Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-07-10
THE NEW COSTUME.
SI'anlNlOOns w., pctliCOnts.V

LETTER FROM MRS. BLOOMER,
To the Editor of the New York Tribune:
In your Considerations Concerning
Clothes.' which appeared in the Tribune Of
the 18th inst, you show that the long,
flowing garments hitherto worn BY digni.
,aries both in Church and State, are being
laid aside, and that now Dukes, Priests and
Emperors prefer wearing the simple c,i
Izen's dress, except ON extraordinary occa.
lsions. You assign no particular reason Tor
this, but think il has been done from kind
Ioi instinct.
Now. sir, think this laying aside OF the
cumbersome, flowing robe, can be easily
and reasonably accounted for. No man
who is accustomed to freedom Of person
and limbs will LONGER bear the restrain, inn
posed by an uncomfortable dress. No one
who has been used to the comfortable, con.
venient, close-litting attire worn by men,
can feel at ease with legs muilled in long
robe, and arms held in a proper position for
Sustaining its loose, flowing sleeves. Can
it be thought strange, then, that Dukes,
Priests, Judges and Enpcrors should prefer
rather 10 dispense with the badge OF au.
thorily than to suffer the loss OF freedom of
notion TO my eye there is much moro
of dignity and superiority in the appear.
ancc of him who is richly attired in citi.
2cn'S dress, than in him of the long robe !;
for the latter always calls up the image of
a woman in a night,so,cn, except that tho
night-gown has 4 more simple and casy
look. | think it is solely owing to the in
convenience and discomfort of the full,
flowing drapcry, that it is so rapidly disap.
pearing among men. We, who have dis
curdcd long skirts, and tasted the blessings
Of freedom, can well imagine how i'll at case
one must feel who has ever enjoyed perfect
freedom of action, when compelled to en-
'velop himself 1T times in the cumbersome
.ic,,ers of the long robe. Not even desire
to command respect for the superior and
sacred functions will long induce men 10
bear this yoke of slavsh ambition. In
sickness the long calico wrapper is well for
both man and woman, but at no other
time is the long dress becoming to him or
useful to her: on the contrary, it is for both
announcement and uncomfortable, and 10
woman in the highest degree injurious.
There is much said and written just now.
about monan's dress: Editors seem 10
think il their especial business TO settle the
question how long we may and how long
we may not wear our skirts; and they have
entered into the discussion with u spiri,
which should he glad TO see manifested
on some other subjects lying more immedi.
> a,cly within their province. In my opin'
ion, women are the NEST proper persons to
: decide upon the style Of their costume; anc
, doubt not their own good sense will guide
them Alright in the matter, and nevsn
their. doing aught to shock the modesty, OF
! wound the feelings Of the truly sensible anc
f high-minded.
4 Many seem to think il We shorten oul
, dresses jus, enough TO permit them TO pas!
Q over cigar stubs, tobacco juice and othe
- filth, that is all that is necessary to be done
# You, sir, believe, entertain that opinion
u But we who know from experience the G
n wis of long skiits-even though they fa
5 no lower than the ankle-and the blessing
=, of sho't ones, cannot agree witt thosewh
y think thus. The longer the dress, the great
n er the quantity of underskirts needed I
: give us good figure; the shorter the dres
h the greater the number and weight dis
/, pensed with.
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