North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-04-17
McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL II, 1856


lshort Dresses.
A remarkable change in the fashions i.
the introduction of the "short' suit. Many
trembled while adopting SO daring an in.
novation, fearing ridicule, or that fash
ion so strange and unexpected would van
ish as suddenly as it appeared.
The new short dress is thoroughly femi
nine, it frees woman from all obstacles te
walking and out door exercise without
offending their tastes or their scruples. Il
is simple, compact, requires little materi
al, few skirts, and those small and narrow
relieves the body of all superfuous weight
and in conjunction with the admirable
thick soled walking boots now in vogue,
furnishes costume for the street as near.
~ perfect as one can expect to get in this
transitory and imperfect state of existence.
1t is not known how long the fashion
will continue to be accepted abroad-but
it is greatly to be hoped that it will be sus-
tanned here. A generation of short dress
es would enable our American women to
grow, and nurse their children, and prove
great step towards universal millennium.
The style of making short dresses is in
flnltely varied, but the prettiest are cut
straight at the edge and open upon the
sides, over the petticoat. The jacket ac-
companying these is short and straight,
somewhat loose, and cut up on the sides
also.
The first short dresses were universally
out in "dents," or teeth, square or point
ed, and many of them are cut out in vari-
Gus ways still, but the palmer method is
generally considered in the best taste.
Balmoral skirts in fancy colors, or with
fancy trimmings, are not elegant worn un-
der short dresses; the petticoat must be of
the same material as the dress, or deep
band Stimulating the petticoat in the same
or a contrasting color.
Among some beautiful models of short
dresses exhibited by Nine. Demorest was
one with breadths shaped like petels, and
folding over like the leaves of flower.
The sac is cut to match, or it may be sim
ulated by trimming put on SO as to pro-
duce the same effect. The material in this
case was black silk, and it was trimmed
with narrow folds of violet silk, put on
between two rouceaur of black satin, with
a jet heading. The petticoat was of vio-
let silk, laid in fiat plaits, fastened down
with small cut jet beads.
Another design formed an octagon over
straight petticoat. The material was
gray pOplin, and both dress and petticoat
were trimmed with bands of white gimp,
made in network of fine gray cord and
chenille. The short sac was cut to match.
Short dresses will be god-send to those
who like morning walks in the country.
No more dew-bedragged skirts, no more
extravsgant washing -bills-'seeing the
sunrise will simply require the exercise
OF little moral courage-it will cease to
be an expensive luxury.
1t must be remembered, however, that
short dresses are not to be worn on cere-
monious occasions without offending
against the rules of social etiquette; and
moreover, that they must not be worn at
all by ladies weighing over two hundred
pounds !-Ne,c York Times.
LADIES NIssING.-Why IS it that Amer
ican women are such kissers? 1t is not
only abroad or among foreigners that
American ladies are laughed at for the
habit of indiscriminate kissing. Let a
couple of ladies but make demonstration
at a public place, steamboat landing, or
a depot, and smile will be seen on the
faces of all the lords in creation therea-
bouts. That smile bears suspicion of
cynical amusement, or else it is envy
Probably envy. The retrousse angle is
alike in every case. II is not only from
the present prevalence of the fashion that
it has become distasteful; but think of
ones chool-days-how, in the dim rslig-
ious light of early dawn, the girls of
seminary class came sauntering down,
sleepy and yawnful, and yet, true to their
callow sentimentalism, kissing each other.
The Renaissance is powerful.
1t is rare to see two gentlemen salute
each other by kissing. A French father
frequently kisses his grown-up son but
American men neither give nor take in
kisses. John Bunyan says: the common
salutation of women abhor it is odious
in whomsoever l see it. When l have
seen good men salute those women that
they have visited, have made my objec-
ton against it, and when they have as
sumed that it was but civility, have told
them that it was not a comely sight. Some
Of them have argued the holy kiss but l
have asked them why did they salute the
most handsome and let the ill-favored go?"
1t is allowable and rulable to kiss babies ;
but why among ladies should not hearty
grasp of the hand be sufficient? 1t seems
pity that caress that can be made
to mean so little and yet SO much should
be perverted into something that conveys
nothing. We should either kiss less and
mean more, or put the practice aside en-
tirely. Like every other custom injudic-
iously administered, it has lost its quality.