The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-04

Journal Special Service ...
the days Of doublet and jerkin and the
incoming of modern trousers and
'.'Derby' hats marked the downfall of
man as the lord Of creation and the
beginning Of the .ascendency of woman,
was the conclusion of Miss Agnes Rep
pher, essayist and club woman Of Phil
adelphia, In an address before the Fri
day club of: Chicago. According to Miss
Repplier, mans adoption Of ill-becom-
ing and inartisti dress revealed his
real ugliness and weakness and in the
light Of the revelation woman has be-
gun to assert hers slf and will eventu-
ally have complete ascendency. She
spoke ON "The Temptation of Eve"
II sincerely believe,' said Miss
Repplier, "that in much Of what is now
called the 1Woman's movement, > most
Of the audacious and unwarranted self
assertion Of the sex is due to the
clothes Whiah .me Ehaxe7eleeted to wear.
Men have rashly abandoned those de-
tails Of their costumes which enhanced
their loneliness and. charm.. ~ 1t, j.
.!.'z = Ali Went Well Once.
4 "As long as men wore costumes
which interpreted their strength, en-
HANGED their responsiveness, and con-
cealed their shortcomings, women &C
cepted their dominion without demur.
They made no idle claim to equality
with creatures not only bigger and
stronger, not only more capable and
more determined, not only wiser and
more experienced, but as beautiful, be-
wildering and impressive as they them
selves.
"With the loss of his fine trappings
man has found corresponding loss of
| illusions on the part of the women who
saw them Black broadcloth and derby
| hats are enough to destroy the most
robust illusions in Christendom. Men
have refused to keep a single article
Of dress which can assist in any way
an imperfect ideal Of how he should
be clothed. .'> "
|, Mans Charm Gone
"The whole attitude Of women il
this matter is fraught with signii
canoe. Men have abandoned rashly
. those details of costume which en-
HANGED their comeliness and charm, bu
women have never in all the long cen
turtles abated one part Of their con
centrated and anxious interest ii
clothes. They dare not if they would
too much is at stake and they pla,
into natures hands by following
whether instinctively or intelligently
the great principle Of self-adornment
"The fexibility Of their dress give
them every opportunity to modify, t.
enhance, to conceal. It permits then
to express mental as well as physica
attributes. It is in the highest degre
symbolic and interpretative. It is thei
unfailing weapon and it is their uni
versal language in which they asser
the great triumphant principles Of fem
ininity. ,.....1a-.. .,.
Now the Men "Knock."
1.-THE adoption Of ugly sameness an
! the regard for utility in mans attir
has brought another unlovely result
Since men have ceased to wear plea.
ing clothes they have devoted NOR
. time than is strictly necessary to th
. counseling and censuring Of women.
In their lamb-like obedience t
fashion, men have been Indifferent t
the kind of clothes they wear; just s
they are like every other man
clothes. It does not matter if he
is a perfect marvel Of ugliness; if
is hot, heavy and disfguring, it is a
right as long as it is like the hats {
; fifty other men which he will meet Q
his way to business -