WHAT A GOOD APPEARANCE WILL DO
Let thy attire be comely but not costly.--LIVY.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not expressed in fancy; rich not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
SHAKESPEARE.
I hold that gentleman to be the best dressed whose dress no one
observes.--ANTHONY TROLLOPE.
As a general thing an individual who is neat in his person is neat in
his morals.--H. W. SHAW.
There are two chief factors in good appearance; cleanliness of body and
comeliness of attire. Usually these go together, neatness of attire
indicating a sanitary care of the person, while outward slovenliness
suggests a carelessness for appearance that probably goes deeper than
the clothes covering the body.
We express ourselves first of all in our bodies. The outer condition
of the body is accepted as the symbol of the inner. If it is unlovely,
or repulsive, through sheer neglect or indifference, we conclude that
the mind corresponds with it. As a rule, the conclusion is a just one.
High ideals and strong, clean, wholesome lives and work are
incompatible with low standards of personal cleanliness. A young man
who neglects his bath will neglect his mind; he will quickly
deteriorate in every way. A young woman who ceases to care for her
appearance in minutest detail will soon cease to please. She will fall
little by little until she degenerates into an ambitionless slattern.
It is not to be wondered at that the Talmud places cleanliness next to
godliness. I should place it nearer still, for I believe that absolute
cleanliness _is_ godliness. Cleanliness or purity of soul and body
raises man to the highest estate. Without this he is nothing but a
brute.
There is a very close connection between a fine, strong, clean physique
and a fine, strong, clean character. A man who allows himself to
become careless in regard to the one will, in spite of himself, fall
away in the other.
But self-interest clamors as loudly as esthetic or moral considerations
for the fulfilment of the laws of cleanliness. Every day we see people
receiving "demerits" for failure to live up to them. I can recall
instances of capable stenographers who forfeited their positions
because they did not keep their finger nails clean. An honest,
intelligent man whom I know lost his place in a large publishing firm
because he was careless about shaving and brushing his teeth. The
other day a lady remarked that she went into a store to buy some
ribbons, but when she saw the salesgirl's hands she changed her mind
and made her purchase elsewhere. "Dainty ribbons," she said, "could
not be handled by such soiled fingers without losing some of their
freshness." Of course, it will not be long until that girl's employer
will discover that she is not advancing his business, and then,--well,
the law will work inexorably.
The first point to be emphasized in the making of a good appearance is
the necessity of frequent bathing. A daily bath insures a clean,
wholesome condition of the skin, without which health is impossible.
Next in importance to the bath is the proper care of the hair, the
hands, and the teeth. This requires little more than a small amount of
time and the use of soap and water.
The hair, of course, should be combed and brushed regularly every day.
If it is naturally oily, it should be washed thoroughly every two weeks
with a good reliable scalp soap and warm water, to which a very little
ammonia may be added. If the hair is dry or lacking in oily matter, it
should not be washed oftener than once a month and the ammonia may be
omitted. Manicure sets are so cheap that they are within the reach of
almost everyone. If you can not afford to buy a whole set, you can buy
a file (you can get one as low as ten cents), and keep your nails
smooth and clean. Keeping the teeth in good condition is a very simple
matter, yet perhaps more people sin in this particular point of
cleanliness than in any other. I know young men, and young women, too,
who dress very well and seem to take considerable pride in their
personal appearance, yet neglect their teeth. They do not realize that
there could hardly be a worse blot on one's appearance than dirty or
decaying teeth, or the absence of one or two in front. Nothing can be
more offensive in man or woman than a foul breath, and no one can have
neglected teeth without reaping this consequence. We all know how
disagreeable it is to be anywhere near a person whose breath is bad.
It is positively disgusting. No employer wants a clerk, or
stenographer, or other employee about him who contaminates the
atmosphere. Nor does he, if he is at all particular, want one whose
appearance is marred by a lack of one or two front teeth. Many an
applicant has been denied the position he sought because of bad teeth.
For those who have to make their way in the world, the best counsel on
the subject of clothes may be summed up in this short sentence, "Let
thy attire be comely, but not costly." Simplicity in dress is its
greatest charm, and in these days, when there is such an infinite
variety of tasteful but inexpensive fabrics to choose from, the
majority can afford to be well dressed. But no one need blush for a
shabby suit, if circumstances prevent his having a better one. You
will be more respected by yourself and every one else with an old coat
on your back that has been paid for than a new one that has not. It is
not the shabbiness that is unavoidable, but the slovenliness that is
avoidable, that the world frowns upon. No one, no matter how poor he
may be, will be excused for wearing a dirty coat, a crumpled collar, or
muddy shoes. If you are dressed according to your means, no matter how
poorly, you are appropriately dressed. The consciousness of making the
best appearance you possibly can, of always being scrupulously neat and
clean, and of maintaining your self-respect and integrity at all costs,
will sustain you under the most adverse circumstances, and give you a
dignity, strength, and magnetic forcefulness that will command the
respect and admiration of others.
