SOCIAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1913, 9 October 1890, Page 34

SOCIAL TOPICS.

By Cigarette.

BAD TASTE IN PRESS. There are few papers or periodicals printed which have not something or other to say about dress. It is a subject that women never tuo of; bub although so much is written about the arb of dressing well and so much time is spent iv talking about dress, yet there are always to be found a great many men and women who dress badly. Men's minds are supposed to be above such paltry considerations as personal adornmpnt, therefore it is excusable if their attire is sometimes in bad taste ; yet, strange to say, they do not err half so often in this respect as women. There Is no " excuse for a woman to dress badly, always provided she has the wherewithal to be clothed, and is not one of those unhappy maidens we read of in the Girls' Own Paper, who seem to be constantly relating their struggles to dress on £12 a year. These heroines' gowns must be made ot sterner stuff than ours, for, according to their account, the same frock gets turned inside out and upside down, washed, dyed, and entirely renovated — in fact, undergoes a complete resurrection every year. How tired thewearermustbecomeofit! for women are not like men in being fond of old garments. Men have quite an affection for their old clothes, and nothing annoys them more than to give one of their shabbiest coats away to a passing tramp. " Where's that old coat of mine ? " asks George, the very next day after it has been given to the Chinaman. " Here it is," says Mabel, handing him one a degree less shabby than the departed garment. " Oh, I don't mean that ; surely you know the one I mean — that brown one with tho elbows out." " What 1 " says Mabel ; " you don't mean that horrid thing with the greasy collar and the splash of green paint on the front— why, it is nothing

but rags." "Yes, that's it," says George. 11 Where is it 1 " Mabel gets nervous. " Well, you see, George, I thoughtyou really could not possibly think of wearing it again, so I— l— l gave it to theOhinaman yesterday; the poor man looked so dirty." George grows surly ; he feels it is time to take a stand. Here was his favourite old coat, the only one that he could garden in comfortably, gone to the dogs on the back of a Chinaman I So now the sweet though sickly monotony of the honeymoon is broken by a very pretty quarrel, and Mabel is given to understand that George's old clothes are not to be interfered with. It is " the little rif i within the lute, which by and bye shall make the music mute." So, brides, beware I don't judge your husband's love of dress by your own. The longer a woman wears a dress the more she dislikes it ; the longer a man wears a coafc the more he loves it. Perhaps the reason that men do not so often show bad taste in dress is that they have not so much scope for it. If a man has a good tailor he is sure to look passable, but however good a woman's dressmaker may be so much depends on her own taste that she may even mar the effect of one of Worth's triumphs. Her bonnet or hat may not match or contrast weli with her form, even her parasol or gloves may spoil the tout ensemble, for there is no better definition of beauty than the old Roman one, " multitude in unity," and even in dress, where there is not unity the result is a failure. You have only to walk through the town to see how many people show bad taste in their dre ss. One girl with a red wing in her hat wears a yellow handkerchief, a blue gown, and a grey jacket. Now, why could she not have had the gown grey instead of blue, the handkerchief red instead of yellow ? It would not have cost any more, and yet how much more becoming the costume would have been to her. Every girl likes to look her best, but some show bad taste in over-dressing. Again, incongruous dress is bad taste, and yet how often we see it. " Sheep dressed lamb fashion " is most incongruous, yet very common. There are so few who can grow old gracefully and make their garments clothe them instead of ridiculing them. What beauty is there in bare, long necks or scraggy, powdered arms ? And how much more becoming are bonnets to buxom matrons than jaunty sailor hats. Women frequently show bad taste, too, in jewellery, using their hands to display their rings, instead of their rings to display their hands. One ring, and that a good one, is quite enough on each hand, and should only be worn on the third finger. Red, freckled, and grimy hands covered with rings are, needless to say, execrable taste. When men display bad taste in dress it usually takes the shape of glaringly ugly ties, a, superabundance of jewellery, or too pronounced checks. There are even some who go to the extent of being careless as to the whiteness of their linen; this tendency should be nipped in the bud by the women folk belonging to them, whose duty it is to take a pride in the personal appearance of their male relatives. To avoid bad taste in dress a little knowledge of colour is absolutely necessary. Then if you want original ideas study Nature. What beautiful blendings of colour we see in a sunset sky, and what delicious contrasts and soft gradations of colour are displayed in the petals of the smallest flower that blooms ! The secret of good taste is to dress suitably. However rich the material of the gown may be, it will be in bad taste if worn on unsuitable occasions. It is better to be underdressed than over-dressed. Children should be simply dressed. Babies always look best in white. A woman's dress should be like the setting of a jewel, enhancing but not eclipsing her charms ; therefore Dress well, sweet maid, and let who will be clever ; Wear pretty frocks, not study all day long. To female franchise bid adieu for ever, And life shall be to thee one grand sweet song.