THE RULES OF FASHION IN BROOKLYN (1910)
******************************************************************************************************************************** Brownstone Detectives investigates the history of our clients’ homes. The story you are about to read was composed from research conducted in the course of one of those investigations. Do you know the history of YOUR house? ******************************************************************************************************************************** Although it may not be apparent today, Brooklyn was not always known for being on the edge of trends in fashion. As a matter of fact, the town was a noted backwater 150 years ago when the only other more fashionable place than its exceedingly fashionable neighbor just across the East River was London and Paris. But Brooklyn tried. And part of that effort was its strict observance of the rules and rituals of the fashions of the changing seasons. One, for instance, did not wear white trousers at the wrong time of year. Nor were certain color jackets worn at the wrong time of the season. Another men’s fashion rule that was strictly observed was the timing of the use of the men’s straw hat. This rule was so encased in society that if they were worn too early in the season, this act could invite derision – even from children. In 1910, on the 15th of April, it was apparent that one gentleman was challenging that rule. He was seen “this afternoon, at 2:16 o’clock, in the Federal Building,” wearing the boater. It was on a “chunky man of 40 years, who stood in the registry line, fingering a roll of bills.” “The straw created a mild sensation among […]