Herbert H. Vreeland, who rose in a short time from a section hand on
the Long Island Railroad to the presidency of all the surface railways
in New York City, should be a practical authority on this subject. In
the course of an address on how to attain success, he said:--
"Clothes don't make the man, but good clothes have got many a man a
good job. If you have twenty-five dollars, and want a job, it is
better to spend twenty dollars for a suit of clothes, four dollars for
shoes, and the rest for a shave, a hair-cut, and a clean collar, and
walk to the place, than go with the money in the pockets of a dingy
suit."
[Illustration: John Wanamaker]
Most large business houses make it a rule not to employ anyone who
looks seedy, or slovenly, or who does not make a good appearance when
he applies for a position. The man who hires all the salespeople for
one of the largest retail stores in Chicago says:
"While the routine of application is in every case strictly adhered to,
the fact remains that the most important element in an applicant's
chance for a trial is his personality."
It does not matter how much merit or ability an applicant for a
position may possess, he can not afford to be careless of his personal
appearance. Diamonds in the rough of infinitely greater value than the
polished glass of some of those who get positions may, occasionally, be
rejected. Applicants whose good appearance helped them to secure a
place may often be very superficial in comparison with some who were
rejected in their favor and may not have half their merit; but having
secured it, they may keep it, though not possessing half the ability of
the boy or girl who was turned away.
That the same rule that governs employers in America holds in England,
is evidenced by the "London Draper's Record." It says:--
"Wherever a marked personal care is exhibited for the cleanliness of
the person and for neatness in dress, there is also almost always found
extra carefulness as regards the finish of work done. Work people
whose personal habits are slovenly produce slovenly work; those who are
careful of their own appearance are equally careful of the looks of the
work they turn out. And probably what is true of the workroom is
equally true of the region behind the counter. Is it not a fact that
the smart saleswoman is usually rather particular about her dress, is
averse to wearing dingy collars, frayed cuffs; and faded ties? The
truth of the matter seems to be that extra care as regards personal
habits and general appearance is, as a rule, indicative of a certain
alertness of mind, which shows itself antagonistic to slovenliness of
all kinds."
No young man or woman who wishes to retain that most potent factor of
the successful life, self-respect, can afford to be negligent in the
matter of dress, for "the character is subdued to what it is clothed
in." As the consciousness of being well dressed tends to grace and
ease of manner, so shabby, ill-fitting, or soiled attire makes one feel
awkward and constrained, lacking in dignity and importance. Our
clothes unmistakably affect our feelings, and self respect, as anyone
knows who has experienced the sensation--and who has not?--that comes
from being attired in new and becoming raiment. Poor, ill-fitting, or
soiled garments are detrimental to morals and manners. "The
consciousness of clean linen," says Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, "is in and
of itself a source of moral strength, second only to that of a clean
conscience. A well-ironed collar or a fresh glove has carried many a
man through an emergency in which a wrinkle or a rip would have
defeated him."
The importance of attending to little details--the perfection of which
really constitutes the well-dressed man or woman--is well illustrated
by this story of a young woman's failure to secure a desirable
position. One of those large-souled women of wealth, in which our
generation is rich, had established an industrial school for girls in
which they received a good English education and were trained to be
self-supporting. She needed the services of a superintendent and
teacher, and considered herself fortunate when the trustees of the
institution recommended to her a young woman whose tact, knowledge,
perfect manners, and general fitness for the position they extolled in
the highest terms. The young woman was invited by the founder of the
school to call on her at once. Apparently she possessed all the
required qualifications; and yet, without assigning any reason, Mrs. V.
absolutely refused to give her a trial. Long afterward, when
questioned by a friend as to the cause of her seemingly inexplicable
conduct in refusing to engage so competent a teacher, she replied: "It
was a trifle, but a trifle in which, as in an Egyptian hieroglyphic,
lay a volume of meaning. The young woman came to me fashionably and
expensively dressed, but with torn and soiled gloves, and half of the
buttons off her shoes. A slovenly woman is not a fit guide for any
young girl." Probably the applicant never knew why she did not obtain
the position, for she was undoubtedly well qualified to fill it in
every respect, except in this seemingly unimportant matter of attention
to the little details of dress.
From every point of view it pays well to dress well. The knowledge
that we are becomingly clothed acts like a mental tonic. Very few men
or women are so strong and so perfectly poised as to be unaffected by
their surroundings. If you lie around half-dressed, without making
your toilet, and with your room all in disorder, taking it easy because
you do not expect or wish to see anybody, you will find yourself very
quickly taking on the mood of your attire and environment. Your mind
will slip down; it will refuse to exert itself; it will become as
slovenly, slipshod, and inactive as your body. On the other hand, if,
when you have an attack of the "blues," when you feel half sick and not
able to work, instead of lying around the house in your old wrapper or
dressing gown, you take a good bath,--a Turkish bath, if you can afford
it,--put on your best clothes, and make your toilet as carefully as if
you were going to a fashionable reception, you will feel like a new
person. Nine times out of ten, before you have finished dressing your
"blues" and your half-sick feeling will have vanished like a bad dream,
and your whole outlook on life will have changed.
