Excerpt from The English Renaissance of Art by Oscar Wilde1

Currently, perhaps one of the most difficult things for us to do is choose a notable and joyous dress for men. At present we have lost all nobility of dress and, in doing so, we have almost destroyed the modern sculptor. And, in looking around at the figures which adorn our parks, one could almost wish we had completely killed the noble art. To see the frock coat2 of the drawing room3 done in bronze, or the double waistcoat perpetuated4 in marble, is a new horror. Indeed, in looking through the history of costume, seeking an answer to the questions we have put forth, there is little today that is either beautiful or appropriate.

One of the earliest forms of fashion is the Greek drapery5, which is exquisite for young girls. And then, I think we may be pardoned a little enthusiasm over the dress of the time of Charles I 6. His fashion was so beautiful indeed, that in spite of its invention being with the Cavaliers7, the Puritans8 copied it. And the dress for the children of that time must not be passed over. It was a very golden age for the little ones. I do not think that they have ever looked so lovely as they do in the pictures of that time. The dress of the last century in England is also especially gracious and graceful. There is nothing bizarre or strange about it. It is full of harmony and beauty.

In these days, we hear ladies boast that they do not wear a dress more than once. In the old days, when dresses were decorated with beautiful designs and worked with exquisite embroidery, ladies rather took a pride in bringing out the garment, wearing it many times, and handing it down to their daughters. This process would, I think, be quite appreciated by a modern husband when called upon to pay his wife’s bills.

And how shall men dress? Men say that they do not particularly care how they dress, and this it is little matter. I am bound to reply that I agree: I can observe that you do not give much thought to your fashion. In all my journeys through the country, the only well-dressed men that I saw — and in saying this, I truthfully do mean to criticize the trendy men of Fifth Avenue9 — were the Western miners. Their wide-brimmed hats, which shaded their faces from the sun and protected them from the rain, and their cloaks, which are the most beautiful pieces of drapery ever invented, are worthy of being admired. Their high boots, too, were sensible and practical. They wore only what was comfortable, and therefore beautiful.


1 Oscar Wilde was an Irish writer who visited and wrote about America. He lived from 1854 to 1900.
2 A long formal jacket with overlapping sides and two rows of buttons.
3 A room for welcoming and entertaining guests in a large house.
4 To perpetuate something means to help it continue to exist.
5 Draperies are clothes that hang in loose folds. Many Grecian fashions included drapery.
6 Charles I was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He lived from 1600 to 1649.
7 The Cavaliers supported King Charles I and the Anglican church during the English Civil War.
8 The Puritans were Protestants who wanted to reform the Anglican church. They were very different from and in some ways opposed to the Cavaliers.
9 Fifth Avenue is a major metropolitan street in New York City, known for its expensive shopping.
Select the correct answer.
In this passage, how does the author connect past English fashions and the American fashions of the time?

A.
He argues that modern American women are more fashionable than English women from earlier eras because American women don’t wear the same dresses more than once.
B.
He criticizes American fashions by negatively comparing them with older English styles.
C.
He demonstrates why the Cavaliers and the Puritans developed such different ways of dressing.
D.
He suggests that Charles I had a notable influence on American children’s clothing.
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