EXTRAVAGANCE IN DRESS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 79, 27 December 1907, Page 3

EXTRAVAGANCE IN DRESS

'.;The .question ~of;.'.extravagance, in " dress;especially when,.it • is. woman's 'extravagance,'' is onoyof perennial interest.'; If.-.it. seems, to' sloop for V time it ;is' ; sure', to 'be - aroused . !speedily;by; some sea'tiling'-',criticism iti the ■law-courts or by spmo.special season of display. ■•' In Melbourno papers a vigorous correspondence' followed 'hard/on; the heels! of Cup , I)ay, and many, complaints''wore made about-. '. tho;extravagance of?Melbourne'.'women,;;. who' : certainly secrii .to strain every-norve to shine : on that •festival, day. The 'cchocs/of; this dis-- ; puto have /hardly, .'died-, .away, and the ■ "Argus." now quotes, with. long-/comment the''opinion.'of Mr. Justice Grantham/in England; \vh'o' : has," it says, .been''delivering 'a'. • stern '.lecture,to the .women of thp';kiiigclom',; the reason being their unpaid.'bi]Js..'with,dress-, maker, costumier,, and milliner. He. seems to :havei found' evidence that some of: tho women of fasbion;aro' accustomed'tp; go'systematic- .- ally and unscrupulously - the -;round-, of,;the' shops/and when creditf fails, in ' Regent: Street' , to flit, into : the'/suburbs with the 'dubious benefit of/their'custom.: The, conclusion, to : be .drawn, is: consciences.-, of, many women .lose 'much' of,.their native,force when, the, vision,.of'.a : new, dress! js: placed before them.'..'Curiously enough, while -Mr. Justice Grantham was "administering .'■"' his . reproof. liondon was'discussing .the'new play; at .'St.: James'.s'Theatre—a translation of. M. Henry. Bernstein's " Lo Vdleur,' '—in which the leading lady "steals a. whole' bundle of bank' notes in order .to' dress-in a way suitable ./to/that' station 'in life to .which ■ it.-' has/'.pleased; Heaven,and.her husband to call, her..■:•'.'Pas- . sionat'ely;-adoring .her husband,':' ■:'. "The Times "/critic says,. " and/afraid , of ; losing him ; if she'does, not maintain at all. pointsman ;attraction'superior',to other women's, she has .lia'd-tp''dress/beyond 'her 'mean's';'/'. /In ithjs 'conception ':'Ms''Bernstein/ certainly ".places Marise- Chelford' -in a.' delicate and •'difficult position'.. If she-' loses credit at-the:dress-maker's she thinks she will lose love/at home. The/women, .upon whom ;Mr:;. .'Justice- .Grant; liam's displeasure falls have, no-surfh complex motive behind their;dishonesty.-,They simply fulfil: the, definition which Addison' /ascribes to'one-of the, old .'fathers—"an '.ahifna.l'.-.that ,dclights'in' ; finery,''r-and to; gratifyr'.thatrdej. light' : t-bov , defy 'the ■ hampenng .commercial principle' jrbich'': demands; cash/ for goods :,de 7 livefed and received, -j/ :.•••■■■ ,-' ' .>■; • ' No' doubt, clothes .create': a- true'; sphere of' triumph/for womankind.' 'To/be r.the/hest-dres'sed-woman of'-a city makes; the- peerless' 6ne'm6re'fam6'us'thanit.no'city's'Lord- I May.or., She/is < a/monarch ;in the/great ■ -kingdom,;of fashion/ '/".Dress-to 'a wqmnn;''./a charming, lady/exblaims'-in/'a/series/of-Parisian sketches;' recently-published, "'is/whdt his/palette/is'to:,ai.v.ar'tist, scenery-to/an actori/rhytlim'-tq a poet.!'' - No- wonder/then, that.Va'_ woman sometimes: flouts "the.-idea', that; honest,.pay?., ment'is'the only way ; of obtaihing:the nee'es'sary 'sotting.- for.her 'charm's.-, .-A .dean; purse is -a-cruel'handicap when,- if; one were .only a Princess like Marie. Buonaparte, • she/might' na've'.oO, lints, and :£i5,000-worth!' of lirigerio- as m6re, : items';in/be.r' trousseau..-.So':.she..My.s, ,-and-bids'vthe-t'ra'desman whistle'for, paymen,t., It,'must-bo'',hastJly:admit.t'ed.that:.some.men, ire in- a - like .case. -. Though!,Clivo v/a.s jroft-h' £40,000-a ; 'year! when:lid. 'excelled-all..'other luxurious.Nabobs.-by .ordering-'."two.hundred shirtsi;.the'best loya'.or-riioiiey',". : there! have- been':.others/less sure'.of -ability : to -pay :y. ; hen'they,'gaye,'tlieir orders. '}Vbcfe"is the-;man 'bold.•enough'-ito., say. • that;- at" no. time -'ha:- has.: kept t-thc '.tailor; waiting ■ for- his: money ? Neverth'elcss/.'nien, may: plead that'they Aire better-th'aii women -in'-'this/'particular.- part;of morals./ Even ,M. Borristeiri could not persuade,an' audience-to listen .to a ;play -in- whicli : tho ..jeuno premier emhezzles>.because -ho .wants, to .dress, .more pr'c.ttily. ■ It '. may . though..-tfith trbmblingrthat in'! Australian cities there/are ivdm'en "whouleserve'4he>' judicial/condemnav tion lately/uttered. 'AVho:and w,here.they are is; a-secret.of thejdressmaker- ( 5..:; inay)be>comparable fo'th'at of Marise ln'the play—that iiney. dress'.'e'xpensivel'y-.to hold' the. gazd'of men, who are", "therefore, 'the;, insti-, gators .'of; offence. Plaut'us:,mak'es-,a,sprjghtly dams'elsay, " many fa'njts ; ;,;bu't ■the'', worst: of the/many-is ,tKis'Trwhen; thpy: please''themselves'• too much, and 'take ■' too little'trouble'to : please'.the'men:'' Witlv'so sa'go' : a dictum 'no inan : pught'vto -.quarrel.; But'when the. affectionate'desiro l: to please,is followed• by a.thumping'bill, it,'is,'time 'for Marise!s husband to say that he would- be content-, with/ beauty- less ' /elaborately, .adorned. -:-." / .'.-/'.' ■- •.•..■:•'.;•'■■•/ !■'■'. ; '-'- :; --. ■