The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-17
ETHICS OF CLOTHES.
Class Distinctions Ab~oiished-Yet the
Dress sill Proclaims the Man.

Class Distinctions Aboiished-Yet the
Dress s,iil Prociaims the Man.
From the American Wool and Cotton
Reporter.
In those days when to speak of a man
as a gentleman was to say thai he was
fortunately distinguished by his birth
as being above and. as il were, OF a
race apart from the masses of the pop
ulation. a gentleman was outwardly
distinguished by his clothes, which dir
fered in mani ways beside their SPLEEN
dor from those affected by the canaille.
At that period the occupation peculiar
To gentlemen was the conduct of the
government, but now when gentlemen
are found I'm every walk of life, and the
word implies simply the possession of
estimable inward qualities. we all dress
pretty much alike. When the sword in
dicated the mans rank, he might
choose his colors and the fashion of
his clothes to suit himself. but at pres
ent. when the dress of a man conveys
nothing of his station in life beyond
the Indications of material prosperity,
uniformity and the avoidance of dis
play are sought.
The man of leisure Is to be envied. in
that, unless the busy man of affairs,
he has time not only for pleasure. but
that not having to enjoy them, as it
were. between trains, he may adapt
'''e ~ ~ ~ VI NAt W
ment, so as To get the most out of IL.
The possession of a dress suitable to
each pursuit or pastime is a condition
aspired to by all patrons of tailors. and
1t Is to the improvement of these along
the lines of greater simplicity and free
dom that the man of fashion now APP
plies himself. who. in 1898. would have
employed artists to design costumes
and select colors and Jewels for him.
Apart from the effacement of class
distinction in dress. which 1t took CEN
turtles to compass, no greater change
has come yer this matter of clothes
than one which has been accomplished
within the m of man. We may
reprove the tendency of our men of
leisure to copy rather than emulate our
English brethren in dress and deport-
ment. but IL is undoubtedly to them we
owe our love for outdoor sports. and il
is this. spreading marvelously even
within the past few years, which has
improved the breed of men and
changed the character of their clothes.
The dandy no longer trips i'm dainty
shoes and shuns exertion, but is proud
of his square shoulders and deep chest,
and his dress is distinguished not more
by it's simplicity, comfort and service
ability.
The manliness which is the keynote
of this change, finds no greater express
sion han in the avoidance of all pre-
tense, sham and vain show and in the
perfect fitness of the clothes of a gen.
tleman of taste. In spite of the
abandonment of arbitrary class dis
tinction in apparel. it is by no means
difficult to recognize "A gentleman as
such by his clothes. Quite apart from
the neatness and avoidance of any con-
spicuousness. which il hou be un-
necessary to mention. is the absolute
simplicity and reality of everything he
has on. and it's fitness for the occupa-
ton in hand. The fitness is the essence
of good form in clothes, and as 1t a
its seat in the most rigid common
sense. il is singular that 1t is in this
that g%aucheries should most frequently
occur.