Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-06-27
COMMUNICATIONS.
For the telegram,

UT ule Telegraph.
Mr.. EDITOR Your female correspondent
thinks that the discussion of short dresses should
not be all on one side-and being of the same
opinion, thought would give few of NM ideas
on the subject She says, "when we would dis
cuss the subject with its advocates we are inva-
riably met with objections to our present form of
dress, &c. Now | ask any sane person if the
reasons assigned are not sufficiently strong to
| make any rational woman willing to adopt al
most anything that would relieve her of it. She
says, she never saw any of the ten or fifteen
pound skirts spoken Of" | will not accuse your
correspondent of telling willfu untruths Per-
haps she may have shut her eyes to the facts,
or has not very retentive memory, or she sure
ly could call to mind the time when poor weak
woman outrivalled the camel in the size of the
hump on the back, to say nothing of the six and
seven breadths i'll the skirts of their dresses. or
the quilted skirts with ropes in the bottoms of
them. Why, during the reign of the hustle fash
ION, have known of fashionable young ladies
gong out hot summer days wearing five full
skrts--more than half OF them heavy quilted
ones; and is it a wonder that they complained of
an aching back and weary limbs on their return
Now think that was far more ridiculous than
the short dress and trOwsers.
Any change in COSTUME does not appear ,ceH
| N-@N-" -
become accustomed to it. am sure the appea-
rance of the hustle was very absurd at first; but
1t was finally adopted even by old ladies' Now
1t this lady Is a correct Judge of what all of her
sex should wear, let her come out in a dress
equally as healthy and comfortable as the one
under discussion and if it really is better
| presume 1t Will be adopted in preference to the
other. | see her now, in my minds eve, array
| ed IN loose fitting bodice, without STAYS. her
skirts narrow, and some " four inches shorter y
than common. Imagine that she is so afraid of
becoming a man that she will not wear what all
| civilized women have worn for the last fifteen
years, viz: an article, or garment, very like the
pants, and that it is a windy day. Gas it usually is
here) and the picture is complete. There is no
doubt bat she would gain complete victory
over the short dresses and pants.
Now, all have to say, is, if ladies' could wear
an artificial hump on the back without being OBJ
| Jects of rdlcule, they can wear a dress adapted
| both TO their convenience and comfort without in
| curing either the censure or the contempt of
any one of good princ pies or sound sense. As
for the flattery dolly speaks of, do not know
what ste may have experienced but all the gen
te'nen that | have seen and heard, who are in
favor OF Its adoption, are beads of tamlies--hoSe
who know how uncomfortable the old STYLE of
dress must be; and as the lords of creation like
| to feel as comfortable as possible, tliey are will
| ling that the ladies' of creation should have the
| same privilege; and it is not impossible bat that
they may be tired Of paying doctor bills for the
affected spnes, difficult respirat ons, and pal pa-
ting hearts ofth female members of their fami-
Hes 1t would not be surprising it they began
to feel both willing and anxious that their wives
and daughters should be what God intended they
should healthy and active women
1t seems strange to me that woman should try
to Influence the pubic against their own best in
| tercsts. Our best female writers and physiolo-
glsts have warned us against the prescn1Sstyc of
dressing, in vain. We have had change after
change true, but most of them have been from
bad to worse 1t is impossible TO remedy this
form of Dir SIS and have it look tidy. If one
wears waist at all: it has got to fit rather tight,
and have some stays in it, or it gives woman
9luvenly appearancc--if her skirts are long and
scant they look altogether untidy. So if there
Is change, it must be change indeed and if
the health do not suffer we ought to be thankful,
il it does not please the fancy of every one.
There are some who bring the costume into
dsrepute by wearing the short dress with bo-
dice waist, and the most unbecOming of all old
hats. think those who adopt the new form of
dress oughttotr try and make them both as becom-
ing and comfortable as possible. W. R. E.