Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-07
MYSTERY OF THE FASHIONS.
How They Are Turned Out and
Whom They Concern.
From the London Times.

rum LoIu'H
Season after season. year in year out,
1.-The fashions present themselves in an
endless succession of changes Where do
| they come from and how do they come.
Who invents them? 1t seems a mystic
| rious business. and there is, I'm fact. a
good deal of uncertainty and caprice
| about II, but no mystery. II IL a regular
process conducted on definite and intelli-
gible principles. which are at bottom Just
the same old business principles that
govern other things. The fashions are
business and only different from other
business in the fact that their essential
quality is change: they are clothes illus
minated by change. The same quality
enters into some other things. too. but
not nearly TO the same extent, for very
simple and sufficient reasons. There In
more demand and at the same time more
scope for change in dress than in other
things, such as furniture. houses. meals,
or modes Of shaking hands. Change is
novelty and desired mainly because IL
attracts attention and confers distinc-
ton. and these objects are more imme-
diately and effectively attained in pro-
portion to the prominence of the per-
Sonal element.
Nothing is SO close to the person as
clothes nothing so effectually attracts
attention to the person. At the same
time they are more perishable than furni-
ture or houses: they need constant re-
newals. and the possibilities of variation
are unlimited. Consequently dress offers
q field for fashion or novelty so superior
to any other that IL has annexed the
word and the fashions have come to
mean novelty in dress-and especially
women's dress-for the same reasons:
because II is more important Tor women
to attract personal attention than for
men. There are fashions in mems dress
but they represent very trifiing changes,
and the men who attach Importance to
them are of no account
These observations give the clue TO the
process of producing the fashions. There
are three persons who have common
interest in constant change OF dress;
they are the manufacturer. the dress
maker and the wearer. The first two
need no explanation: they want to sell
the commodities they produce, and fire.
uuent changes Of style insure perpetu-
ally renewed demand Without such
changes people would go on wearing
their old things much longer. and since
there would be no induccment to buy
new ones so long as the old served their
purpose economy would suggest the use
of the most durable materials. The pur-
yeyors' business would shrink accord
ingly The fashions. which compel Gus
toners to get new things, keep IT going.
How, then, about the third party con-
cerned. the wearer, whose interest Is not
TO be always obliged TO buy new tnin8s!
1t looks as IL the fashions were devised
for the benefit OF the manufacturer and
the dressmaker. who conspire against
the wearer. The answer 10 that Is that
there are wearers and wearers. those
who set the fashion and those who fol-
low IT, The latter would really gain IL
there were no changes, but to the former
novelty is essential. and their interest
is identical with that Of the manufactur-
err and the dressmaker: they are partners
in the business. Who are they?
Women who for one reason or another
desire to attract attention and be con-
spicuous They include ladies occupying
prominent positions in the social world.
ladies occupying equally or more promi-
nent positions the stage. beauties In
society and beauties out OF it. All these
require to be conspicuous. and an indis-
uensable means TO most OF them Is nov
city in dress. which attracts attention
and distinguishes them from the crowd.
They are partners with the trade: they
..set the fashion" Other women follow
perforce, and here comes in curious bit
OF psychology. The leaders OF fashion
lead in order to be conspicuous: their
example is gradually followed until the
fashion is established, when every woman
has to adopt it for the opposite reason
in order not TO be conspicuous. and then
the process begins all over again.