ones, or to liquidate the demand for the
tailor made gowns that take the place
of gowns made obsolete by the decree Of
the tickle goddess, he groans lament
that women are so silly, and wishes
that they had some OF the stability Of
men, Every lord Of creation scorns
fashion and rejoices in his and his sex's
exemption from her vacillating rule
her capricious whims. How he rallies
his wife and girls on their docility to
the absurd; their frantic rushes to the
extremes of expensive crinoline and
the scantinesS of the pin backs" the
mOnstrosity of their Grecian bend and
the defOrmity of their French hit;h
heels. And he inwardly thanks heaven
that he has better and more sense, and
that he and his sex are not as women
are.
Is this complacency we'll based?
Movement is sometimes so slow that it
can only be discerned by range sights
out, so observed, it is visible. Take a
century's range and compare the ap-
parel of men then and now and note
the difference That Of our sireS was
sensible enough for permanency; the
peruke, the knee-breeches the ruffles
the stockings, the colored coat and
waistcoat. But what man today is
brave enough to attire himself as his
great grandfather was clothed and ap-
pear so in the street? Why not? Be
cause the fashion Of mems clothing has
changed; slowly, it is true, but absolute
ly, and men have obeyed as docilely as
did ever women. From the powdered
peruke of the end of the eighteenth to
the close-cropped hair of the end of
the nineteenth is quite as complete a
reversal as the garb of women ever
made Forty odd years ago men wore
their hair parted behind and coYnbed
forward over the ears, and now and
then one still clings to the style Prior
to the war the clean-shaven face was
general. Lincoln was the first presi-
dent to wear beard, and he drew the
line at the muStache; later the clean
shaver man became an oddly, excit-
ing remark. Now the fashion is re-
turning.
In minor matters men obey the
changes of fashion. Hats and caps
come and go varying in style. No man
would dare to wear the "beaver'' of
which his grandsre was so proud The
shoe has almost displaced the boot that
was universal generation ago; a man
who wore shoes being regarded as eff
terminate, and the "raZor-toe" prevails
over the "boX-toe." Even houses get
to be too old-fashioned for their own
ers or renters, who want them with all
the modern conveniences and architec
tural geWgaws. The carriage must be
sold and the newest styled one bought.
And who is there with nerve enough to
ride 94 bicycle in 1898? What would
be the social fate of him who would
brave fashion by appearing at a re-
ception or function in other than a
"spike-tail?" Reviewing all these facts
should not paterfamilias smother that
groan and congra tulate himself ONLY
on being a bit slower than the better
part of his household; more conserva-
tive, tagging a long way behind, chang
ing his fashions more slowly, but none
the less changing them and not dari.,g
to resist?