Fashion
P. 161 The satirists of every age have considered woman's vanity and love of dress legitimate subjects for their keenest strokes. The enormous hoops, crape-cushioned head-dresses, furbelows, powder, and patches of the days of Addison and goldsmith only gave place to other fantastic modes, which have in turn called forth the ridicule of lesser wits down to the present day. Whether all their poignant witticisms ever lessened the number of patches, made "top-knots come down," or reduced the size of a sleeve, is somewhat doubtful. Fashion is a goddess who will not be laughed out of countenance. Her frown is terrific; her votaries proclaim from her high places - "It is better to be out of the world than out of the fashion."
Expenditure on Dress
P. 51 In regulating your expenditure, do not delude yourself with the idea, that in making an appearance above your station you are furthering the interests of your husband; this is frequently a masque to conceal a wife's vanity and ambition; she persuades herself that such a connection is desirable, "for how very important it will be to my husband" to cultivate it; - the expense is never calculated - the extra style of dress- the extra establishment is obtained; the cost is certain, the success problematical, perhaps incompatible with reason; and if she would but look into her own heart, she would probably find that selfish vanity, or silly rivalry, has been the secret spring, which she has shut from her view by the veil of a supposed benefit to her husband; be assured that where success is once attained by the assumption of a style above a person's circumstances, ruin is ten times oftener the result.
P. 54 The following maxims on dress and fashion are worthy of the attention of every person of discretion:
Do not permit fashion to impair the health.
Dress should never infringe on delicacy.
Dress ought not to involve unnecessary expense.
Dress should not engross too much time.
To the above may be added, Dress should be consistent with station, place, age. All of these subjects would bear amplification, but they will immediately suggest trains of thought to every ingenuous mind. Mr. Giles has in a few words summed up the evils of the absence of economy, and with them I shall close this chapter:-
"Want of economy has involved thousands in misery and in those houses where it is predominant, little is beheld but disorder and confusion; their families are in general as dissipated and as thoughtless as themselves. Harmony and decorum, with their inseparable companions, peace and happiness, are guests that find within such walls neither residence nor repose."
Fashion Expense
Pp. 292-293 That many young women, who read this chapter, will wholly lay aside their ornaments, and fit themselves, as fast as possible, for the noble purpose of ornamenting those around them, by promoting their physical, intellectual and moral well being, can hardly be expected. But I do hope that I shall lead a few to expend less of time and money in dressing and ornamenting their persons than heretofore, and more in dressing and ornamenting the immortal mind, as well as more in promoting health of body.
I cannot but hope to live to see the day, when every person who professes the name of Jesus Christ, and not a few who make no professions at all, will entertain similar views in regard to the purposes of dress and their own duty in relation to it, to those which I have endeavored to inculcate. Such a day must surely come sooner or later; and I hope that those who believe this, will make it their great rule to expend as little on themselves as possible, and yet answer the true intentions of the Creator respecting themselves.
Dress for Cold, pg 232
I lay it down, then as a general rule that while we should never yield, one moment, to the mistaken, but very prevalent notion, that going cold hardens us*, we should always keep as cool as we can, without being uncomfortable. One degree of unnecessary heat is more injurious than two of unnecessary cold.
*Going cold may, indeed, slightly harden us, but not without too great a sacrifice of our original stock of vital power. It is not, therefore, safe to attempt any such hardening process - certain savage nations to the contrary notwithstanding.