Year: 1876

Follies Of Fashion.
From Chambers Journal


One can scarcely help laughing to see a


whole flock of sheep jumping at particular


spot because one does so but is there not a


similar absurdty in the way that ladies, one


after the other, follow the remarkable fash


Ions Of the day? They can give no reason


why they do so, further than that it is the


fashion. That seems to be the only argu-


ment employed, In not one instance out


OF hundred can any one tell who is the


leader of fashion, or the originator of any


particular costume or part of it. 1t may be,


to-day an illustrious invalid, to conceal some


physical defect, or Partisan draughtsman


IN garret; tomorrow, the suggestion from


an old print or portrait in some collection /;


and the next day, one of Madame Chigot's


underpaid and overworked seamstresses,


who has manipulated dress, from the sheer


want of material, into a new arrangement;


or, from the redundancy of stuff-too much


Tor one and not enough for two-has given


amplitude OF skirt and expansive trailing of


robe, which (if it takes) becomes the reign


ing style Tor the next week or so. Then the


town becomes adame through the agency of


the immensely augmented fashionable liter


airy media and according to the length of


our purses, and too often without reference


to our means, the darling element around US
obey the new 'regimental orders" adopt


the regulations and become as alike to each
| other IN dress and accoutrements as so many
| soldiers IN the same squad. Resistance is


VAIN. 10 be out Of tne fashion is to be out


OF the world Thus, tie most absurd and,


IN regard to the wearer, often the most in


congruous habiliments are adopted and


maintained as the correct thing, in spite of
all opposition from the more sober minded
lover OF taste. Nor should it be forgotten


that style of dress begets a style of de-
meanor. To take the sterner sex, the man
who dresses "horsey" talks horsey and it is
the same with women-the women who
dress fast Will talk fast" The charac-
ter, in fact, must be kept up Macbeth can
not perform without, at least, the vision of
the dagger nor can the mimic monarch
strut upon the stage without bis robes of
ermine.


1t has been asserted as an excuse for many
friyolities of fashion, that women seek
variety in dress to render the admiration of
the male sex the more secure but every day
must convince those of observation that this
can scarcely be the case as amongst men
whose opinions are Of any value, the most
simple costume, if neat and appropriate to
season and locality, is always preferred !
Men, as a rule, are more shocked than other /
wise with gaudy Establishments in dress
and all our poets who have touched upon |
the subject agree in denouncing the mere
trieious as gliding of refined gold or paint |
ing the llly-a wasteful and unlovelv excess.
The fact Is, that if the truth were fairly put, |
thus struggle on the part OF women to be first
70 adopt any new quackery in costume Is
more TO vie with their own order and sex
for precedence, and to exhibit the possession
of the means of proiigal display, than de-
sire 10 enhance their charms in the eyes of
men-simply that they know they are safe
there in any guise.


We have certainly known Instances in
which men have been at fault BY Influencing
their lady connections in the choice of costume
and.material; they in their mistaken solicit
tude for appearances, ," urging that they
wished their wives and children not to look
'dowdy' and unlike other peope-that
Is, people with ten times their income
and considerably higher social posi-
ton. But these cases are exceptional,



SIDE have tendency TO cure themselves
One instance We recall with pain of lady
being compelled by her husband to walk
forth from a shop with pair Of new shoes
on her feet, which, by their tightneSs,
brought tears into her eyes; her spouse de-
clarlng, 10 her remonStrances, that she had
a very pretty foot. and be was not going to
have it spoiled, And 50, it may be, the
Frenchman is led to believe that the English
take their pleasure sadly, from the great pro-
portion of women to be seen at any fefe who
are suffering under torture from this cause.


We would iain hope that, from illustrious
example, the tide Will change for the better
but when We east our eyes across the Allan
tic, naturally hopeful that new worlds would
iuauguTate more sensible order Of things,
We are shocked to learn that the struggle Is
not to shame the old country into propriety
and prudence, but to excel her in the race
Of extravaganza. Here Is n sample Of "go
ahead in this direction, taken from the
Philadelphia Lsdgcr, from which, as We
learn that the chief families Of the modern
community have commenced with their bs-
bes, we presume the mothers and daughters
are not outdone by their offspring AT
juvenile party lately given in Brooklyn,
Long Island. New York, by lady aged
eleven wears, the extrayagance in dress could
not, it Is said, have been exceeded even by
adult ingenuity. The hair dressed in the
latest style, was frizzled. pulled, powdered
and adorned with flowers Four-buttoned
white kid gloves were generally worn while
French kid boots, matching the dresses in
color, eleased the feet. \ little girl of seven
years was dressed in ar0se-oOlOred silk trimmed
with point applique in iounces, and covered
with gold and gems which brought the cost of
the outfit up to about seven thousand dol
lars. The young gentlemen Of from nine to
fourteen were usually arrayed in black dress
coats, light pants, and in lavender neck
ties, with the most dazzling protusion of
rings, seals, and watch-chains. The hair
ofthe elder youth was parted in the middle,
and worn in long floating locks. Music,
dancing and Irritation occupied the evening
until the supper-hour, at twelve O'Clock,
after which the gay assembly departed. The
coquette of twelve and the effeminate dandy
Of fourteen are apt to suggest painful visions
of coming race of men and women without
strength Of mind or muscle, and with every
spark of youthful vitality and freshness pre-
maturely driven out by the training to which
they have been subjected"


Perhaps, however-to look at home-a
little colloquy, which occurred in our hear
ing between kind and generous father on
the one side, and his wife and daughters on
the other, may serve to Illustrate the incon-
sistence which enter into the defences and
excuses for any abrupt change in fashion,
however great


Don't you like oar dresses, papa ?" was
&. IL, T. -
some daughters entered the breakfast room
in the costume of the period.


Hump replied papa. lovingly giving
them the matutinal kiss in turn. You
put the question in too beseechng form to
obtain my candid opinion. Ask it in less
arbitrary manner, and | will reply, Not at
all >"


80 papa, it is quite the fashion - from
all the ladies, deprecatingly, mamma includ-
ed.


well nv dears, it may be the fashion,
bat that fact does not necessarily secure my
approval. The dress is far too tight in front,
and too carelessly loose behind reminding
me of cOuntryman's bundle wrapped up
in handkerchief, and tied with sloyen-
ly knot behind, which he puts his stick
through, to carry it over his shoulder. In
deed, it has really painful effect upon me.
When | saw the actor in the farce who
was doomed to stand all the evening at
party, because he had not got his sitting
down trousers on, it did not excite my
laughter, but my pity and really feel the
same for YOU. Now, when crinolines were
in


80 papa 2" again from the ladies, ''you
know when we wore erinolines, you declared
them execrable, and all that sort of thing"


True, my dears. | did so, in common
with many, denounce them as hideous, as
destroyers of the human form, and a dread
iul penance to man who had to sit close
by a lady who wore those parrot-eages.
But that is no reason why YOU should fy to