The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-05-09
From, the Home Journal.
INTERESTING TO LADIES.
Esthetics of Dress.

We Judge very well OF the absurdity OF
an ancient fashion, because we only see it
in pictures-because the woman who wore
this petticoat is dead; because the face
which was framed by that bonnot has fa-
ded. But present fashion abuses us easi-
ly, because it bears in its folds the means
Of corrup,ing the taste Of the judges. If
but one woman dressed ridiculou, ", she
could he eylected, but as all the women
are anxious to follow one fashion-whal-
ever it may be-wc are obliged to take
them as they are, even with the artifices
which often disguise the charms they
were intended to heighten.
When one has the imprudence to make
observations on dress well installed, it is
enough if he merely remark upon the full
ness or undulations of a pettcoat, to call
down upon him some invidious remark
from tue world of naodistes let us, there
fore, examine the following views of a wo-
man, old and wrinkled, but able to speak
truly:
"The vast dimensions of the skirts do
not fail to present a certain gracious APP
pearance of noble liberality but it w, uid
be nece: sary that the seamstresses should
be kind enough to diminish that fulness
just below the waist, instead Of gathering
with great-work, an excessive quantity Of
stuff, which, to the eye, becomes thus
stiffened and compact, changing the in
tended appearance of full dress into
sheath, which would accuse some exagge.
rated and out of proportion forms with
being the superior part Of the body
Moreover, the dress, instead of following
the graceful undulations and beautiful
curves ofthe body, so changes them as to
alter their effect upon the imagination.
"Besides this artificial form Of the
skirts, there is yet another of inconceivably
greater Importance to point out-we mean
tiounces. Those uffies added to the robes
these flounces descending from the
waist to the bottom Of the skirt-ouoht.
1t seems, in order to be correct, to be puff.
ed and not packered. Nov, there is no
way of carrying the flounces from the waist
to the feet without sitting on them; SO
that women in society pass much of the
evening in trying, without success, to pre-
vent the wrinkling Of their nounces. Ev-
cry woman, upon rising from being seated,
first fixes her flounces with a peculiar ges-
ture. Without canvassing the elegance
of this gesture, which a lady with founces
repeats twenty times in an evening, the
continual and inhexiLle care of the fioun-
ces, deprives the wearer Of much ease and
liberty Of mind"
| beg to dissent from the above opin-
ion, most emphaticalIy, and think there
is no dress more fresh, enivening and
pretty, for girls and very young ladies,
than pyramidal skirt of azure. eoIored
silk, ornamental with from eight to twelve
narrow flounces, alternating in white and
rose color. They become very tall per.
son, also, and enliven the skirt much bet
ter than does the present style of Grape
and gauze puffs. But then, I do not pre-
tend to thrust my views forward as cri-
terian for the ladies but would merely
endeavor to assist them in forming a cor
rect taste. There is much to be said, for
and against hounces; and short body
appears best in q plain skirt, with ample |
fulness and length.
nIInouSH MlDeTNa Is represented to |
have been very tall, yet she seemed
from the appearance Of her dress-to
have been opposed TO founces. think
her conduct furnished proper lesson for
the ladies Of this day and country. She
was, alphabetically, ''strongminded |
woman" and, though having herself in
vented the flute, and seeing all the gods |
delighted with its music, yet she realized |
that blowingthe flute distended her cheeks |
and injured her beauty she |
therefore, threw her flute away. Miner
va remained woman, precisely because
she was possessed Of goodly share of
common sense, while she surpassed the
other goddesses in intelligence, and was
inferior to none in beauty. These quail.
ties induced her TO accept the decisions of
Paris, Judging without founees. Per-
spicuous goddess who, being born from
the head of the ''Rather Of gods and men"
in order to represent good sense on the
earth--guessed Beforehand that she would
be treated as q public enemy, aud did
not dare to leave the patsrnai brains with
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