The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-25
WHY STYLES HAVE CHANGED.
Some Causes That Have Led TO Nari-
atiOns in Dress.
From the Gentleman's Magazine.


simplicity in dress which had then come
in was very much due to Romney's
charming figures in white gowns and
straw hats. 1t was a reaction from the
stiff bones and huge monstrosities in the
way of headgear. which in Paris seemed
to have reached their zenith Just before
the revolution, when women appeared
with a whole flower and kitchen garden
on their heads, and one lady even bore a
representation of a feet of ships in fun
sail Then simplicity came in, with cos
tunes of classical type, revival of Greek
and Roman draperies. induced by the
paintings of David; and as he was an ar
dent republican, many adopted his cos
tunes either to hide or to proclaim their
real opinions Holbe n is our earliest au-
thority for the real everyday aspect of
English society; he. could paint middle
aged and elderly women in attire suita-
BILE to their age, and yet emfnently pic
turesque, and in that way threw the
weight of his influence on the side Of mod
est dress for girls and young women also
it being a peculiar trait in the world of
fashion that if a style is becoming to any
one age, old and young alike adopt it,.
probably when it is a mode becoming to
the old. the younger feel assured that if
becoming to their seniors 1t must neces-
sarilY be ten tines more so to themselves,
which it'generally is; likewise the elders,
seeing a style very charming to the young
hope by adopting it to be re1uVenated IN
others eyes as well as in their own. The
result, accordingly, is very disastrous
when a popular painter leads the fashion
by painting a ''risuue" then-a young
beauty as for instance, did LEY. To
think Of an old woman painted truthfully
by him creates a shudder, and makes one
think of Mrs. Skewton and her determn-
ed juVenility in all it's ghastliness. No CEN
fury showed such fluctuations in fashion
as that between the times of Holbein and
Vandyke; we may roughly term 1t CEN
fury, as one died in 1854. the other in l64l.
Catherine of Aragon in gorgeous but dec
orous dress: Elizabeth, eXtraVagant and
indicate, wearing very low cut dresses
even to the last in her old age; Mary
Stuart, with her small ruff high somber
gown. looking all that was simple and
graceful, are three fair types of that hun
dred years.
7 Friction sometimes carries weight and
introduces a new fashion which may be-
come more or less permanent, as, for in
stance, black evening dress for gentlemen
which in BulWer Lyttton's Life, is claim
ed by his son to be due to the novel Pei
ham, wherein Lady Frances Pelham writes
to the hero, "Apropos of the complexion,
l do not like that blue COat you wore
when l last saw you. You look best In
black, which is a great compliment, for
people must be very distinguished in APP
pearance to do So" It'll then" remarks
the blographer, 1.-THE coats worn for even
ing dress were of different colors-brown,
green or blue-according to the fancy of
the wearers and Lord Oxford tells me
that the adoption of the now invariable
black dates from the publication of Pei
ham,
Black satin for many years went en-
tirely out of fashion for a curious reason,
viz: Mrs. Manning, the murderess, who
was hanged in 1919. had black satin made
in Paris, on purpose for her last public
appearance! A certain tint in lace was
discontinued in France for similar rea-
son.
Dress for execution in days further back
seems often to have been chosen with care
and specially noted by the spectators. In
TAG Lord Derwenrwater Went to execution
dressed in scarlet faced with black velvet
trimmed with gold, gold-laced WaistCoat
and a white feather in his hat; and we
read of DR.. Cameron in 1853 being behead-
ed dressed in a light-colored coat red
waistcoat and breeches and a new bag
wig. 1t was not, however, possible always
20 dress zen grand tenue." as some times
prisoners Were allowed only a very limited
wardrobe; for instance VIXEN Honor Lady
Lisle of Henry Wits time, was sent to
the tower the Lisle papers, which give a
complete inventory of the Iisle posses
sions, mention that she was only allowed
10 take the following with her from her
costly and extensive wardrobe: A gown of
ta1fety, two nightgowns of black damask
a kDtle of black and another of tawny
velvet
Powder for the hair seems to have died
out about the end of last century, when
the scarcity of flour combined with PITTS
1aw4
change in the appearance of both sexes,
though individuals here and there in fash
ionable circles had for some few years left
it off, the ladies' partly from artistic infiu-
ences and admiration of the portraits with
natural hair and simple dress. Walpo,e' S
remark on the result of wigs and powder
being discarded strikes one at first as very
strange; he says that AN individuality is
COMPOUNDED by people wearing their ocn
hair" We should now say exactly the
contrary; but then we should remember
that differences are more easily detected
when the setting is one to which we are
accustomed, just as at first members of a
foreign nation, TO eyes unaccustomed to
them, bear a strange resemblance to each
other though 40 themselves seeming 10
differ so much.
Early IN the reign of George there were
riots of the wool and silk weavers who
protested against the fashion then coming
in of women, both in the upper and lower
classes, wearing Indian chintzes and
Dutch printed cal.coes. The many attacks
in the streets on women so attired led ul-
timatey 10 legislation, and calico gowns
were forbidden 10 be worn. SO all the
dainty cotton dresses We're pulled 70 pieces
and turned into quilts and furniture COW
ers Then a fashion came in of embroid-
ering fine holland deliberately the linen,
which was made in England, being sent,
as was that of other countries,
TO be bleached on the famous
bleaching grounds OF HARLEM, and
then returned as holland. Those far-fam-
ed bleaching grounds are kept in the
memories of most OF us by Raphaers
painting of them, e. g., The Water Mill
With Bleachers,' in our National Gal
lery. A lady In the reign of George
speaks of a wonder i'm embroidered gowns,
and though the one she describes is of
white satin no doubt the holland dresses
would not be far behind in elaboration.
She was at the Princess Royals wedding.
and afterward wrote: The Duchess of
Queensbury's clothes pleased me best;
they were white satin embroidered, the