It was a common assumption in the antebellum United States that "Character is displayed, yes! moral taste and goodness, or their perversion, are indicated in dress."[7] Some influential Americans, including Godey's editor Sarah Josepha Hale, expressed concern about the effect of luxurious European fashions on the republican virtues of their countrywomen, and sought to promote simplicity and refinement as the defining trait of American style. However, the subscriber-driven and increasingly competitive market for periodicals meant that fashion plates would become increasingly common throughout the 1840s. To resolve this political problem, periodical editors increasingly touted their fashion plates as original creations, citing New York City or Philadelphia, the fashion capitals of the nation, as inspiration.[2]