The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-20
WHY STYLES HAVE CHANGED
SOME CAUSES THAT HAVE LED TO
VARIATIONS IN DRESS.
The Reason for Black Satin Going
out of Fashion for Many Years
in Observation-Disclosures of Paint
er.-origin of the Evening Suit.

Painters have had an enormous influence
on dress. Early in this century the sim
plicity in dress which had then come In
was very much due 10 Romney charming
figures in white gowns and straw mats. II
was a reaction from the stiff hoops 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 costumes Of classical type,
a revival Of Greek and Roman draperies.
induced by the paintings of David: and as
he was an ardent republican. many adopted
his costumes either to hide or TO proclaim
their real opinions. Holeein Is our earliest
authority for the real everyday aspect OF
English society; he could paint middle-aged
and elderly women in attire suitable 10
their age, and yet eminently picturesque.
and in that way threw the weight OF his
influence on the side OF modest dress for
girls and young women also, II being a
peculiar trait In the world OF fashion that
IL a style is becoming to any one age. old
and young alike adopt IT; probably when
II is a mode becoming to the old. the
younger feel assured that II becoming 10
their Seniors II must necessarily be ten
times more so to themselves, which II gen
orally Is; likewise the elders, seeing a style
very charming 10 the young hope by adopt
ing II to be rejuvenated In others eyes as
well as In their own. The result, accord
ingly. is very disastrous when a popular
painter leads the fashion by painting a
'risque' then-a young beauty, as, for i'll
stance, did Lely. To think OF an cid
woman painted truthfully by him creates
a shudder. and makes one think OF Mrs.
skewton and her determined juvenility in
all its ghastliness. No century showed
such fluctuations in fashion as that be-
tween the times OF Holbein and vandyke:
we may roughly term 1t a century. as one
died In 1854. the other in 1s4i. Catherine
Of Aragon In gorgeous but decorous dress;
Elizabeth, extravagsnt and indelicaSe,
wearing very low cut dresses even to the
last in her old age: Mary Stuart. With her
small run. high somber gown. looking all
that was simple and graceful. are three
fair types OF that hundred years
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 gentle
men, which. in "Buiwer Lytton's Lfe,'
Is claimed by his son 70 be due to the
novel Pelham" wherein Lady Frances
Pelham writes TO the hero: "Apropos of
tho complexion. I did not like that blue
coat you wore when I last saw you. You
look best in black. which is n great COM
piiment, for people must be very dis
tinguished in appearance to do so.'
It'll then" remarks the blographer. "the
coats worr for evening dress were OF DIFF
ferent colors-hrown. green or blue-ac-
eording TO the fancy OF the wearers. and
Lord Oxford tells me that the adoption OF
the now invariahle black dates from the
publication OF Pelham"
Black satin for many years went entire
ly out OF fashion Cor a curious reason.
=. NJ.
was hanged in is4a. had a black satin made
In Parts, on purpose FOR her last public
~sppearancei A certain tint in lace was
discontinued In France for n similar rea-
son.
Dress for execution In days further back
seems often to have been chosen with
care, and specially noted by the specta-
tors, In i7@s Lord Derwentwater went to
execution dressed I'm scarlet faced with
black velvet. trimmed with gold. a gold
laced waiStcoat ani a white feather In his
hat; ana we read ~ Or. Cameron. in 1853.
being heheaded. dressed In a light-colored
coat. red waistcoat and breeches and n
new hagwig. II was not, however ~ 81
bic always 70 dress zen grande tenue. '' rs
sometimes prisoners were allowed only a
very limited wardrobe, for Instance,
when Honor. Lady Lislc, OF Henry Wis
time. was sent 10 the Tower. the I4sle pa
pers. which give a complete Inventors Of
/ fNe AslsiR possess b4A. mention tHAf she
was only allowed to take the following
with her from her costly and extensive
wardrobe. A gown Of ~taretv. two night
gowns 81 black damask a klrtle OF black
and another 81 tawny velvet
Powder for the hair seems 10 have aled
out about the end 81 the last century.
when the scarcity Of -four. combined with
Pitts tax on powder, in 1875, caused a com
plete change IN The appearance of both
sexes. although individuals here ard there
In fashionable circles hsA for some few
years left u on. the ladies partly from
artistic Influences and admiration u the
portraits with natural hair AMI simpia
dress. Wairole's remark on the result ~
wigs and powder being discarded strikes
one AZ FIRST as very strange he SAYS that
AL Individuality is COMPOUNDED hv asople
wearing their own hair We should now
say exactly fho contrary: bat then We
should remember that differences arc more
easily detected whom the setting is one
% which We arc accustomed. fss, a. al
first members 81 a foreign nation. 20 eyes
unhccus'omsd % than. bear a strang re-
semhlance 10 each other. though 90 them.
selves seeming 20 diner - much
Fa-iv In The reign - George r there
were riots OF The wool ard a1k weavsrp.
who protested AGAINST the fashion then
coming IN % women both in the upper
and lower classes wearing Indian chintzes
ard Dutch rrfn;st ~~alicoeH The many At
lacks IN the streets on women 30 attfref
led ultimately O. leg 'slauon. ari calico
Fcwus were foreid6ea 20 ~ worn - an
the dainty cotton dresses were pulled -
pieces and turned tnfe quii's ard furniture
covers Then a fsehi7u caHae IN e en-
arni3eftnE fue hofaui 9isearafsIr. the
Nn~n. which was na3e n Enrfarf Nsinr
sent as was that from either countries 20
30 bitAchNd on fha famous Nenfhirw
grra7fs m Hsar'em ar4 ;hon returned
as hr'tanf Those snr-fswnf hterrhf~~
grounds are ksrf in fhe memories = most
~ us -v Raphaf u painting ~ them =
The water MI Wlth teachers .l e2r
National gallery A hfF IN the reign =
1Nr-rr I ereaks q 3 wonder fn rvs-ai-
fr-~3 rcw~s arA though fhe are she
f~a-r'Hrs To- 81 wh.fe ssfr rs A1att the
ha.arf dresses Wani aet ~ fa- nrhfra i~
firH--aften SNe MAS at tre Princess Row
aNs wedding ans a"srwsrt w~atc. The
iHrheTa ~ QGsrrE1urv e. r.a-are PLEASED
w0 best .hry were white sata swerai-
ts+Hi fhn h1t'w 70 fHe vettlrrat brown
ht1e covered with aH nH~eH ~ w.nAa