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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



suits. Thus, from girdles loaded with ornaments and from blank- 

 ets worn at the shoulders and at the waist, we can see the begin- 

 nings of all the forms of the southern dress type. Curiously- 

 enough, we ourselves preserve both types of dress. There are two 

 great conservative elements in society woman and religion. 



Both have served and do 

 serve to-day as useful brakes 

 upon rash and too impetuous 

 change. The northern and 

 the southern types of dress 

 once came in conflict. The 

 time was that of the inva- 

 sions of the northern barba- 

 rians upon imperial Rome. 

 Both men and women, in the 

 ancient days of Rome, wore 

 southern dress. The barba- 

 rians wore the tighter-fitting 

 garments of their colder cli- 

 mate. The southern man 

 adopted the more convenient 

 type ; the woman did not ; 

 and so we see to-day our 

 men in jackets with tight 

 sleeves, and trousers fitting 

 close, while women continue 

 to wear in a modified form the dress of the sunny south flow- 

 ing garments, skirts, and cloaks. 



We have no inclination to trace the details of the history of 

 our modern dress. In closing, however, we do wish to call atten- 

 tion to some " survivals " in our garments of to-day. The hat- 

 band, with its bow always on the left side, is such a survival. It 

 exists because it once had a real use, and for the position of the 

 knot there is a reason. A hat once was simply a piece of stuff, 

 which was held in place upon the head by binding it with a bit of 

 cord or ribbon. This cord, of course, was tied, and in course of 

 time the knot became large and ornamental. It was the day of 

 sword practice, and such a cockade upon the right side would have 

 interfered with the free use of the weapon ; hence the knot must 

 be upon the left side. The band and knot remain, though they 

 have long been useless. Tylor shows us that the dress-coat, the 

 ugly and uncomfortable " siv allow -tail" is a survival. It is really 

 the old riding-coat. " The cutting away at the waist had once the 

 reasonable purpose of preventing the coat-skirts from getting in 

 the way in riding, while the pair of useless buttons behind the 

 waist are also relics from the time when such buttons really served 



Fig. 11. Southeen Type of Dress. Japan. 



