The suburban citizen., 1900-12-22
THE ORIGIN OF STYLES
CAUSES THAT MAKE FOR AND
AGAINST NEW FASHIONS.

Fashions and styles arenever formed |
"out Of thin air." they are always
brought into being from a definite
cause or for certain purpose.
Just why a mode is born is rarely
thought Of by the majority Of produc-
ers and wearers, especially on this side
of the water,
Some of the fashions of bygone days
reached us in so concrete a form and
were so directly related to the inhu-
ences that gave them birth that their
origin was unmlstakable. In more re-
cent days we have had to thank the
French stage for the majority Of new
forms. Going back, we readily recall
the advent of Lohengrin, of La Tosca,
of Cleopatra, and of variety of Bern
hardt ideas, reaching from hat to shoe
and comprising every article Of wear,
including even accessories and jew
elry.
The world had been satisfied for so
many years to look to Paris and its
cosmopolitan and high-pressure exist
ence as the birthplace Of all that was
particularly interesting in art and style
that the habit became second nature.
Paris was regarded by the too enthusi-
astic and possibly not Cver-intelligent
buyer of other countries, as well as
America, as the only birthplace Of
style-the only centre where ideas Of
value took concrete form. For many
years the entire world accepted Par
isian dictates, impractical, grotesque
even, as they sometimes were, without
a murmur.
Thus the American buyer Of former
days, with an eager, consuming popu'
lation behind him, ready to take even
ridiculous merchandise at a profit,
needed to know so little that he failed
to make a study either Of necessities
or merits Of style or merchandise. All
that was necessary to insure a sale
was an exhibition of the merchandise.
So the question Of style-real style and
real taste--was an unimportant one,
except with a limited portion Of the
population of our greater cities-peo-
pie who really "knew thing or two"
The tendency of such a period was
entirely guided by the whim and fancy
of foreign manufacturers, who founded
their ideas upon historic preceGents
and traditions rather than upon neces-
sity, progress and good Judgment.
There were always recurring periods
for each class Of merchandise. For in
stance, the whole world was eager dur
ing the days of the Second Empire to
adopt anything French, and readily
acceded to the undoubted supremacy
of French fashion ideas.
The French taste of that period was
decidedly erratic and anything but
practical or artistic. But 1t was the
only taste, the only authority Of the
day, Paris then being the centre of the
world in dead earnest, the centre to
which all eyes and minds turned as
the source of all that was truly beauti-
! full and inspired. The consequence was
/ that the chlgnon, the hoopskirt or
| crinollne and other monstrosities were
easily foisted upon an eager world to
the great profit of shrewd French
manufacturers and dealers.
Then followed styles in which untold
yards of goods were draped into the
costume, simply to make a greater
feast for French wooden and silk man
ufacturers.
The form or figure of the wearer
was rarely considered in these mat.
teTs. Women had little to say about
the numerous dlsguises and freakisll
arrangements which were heaped
upon them, and which only extreme
grace and artistic sense permitted OF
being worn successfully even in Paris
itself.
Think of transplanting to America
with its then unpaved streets and pc
culiar conditions, styles contrived only
for the acme of metropolitan existence
Yet every woman, poor and rich, from
end to end Of our broad States, hat
her chignOn, and fat women waddleC
through the foot-deep mud of Western
cities holding up their hoop skirts.
Then followed another era of iGiocy
the hustle and pad period. Great ex
tensions in the back composed Of wir'
with horse hair pads at the top, holding
straight out voluminous draperies
This was the last Quiver Of dying slay
cry to fashion. or course, women re
belled, men swore, and people o
sense, born under American freedom
began to think and determine. Still
accustomed as they were to take fash
ion religlously, as a doctrine hande
down to them by certain authOritle
at home and abroad the idea Of dc
parting from the faith was regarde
as little short of treason or heresJ
No woman Of twenty years ago woul
, have thought Of expressing her ow
opinion or suggesting the form Of dres
suited to her wants. She took fashio
plates as II they were edlcts. Th
dressmaker's advice was followed a
closely and as carefully as that of tn
physician
Even to-day the smart woman b,