Etiquette in Dress & Fashion 1871

Below is Chapter four of Fashion: The Power that influences the World ©1871 It's an incredibly small chapter and doesn't convey much more than one supposes but the fact that the author thought it important enough to put in his book, I found interesting. Especially the axioms he uses in his closing paragraph. Enjoy!

CHAPTER IV.

ETIQUETTE IN DRESS AND FASHION.

"Dress makes the man, the want of it the fellow,
And all the rest is leather and prunella."
"Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not expressed in fancy, rich, not gaudy,
For the apparel oft proclaims the man."

Etiquette in dress and fashion-is founded upon the all-important data, viz.: What is due to ourselves in the position we hold in society, and what we owe to those who have a claim on our respect, and in whom we are in daily intercourse.

From the time of the patriarchs to the present day, all nations of the world have had their ceremonial vestments, and despite the sneers of the cynic and the diatribes of the disorganizers of the social system, the best bred people of the civilized world have distinguished themselves from the under classes by the preservation of customs so easy of practice, and which convey to the intelligent mind the assurance, that he who faithfully observes the minor morals of society is rarely deficient in its more important virtues.

The Italian says, "Show me your company, and I will tell you who you are." "Respect yourself as the first step to the respect of others." This axiom aptly applies to our daily dress, upon which we will now note down a few standard rules, gathered from the best society and authors in this and other oountries.