By emphasizing the importance of dress I do not mean that you should be
like Beau Brummel, the English fop, who spent four thousand dollars a
year at his tailor's alone, and who used to take hours to tie his
cravat. An undue love of dress is worse than a total disregard of it,
and they love dress too much who "go in debt" for it, who make it their
chief object in life, to the neglect of their most sacred duty to
themselves and others, or who, like Beau Brummel, devote most of their
waking hours to its study. But I do claim, in view of its effect on
ourselves and on those with whom we come in contact, that it is a duty,
as well as the truest economy, to dress as well and becomingly as our
position requires and our means will allow.
Many young men and women make the mistake of thinking that "well
dressed" necessarily means being expensively dressed, and, with this
erroneous idea in mind, they fall into as great a pitfall as those who
think clothes are of no importance. They devote the time that should
be given to the culture of head and heart to studying their toilets,
and planning how they can buy, out of their limited salaries, this or
that expensive hat, or tie or coat, which they see exhibited in some
fashionable store. If they can not by any possibility afford the
coveted article, they buy some cheap, tawdry imitation, the effect of
which is only to make them look ridiculous. Young men of this stamp
wear cheap rings, vermilion-tinted ties, and broad checks, and almost
invariably they occupy cheap positions. Like the dandy, whom Carlyle
describes as "a clothes-wearing man,--a man whose trade, office and
existence consists in the wearing of clothes,--every faculty of whose
soul, spirit, person and purse is heroically consecrated to this one
object," they live to dress, and have no time to devote to self-culture
or to fitting themselves for higher positions.
The overdressed young woman is merely the feminine of the overdressed
young man. The manners of both seem to have a subtle connection with
their clothes. They are loud, flashy, vulgar. Their style of dress
bespeaks a type of character even more objectionable than that of the
slovenly, untidily dressed person. The world accepts the truth
announced by Shakespeare that "the apparel oft proclaims the man"; and
the man and the woman, too, are frequently condemned by the very garb
which they think makes them so irresistible. At first sight, it may
seem hasty or superficial to judge men or women by their clothes, but
experience has proved, again and again, that they do, as a rule,
measure the sense and self-respect of the wearer; and aspirants to
success should be as careful in choosing their dress as their
companions, for the old adage: "Tell me thy company and I will tell
thee what thou art," is offset by this wise saying of some philosopher
of the commonplace: "Show me all the dresses a woman has worn in the
course of her life, and I will write you her biography."
"How exquisitely absurd it is," says Sydney Smith, "to teach a girl
that beauty is of no value, dress of no use. Beauty is of value. Her
whole prospect and happiness in life may often depend upon a new gown
or a becoming bonnet. If she has five grains of common sense, she will
find this out. The great thing is to teach her their proper value."
It is true that clothes do not make the man, but they have a much
larger influence on man's life than we are wont to attribute to them.
Prentice Mulford declares dress to be one of the avenues for the
spiritualization of the race. This is not an extravagant statement,
when we remember what an effect clothes have in inciting to personal
cleanliness. Let a woman, for instance, don an old soiled or worn
wrapper, and it will have the effect of making her indifferent as to
whether her hair is frowsy or in curl papers. It does not matter
whether her face or hands are clean or not, or what sort of slipshod
shoes she wears, for "anything," she argues, "is good enough to go with
this old wrapper." Her walk, her manner, the general trend of her
feelings, will in some subtle way be dominated by the old wrapper.
Suppose she changes,--puts on a dainty muslin garment instead; how
different her looks and acts! Her hair must be becomingly arranged, so
as not to be at odds with her dress. Her face and hands and finger
nails must be spotless as the muslin which surrounds them. The
down-at-heel old shoes are exchanged for suitable slippers. Her mind
runs along new channels. She has much more respect for the wearer of
the new, clean wrapper than for the wearer of the old, soiled one.
"Would you change the current of your thoughts? Change your raiment,
and you will at once feel the effect." Even so great an authority as
Buffon, the naturalist and philosopher, testifies to the influence of
dress on thought. He declared himself utterly incapable of thinking to
good purpose except in full court dress. This he always put on before
entering his study, not even omitting his sword.
There is something about ill-fitting, unbecoming, or shabby apparel
which not only robs one of self-respect, but also of comfort and power.
Good clothes give ease of manner, and make one talk well. The
consciousness of being well dressed gives a grace and ease of manner
that even religion will not bestow, while inferiority of garb often
induces restraint.
One can not but feel that God is a lover of appropriate dress. He has
put robes of beauty and glory upon all His works. Every flower is
dressed in richness; every field blushes beneath a mantle of beauty;
every star is veiled in brightness; every bird is clothed in the
habiliments of the most exquisite taste. And surely He is pleased when
we provide a beautiful setting for the greatest of His handiworks.