The Eternal Subject

Since Eve wandered out of Paradise attired in a garment of fig-leaves, worn· en's apparel has been the cause of much comment by the members of both sexes. According to Teufelsdrock, the first purpose of clothes was ornament. After man's pains of hunger and desire for revenge were satisfied, his next care was not comfort, but decoration or adornment. Clothes did not hold the important place that they hold today; a string of beads, a pattern tatooed or painted, a flower in the hair and he was dressed. The Indian would probably stay naked rather than part with his feathers and beads. Desire for beauty is said to be the basis of every passing fashion of the savage, of the barbarian and of civilized man. Modern dress seems to change because of the desire for something new and more satisfying aesthetically than the old.