Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-08-07
AN APOLOGY FOR HOOPS.

Every new invention, however fraught with good
has been subjected to the criticism and attacks of
the ignorant, the wicked, and the witty Even the
art OF printing prescribed in its incipency and
every new improvement, from printing down to
crlnOline, has come under the ban of the ignorant
and ineredulOus. The widest flights of the imagin-
alton, have been employed by the enemies of loose
habits to bring into ridicule the popular style One
OF the more recent and extravagant stories in this
connection, is related of scene at a state ball Civ
en- not long since in honor of the King of Bavaria.
Ii is said that upon the occasion the public or rather
the Million" that garnished the approaches to the
city palace, were the spectators of singular eircum
stance in the onward and upward progress of Grin
dime. The husband and wife were, inalmost every
carriage, separated the husband mounted on the
box beside the coachman, the wife occupying the
interior. But it not this fact that excited the
ridicule of the crowd. The hoops were so enormous
and the dress so precious that their wearers could
not sit down, so that when the doors were opened
the ladies were found standing up in the carriage
the body bent forward, the hands fastened to the
Cords offering side profile that resembled Jockey
at the outcome of The public mind has
been familiarZed with the almost mythical exploits
Of the court of Bavaria, through the "reminiscences of
the Countess of Lansfeldt and is prepared for this
recent exaggeration. But the ladies are not to be
ridiculed from custom which has in its favor every
consideration Of comfort beauty, and health Every
custom has its extravaganza, and every style of
dress admits of an unsightly extreme. For exam
pie, as we passed up fashionable thoroughfare in
company with friend, day or two since, our
attention attracted by the presence in front of
us of a little school girl in shorts. There was no
"pertluence Of skirts about her, and her costume
so far as we could see enumerated white stockings
kid slippers, pink muslin dress, and a scoop with
blue trimmings The pink muslin yielded to the pres
sure of single hoop at the very bottom of the skirt
and the little tomboy spread herself" apparently
unconscious Of the neglect in her outfit etfectually
solving the problem to mind of the forkedity'
of the female frame. As friend to hoops and erin
oline in the abstract, sadly looked away morti-
fed by the aspect which the little girl in shorts pre-
sented. But TO our admiring eyes no object is
more b autiiul than a reasonably inflated female at
ten PAGES engrossed in the folds of an ample robe
The graceful movement of the outfit fills our ideal of
the poetry Of motion, and the initiation is sugges-
tive of 3" soar to fairer worlds on high" In a |
practical the crinoline should supplant al
other styles By its use females enabled to dis
pense with at least ten of the bakers dozen of pom
derOus skirts heretofore worm and emerge into the
life arena Invested Of that crushing weight abodt |
their hips which has destroyed their ease and made
inroads upon their own health and the health of
their offspring. Our taste and influence shall be for
hoops and crinoline first, last, and forever.