. Two centuries of costume in America, MDCXX-MDCCCXX . superficial reader — and writer — commentingupon the sumptuary laws of the New World asif they were extraordinary and peculiar. Thereappeared in a recent American magazine a longrehearsal of the unheard-of presumption of Puritanmagistrates in their prohibition of certain articles ofdress. This writer was evidently wholly ignorantof the existence of similar laws in England, and evenof like laws in Virginia, but railed against Winthropand Endicott as monsters of Puritanical arroganceand impudence. In truth, however, such laws had existed not
. Two centuries of costume in America, MDCXX-MDCCCXX . superficial reader — and writer — commentingupon the sumptuary laws of the New World asif they were extraordinary and peculiar. Thereappeared in a recent American magazine a longrehearsal of the unheard-of presumption of Puritanmagistrates in their prohibition of certain articles ofdress. This writer was evidently wholly ignorantof the existence of similar laws in England, and evenof like laws in Virginia, but railed against Winthropand Endicott as monsters of Puritanical arroganceand impudence. In truth, however, such laws had existed not onlyin France and England, but since the days of theold Locrian legislation, when it was ordered that nowoman should go attended with more than onemaid in the street unless she were drunk. An-cient Rome and Sparta were surrounded by dressrestrictions which were broken just as were similarones in more modern times. The Roman couldwear a robe but of a single color; he could wearin embroideries not more than half an ounce of Two Centuries of Costu. Old Ven gold; and with what seems churlishness he wasforbidden to ride in a carriage. At that time, justas in later days, dress was made to emphasize classdistinction, and the clergy joined with the magis-trates in denouncing extravagant dress in both menand women. The chronicles of the monks are everchiding men for their peaked shoes, deep sleevesand curled locks like women, and Savonarola out-did them all in severity. The English kings andqueens, jealous of the rich dress of their opulentsubjects, multiplied restrictions, and some verycurious anecdotes exist of the calm assumptionby both Elizabeth and Mary to their own ward-robe of the rich finery of some lady at the courtwho displayed some new and too becoming Smith declared it an act of highest im-pertinence and presumption for kings and rulers to Dress of the New England Mothers 65 pretend to watch over the earnings and expenditureof private persons, nevertheless th
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectclothinganddress
