volity, it is still a means of culture,
an instrumentality in the hands of virtue, an evidence of civilization.
It addresses itself to the taste, and affords opportunity for its
improvement. Taste is an element of mind. It is the spring-source of the
fine arts, of all the embellishments of life, of poetry, and all that
pertains to elegant literature. It is the grand refiner of life.
Whatsoever cultivates the taste, develops properly its activities, and
refines and elevates its pleasures, does a good office for man. And this
is just the proper office of Dress. It is true that Dress has a mission,
a good one, a moral one, ay, a religious one. It is a refiner, a
cultivator, a subduer of coarseness, barbarity, rudeness. Pity the soul
that has no taste for Dress. The Dress of a man speaks out his soul. In
other words, a man is known by his Dress; not by its richness, not by
its conformity to fashion, but by its neatness, appropriateness,
harmony, and the way he carries it. A clown will carry a king's dress
clownishly; and a true king will carry a clown's dress kingishly. It is
not the Dress that makes the man, but the man that makes the Dress.

Every state of society is manifest in its Dress. The savage is fond of
gewgaws, glitter, paint, feathers, colors, mere show, with little or no
reference to utility or taste. The barbarian approaches one step nearer
the true standard. He exhibits a faint idea of utility and taste; he
subdues and blends colors, puts ornaments into use, and varies his Dress
a little to suit circumstances. The civilized man shows more taste, less
ambition for glowing colors, a greater skill in making, a better idea of
fitness and propriety. The enlightened man is more grave in the
character of his Dress, wears less ornaments, admits none save where it
combines utility and taste, is chaste, subdued, harmonious, classical in
every thing that pertains to Dress. We can not yet lay full claims to an
enlightened Dress. Our female Dress is a half barbaric costume--a rude
mixture of ornament and utility, in which ornament greatly predominates.

Our soldier's Dress, very appropriately, retains all the elements of
savagism--high colors, sharp contrasts, profuseness of ornament. This is
as it should be. But every enlightened man should regret that our female
Dress is not more grave, classical, chaste, subdued, and appropriate,
combining taste and utility, refinement and strength. A woman in full
street Dress, with h