New-York tribune., 1901-10-16
A FEW THOUGHTS ON APPAREL.
INFLUENCE OF CLOTHES ON ART. LOVE
AND HEALTH-GIBEs AT AMERICA

There is need OF Carlyle TO extract and ex-
hibit all the philosophy which is stored up in the
remarks OF two authorities on dress. one in Lon
don and the other in Paris. who have been
quoted in recent dispatches. The greatness of
the need. however. does not forbid the modest
touch of a humber pen upon the subject. The
Englishman Is Walter Vincent. president of the
International Tailor Cutters Congress- and in a
speech which he made to that body he said:
Why should we be ranked second to painters
and sculptors? Do we not supply the originals
for these artists to copy? All they need do is
to reproduce accurately what We have done, and
their fame is assured.
The question contains its own answer The
speaker obviously thinks that abjeet imitation
is art and nothing short of work in three
volumes the subject could enlighten such
ignorance as his. He becomes more entertain
ing when he touches on the influence of tailoring
in the affairs of the heart He says:
Love comes more quickly in response 10 the
silent woOing of an irreproachabie fit than to
the arduous call of the poets calliope.
This is nice question, and certainly mere
man has right to suppose that he can settle it
without actual experiment. 1t would be hard
enough for 10 determine what would
be her choice beforehand Imagine the situation
She is approached by two rival lovers. One Of
them. a plain silent man, is having 'trre-
proachabe fit' on the drawing room floor. while
the other a poet, is outside in the street. play
ing "arduous calls on a steam calliope. Ali
who can say how she will choose?"
Mr. Vincent apparently quite forgets that the
body which he is addressing calls itself interna-
tional. and thus attempts blow at American
tailoring:
The English tailor understands that gentle
man wants easy, graceful fit; the American
tailor thinks he wishes tight fit.
This is a pathetic little wall, wrung from the
speaker by the established fact that American
tailors fit their customers and English tailors
do not The American does not want a tight
fit, necessarily but neither does he want his coat
to hang him like bathrobe badly cut for
somebody else. The thousands of Americans who
have paid for English clothes. then paid duty
on them. and then paid American tailors to
make them over, that they might be barely
passable. know how to estimate this bit of petu-
lance
The English tailor disagrees with the French
critic, Octave Uzanne. to rational and health
ful dress for women. The former bewails its
decline, the latter halls its coming. The con-
ditions may be different In London and Paris.
M. Uzanne denounees eorsets veIls and long,
germ-g gathering skirts, The wells gather germs.
too, besides injuring the eyes. He looks for the
speedy correction of these evils by regulations
of boards of health. Public opinion, freely
pressed, would be a more rapid remedy. Did 1t
not make the wearing of hats in theatres
fashionable in this country when legislation
failed? M. Uzanne the dawning of better
times in Paris. and says that the old sort of I'M
hygienfc garments is now demanded chiefly by
foreigners. such English. German and Ameri-
can women. The attitude of American women.
apparent 10 a Partisan. seems easy TO ex-
plain American women are beginning TO get
most OF their gowns at home now, and the
lessening number OF women who still cling to
the habit OF buying them in Paris would nat
urally be Just the who would also cling TO
the old notions of wearing unsanitary apparel.
The American of real advancement
rather incline to buy their clothes in America,
and TO buy good ones.