The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-06-21
Costume n Ia TurQue.


A few evenings since lady, accompanied by
gentleman. was seen prominading the streets ofour
beautiful town in eoytuns Ia Tir9s OF course
she attracted great dealof attention-every DO
dy was running to see-euquiiing, who IS she r
but no one knew h.r face wss vciied with
heavy, green veile so that she could not be reros
ni1ed Modest, she could not endure the public
gaze.
Since then, she ~ unsnown TO W. we shall
take the liberty of making one remark about her
dress, viz 1t was too long. 1t was scarcely an
improvement on the old style. and tits hoped
that her pattern will not be adopted BY any Of
he rest of our ladies' but that they will carry out
the original design OF the costume--dispense with
all unnecessary skirts, founces, hens, &c, and
dress solely with view to comfort and health.
We hope this costume will be generally adop
ted by the ladies Of our country, independent Of
what Madam De Chapel aourishes at Versailles
or Queen Victoria in the Crystal Palace. Amer
lean ladies ought to have intelligence, taste, and
independence enough to adopt styles and fashions
Of their own. 1t is beneath their dignity to be
continually mnitatiug the thousand ridiculous
notions of the Paris mantuamakers in reference to
TUNES, josies, stays, hounces, or pettycoats.
In looking over our various exchanges We mo-
tice that the press il unanimously in favor OF the
new costume. All our fashionable magazines
and periodicals take strong grounds in its favor.
The Home Jomnai probably the most aristocrat
c paper published in this country, and no doubt
the ablest critque upon this subject, is strongly
in favor OF the change. We make the following
extract from an article which we find in that pa
per, written By II lady who is vastly better quail
fled to point on; the evils and Inconvenience Of
the old mode Of dressing than we are She saws;
II should cry out, Liberty if were free of
nv long, embarrassing, always.in.,he way skirts.
Y gu can easily imagine their inconvenience Just
fancy you5 feet eteinally enveloped in costly.
yoluminous folds, irom which there is no escape,
by any known manpuyre Imagine long flight
Of steps to ascend, or a horse running away with
you. or your carriage in danger, how on earth
could Won ascend the steps without stepping on
your dress OF spring from your horse without
being caught or hung. or clear the carriage with
out being disgracefully stripped upl But the in
conveniences of this fashion, which we have borne
so patiently, do not stop here. You find walking,
riding. aud dining. attended with SO pauy dan
gers--do try sitting if you please, You may
fancy that one can, at least, sit m peace but your
troubles do not cease with locomotion. You
draw a chair and your skirts are spread around
you as usual carpetng the floor with rich bro
cadeS or gossimcr tissues Of costly patterns and
delicate hues People and perhaps children
are tramping around you, and on your robas, Of
course You rise--some bnds chair is on your
beautiful dress; and what b't is taken ont
Thus not only our purses but our tempers suffer.
These are not half the evils could enumerate
They produce a feeling OF dependence, and all
elasticity is stitled. Thus encumbered, we are
debarred all beautiful exercise; there is no clear
footed springlng; no bounding; no lightness and
ease; but ever the same slow, steady, careful
step, and uneasy, cumbrous, draggled, muddy,
dusty feeling Do you not perceive that our feet
are as useless as though We were all Chinese Do
you not see that our limbs are fettered. onr tenn
pers certainly not improved F; and all activity
shamefuly discouraged by this fashion, under
which we have been groaning for years Now,
the bare idea of delicate ladies dressing on, in
pantaloons like men, s horribly repulsive. They
would stepov barriers from which true modes
ty .hrnks but n short, full richly bordered skirt,
and tight bodice, with the Turkish trousers, and
perhaps glittering anklets, forms q costume really
pleasant to the eye, aud both girl.h and grace.
ful. There is nothing masculine IN this dress on
the contrary, it is light becoming, and delicate.
Nobody could object to so picturesque costume.
Squeamish old maids and grandmothers need
not adopt it, any more than they would short
sleeves or infant waists, (Which are yet grace
ul for the Young lady in her .eens.) But for the
young, sioe-eyed, li,tle-limbed, fary-footed miss
es, how charming it would be- Dospsak up for
IA"