The Tale Of The Shirt

The youngster who looUs upon the reccnl rehelllon against the style of atarched shlrl he was brouiïht up In as an eridence of somctulng new in the worhl has much to learn ot the past says the New York Oraphic. Th lilain llnen front, glossy and Uil, to which h bas been accustomcd as a part of evcry gentleman's attlre, Is 110 monument of the usu(; of centCrles, as he may Imagine. It la real); a ïeiult of the conveutlonal law preecrlbins tbc stern slinpllcity of the evcuing dres9. TUIs ltself Is the rcsult or cllmlnatlon, every oolor and extraucou ornament which (ormerly adorncd the eiqualte havlng been discarded and lines of rigld severlty beIng idopted as the extreme eftort of ele gaace. It is not maiiy ycars - only about tweutyfive - sincc it becaine coinmon for men te have tbeir shirts wade up anay frotn home. 1 ' n t il tben the nomen of every económica! hoiiseboM made (he shirts for the men, and It may be said parüuthetically, a wcll-fitting shirt was in those dars a curlosity. The tastu and fancy of the fair seamstress had every opportunlty for display in the way ol variety, and the result ws a surprlslu? variety. Kulllcs bad al that time nuarly gune out of use, but plalts, and iratliercd fronts wero comino enougli. The teuilenry toward simplicltr brougbt a reduction in the iium ber of these plalts, uu til three broad plaits, the last touch of funcy work that was allowed, gave way to the pitia front that has been the etrle for a dozen or more of yeara. Tbij last is the only tblng that really harmoiiizet with the "dress suit," so-callcd, or ereniug dress. It is not surprlslng that the fashlon should begin to chauge, and that new inaterialt should take the place, as they are now taking it, of liucn and muslln for day wear and for négligé gorments. The very decided moveinent toward white flanuel that begau last nummer is likely to be stronner this ummer, but every oiher avallable kind of woveo joods is now einplored. Silken, woolen, cotton, and ltucn clothes of numerous kinds tind a place, and the taste that tincls expres) 'on In color and even einbroiderr Is no longer cousidered outre. These changea, however, are trlfling compared with those that liave taken place slnc flye humired years ago, wheu the shirt becarne a thlng of commou use. Before thal men had not developed the under garmenl plan of dressing, and wore thelr clothes ir Tery ainercui iasniou Irom tnatnowin voirue. A wrlter lo the San Francisco Chronicle rei-cutly sketchcd Id outline tlic v;uiont r:ullca changes tbat haTe linen Introducid slncc Ibe liirtb of tbe shirt Hablls of personal cleanlluess, be Intimates, were not as rlgid In th fourtcenth century ai Id the nlneteentb, and for a long time the shirt was worn like tbe modern undershlrl, io concealment, partly becaute it was selilotn in a comlition to beai Intpcctlon. lts lerif;th varieii In different perlods accordlng to tbe f nshion of tbe outer garinents, but it was kept hldtlen untll at leueth an ornamenled band, the percursoi of the rnoderu collar, bojjan to show the I neck. ïhen a display was In voguo of tbe ! lower part, hetgeen tbc doublet and the lonj; hose. Then portions of tbe sleere ere ex posed through elashes lu the doublel sleeves. In tbe serentecnth contuty the ciliar was all tbat was generiilly showu, and Ibis assuined,at some perlods, c-norinous pruportlous hik! fantlstlc sbapeg. Frorn 1700 to 18üO A. D. ' there seemed to be utrenoial desln; to displuv j as much as possible of the usèful gurnu-ut. Tbe waUtcoat, worn orer It, was only caufrbt together by loops at the walst, and sboweil more than modeiu observers would consldei decourus. Tbe roaction froni tbis was tht closlng up of tbe walstcoat and tbe erowtb ol the cravat, whlcb latter, at llist ai blit as a shawl, gradually subslded to the "stock" of our grandfat'hers and then the moderü tle. Tbe Tarlous chances, norrated carefiilli and In detail, would lili a volume, but these few outllnes show the geueral charaeter ol the clianee. llow soon another revolutloii la dress inay come It Is imposslble to RUeas, bat tbat It will come lome Urne It is certam and tbat the starchcd shirt will uiler chani; witli the other {;arinents adiultd of no que tion.