Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-01-05
WISDOM IN DRESSING WELL
Fine Clothes, as Has OFT been said
Make a Good Impression.

INC ttotncs- ns hCs Oft been said.
Make n Good Impression.
Though at first glance il would seem
frivolous topic and unworthy OF space
In the editorial columns OF daily
newspaper, the question Of dress as a
commercial factor ranks as one ex.
tremely interesting and actually impor-
tant
1t is Of great interest TO study the
rapidity ana varied manners i'm which
personal adornment has changed and
advanced with time. In the early dawn
of the world we are told that an un-
couth garment of fig leaves was con-
sidered sufficient by our common for
bears wherewith To hide their naked
ness. With the necessity OF striving
arduously for his living came the de-
velcpment of mans ingenuity, and the
line of general Improvement included
dress in its scope. For many centuries
in the region Immediately surrounding
the birthplace of man long, flowing
garments were IN use. 10 lie changed
later on by the entcrprising Romans to
the graceful tunic. toga and pcplus.
These changes in the course of time
penetrated into the northern countries
and gradually displaced the rough gar
ments of hides and loia cloths which
were mt first typical OF the Inhabitants.
SO has the mode of dress changed
and improved itself with the passage
OF time, and by the aid of that same
potent factor its Importance has in
creased and perhaps has not yet as
sumed its destined proportions. There
can be no doubt in the mind of the
avera sc reasoning man that the matter
OF dress does exert vital influence on
the success or failure of the man or
woman of today. \ we'll and neatly
attired man everywhere has the ad-
vantage OF one. who takes no pains
with his apparel and whose clothes
might be shed annually like the skin
of the snake IL il were not for the in-
violable customs of the age 1t Is n
fact. perhaps lamentable. but never
theless patent. that a business man
prefers dealing with another who Is
attractively dressed. whose face Is
clean shaved and who Is in the habit
of wearing clean collars, to his brother
with whom dress is less than n sec
ondary consideration and who contents
himself with the reflection that "hand-
some is as handsome does"
There are great many men who de-
cry this tendency to personal adorn-
ment in others and whose lips take n
scornful curve when they refer to the
dude" or his equally frivolous sister.
Is II crime or Il fault to accentuate
personal beauty or neutralize the eff
feet of natural homelincss by tastiness
of apparel? Is there any reason to
censurc the tIan who wears lighter col
ored or some more fashonably shaped
garments than ours because we prefer
for ourselves the more sombcr and
conventional garments? To be sure.
there is distinction between the man
who dresses for love of dress and the
one who does SO from principle or from
business reasons. Eut IL Is distinction
with which the average critic of the
well dressed man seldom bothers him
self. We ;:rc always taught TO look at
the brightest Sile OF life. Then why
ridicule those little uicetics OF dress
which certainly please the eve and
which much more certainly give n man
feeling OF SELF possession and Salts
faction. which. too. is far removed
from the ever 10 bc condemned fault
of cOnceit or landyism?
At any rate. the man who Is not too
philosophical 10 pay some attention to
the manner In which lie appears before
the world can rest convinced that his
little quality is good policy. II is. in
fact. so much capital. and any one who
doubts II can satisfy himself by using
his eyes and his reasoning powers on
things that arc transporting around him
daily and hourly.-At!auta Constitution.