Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-07-11

The New Costume.

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This style of dress lately adopted by the
fashionable portion of the fair sex, APP
pears to have attracted an unusual degree
of public censure, in proportion to that
which other fashions equally new, and sub
ject, therefore, from their novelty alone, to
ridicule, have met with on their first in
troductien into society. Why the beauti-
full feet of the really beautiful young ladies
should be imprisoned in the perpetual
gloom of an overshadowing skirt, and pre-
cluded from participation in the enjoyment
of glorious daylight, is question which if
attempted to be answered, and that answer
accompaniedwith its reason, would, have
no doubt, perplex the discriminating pow
ers of the sagest philosopher. To me the
ridicule so unmerrited in this instance,
ought in some good degree, to meet with
rebuke; and as error can only be success
fully combated by sound logic, viii brief
ly state few of the many reasons that
might be given for the speedy and perman-
ent establishment of the New Costume as
the female dress of the age. a si
In the first place hold it to be almost
automatic, that well formed foot is invar-
iably the incident of an amiable disposition
In female, and as /, with many other of
our sex, am candidate for matrimony,
then, on the grounds of personal interest,
as well as to confer favor on all aenquir-
ing friends" SO that neither nor they may
form incorrect notions as to matrimony-
which is said to be the most difficult kind
of money to judge OIL would at this time
give my cordial support to any fashion that
might affold facilities for the acquisition of
knowledge of such paramount importance
as in my opinion is afforded By the New
Costume. | consider myself as speaking
the sentiments of all the young gentlemen
of this place in regard to the subject under
consideration. Then who has the right to
form public opinion in this matter? Ger
tainly not the old and married men; they
have made their bargains in matrimony,
and if they have been deceived in their
choice of wives, they should not say that
Others must be liable to similar deception.
The old women and matrons should not
rail out against the Costume, as it is but of
little importance to us or them what they
wear. They may wear wooden shoes, or
brooches 10 the knees and trowsers from
that down, SO as to hide bad stockings, or
any other time-honored dress, and we
would not quarrel with them about It.
Then it remains with the unmarried lalies
to say whether the Costume shall become
of general use or not. Shall the neat, the
tidy, and the modest Costume take the pace
of the unwieldly, cumberous, and thou
sand pucker street sweeping dress now in
fashion Oh not? The cotton and wooden
draper of sordid soul will raise a vigorous
opposition, justly attributable to pecuniary
motives-well knowing that three fourths
of his profits at one "fell swoop' Of fash
ion will elude his grasp.
Young ladies / would say to you in my
representative capacity, in the sincerity of
my heart, permit neither the malignant
glances of conscious deformity and envy,
nor of matron sagacity to prevent you from
assuming that dress which is the best calcu-
lated to manifest all the graces of person
with which kind nature has so abundantly
endowed you. And to the first young lady
of our town who will have the moral ceur-
age to put on this new apparel in opposi-
ton 10 the prejudices that now exist in
this matter, would say, rest assured Of
this, that your appearance in public is
awaited by us. with the most anxious solicit
tude, and that it will be greeted with the
appropriate manifestations of our warmest
regard, as we'll on account of the conscious
worth and benignity of disposition, which
that appearance will so clearly indicate, as
the universal prevalence of this fashion by
which it win be succeeded. ~
7f TYPO.