NEATNESS of person, I observed, was as necessary as cleanliness; of
course, some attention must be paid to your dress.
SUCH is the absurdity of the times, that to pass well with the world, we
must adopt some of its customs, be they ridiculous or not.
IN the first place, to neglect one’s dress is to affront all the female
part of our acquaintance. The women in particular pay an attention to
their dress; to neglect therefore yours will displease them, as it would
be tacitly taxing them with vanity, and declaring that you thought them
not worth that respect which every body else does. And, as I have
mentioned before, it being the women who stamp a young man’s credit in
the fashionable world, if you do not make yourself agreeable to them,
you will assuredly lose ground among the men.
DRESS, as trifling as it may appear to a man of understanding,
prepossesses on the first appearance, which is frequently decisive. And
indeed we form some opinion of a man’s sense and character from his
dress. Any exceeding of the fashion, or any affectation whatever in
dress, argues a weakness in understanding, and nine times in ten, it
will be found so.
THERE are few young fellows but what display some character or other in
this shape. Some would be thought fearless and brave; these wear a black
cravat, a short coat and waistcoat, an uncommon long sword hanging to
their knees, a large hat fiercely cocked, and are _flash_ all over.
Others affect to be country squires; these will go about in buckskin
breeches, brown frocks, and great oaken cudgels in their hands, slouched
hats, with their hair undressed and tucked up under them to an enormous
size, and imitate grooms and country boobies so well externally, that
there is not the least doubt of their resembling them as well
internally. Others, again, paint and powder themselves so much, and
dress so finically, as leads us to suppose they are only women in boy’s
cloaths. Now a sensible man carefully avoids all this, or any other
affectation. He dresses as fashionably and as well as persons of the
best families and best sense; if he exceeds them, he is a coxcomb; if he
dresses worse, he is unpardonable.
DRESS yourself fine, then, if possible, or plain, agreeably to the
company you are in; that is, conform to the dress of others, and avoid
the appearance of being tumbled. Imitate those reasonable people of your
own age, whose dress is neither remarked as too neglected or too much
studied. Take care to have your clothes well made, in the fashion, and
to fit you, or you will, after all, appear awkward. When once dressed,
think no more of it; shew no fear of discomposing your dress, but let
all your motions be as easy and unembarrassed, as if you were at home in
your dishabille.