Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-11-11

The Grecian Bend.

In GoDEY's Lady's Book for November, we find
the following, relative to the Grecian Bend-the
ridiculous fashion now in its incipiancy among
the wonld-bo Jon tons Of the fashionable world:
Would it be believed that any sane woman
would adopt as fashion tie Grceinn Bend-or,
a. i, is moro properly called, tho Collie Stoop !:
Yet VIC find that itwas attempted at Snratoga;;
that fashionable place of inmoratity. The posi-
ton is that of poodle dog, standing ON his hind
legs with his fore paws before him-his tail
m .wering for the protuberance introduced into
the dress. 1t is firmly believed by many thatif
Fashion should decree that her votaries should
imisnte the walk Of the porcine order Of four
footed animals, there would be many to follow the
Fashion. It is es,id that the Grccinn Bend was
originated by young lady who had spine disease.
We once wrote about the "Grecian Wriggle'-the
way that ladies contrivo to get their dress over q
gutter without touching it with their hands-bnt
this is beautiful compared with the Grecan Bend.
Saratoga correspondent gives the following de-
scription =
In the first place, toilet is affected, which of
itself suiices to turn woman in full dress into
caricature. The body and waist of the dress are
remarkable in only one respect-ths last is ceed-
pgly tight and the former rnther loose ut the top
and exceeding low. 1t is below the waist that
what is moustrous in the costume frst attracts
and then repcls the eye of man. A hoop of mod.
erats Dimensions, overspread with an underskrt
or two, and n dress of whatever fabric, are worn.
Underneath the rear Of this hoop, just below the
waist of tho person designated, is bound coil Of
81, AZ, ~.
throws ont and elevates the upper portion of the
dress behind, and forms vttbassffty1ce called the
par,icr. Tho panier is buslle, moro or less senor
NOUS, upon which, in successive folds or layers
gathered up, or confined by band encircling the
dress from the stomach of the wearer around and
beneath m extra skirt reaching just below the
hips. haI cs, or rather 'wobb!es' to and fro The
dress he's u train from four to six feet in length.
"Thc posture affected in order to set off this at
tire is called the 'G7ccisn Bend contortion OF
the body which, las it is highly improper 10 itself,
find it difficult To describe with propriety. High
heeled shoes dispose the wearer to incline forward,
and hign-heelod CATERS are therefore adopted by
the sbelle OF tho season. She is thus tho more
readily enabled to elevate her hips unnaturally
behind, enhancing the aspect of the pdnier, to
contract hUr stomach, and to form an S-like cur
yature of her upper shape by thrusting out her
chest. drawing back her shoulders, md bending
forward her head So bent and deformed, The
belle constrains her elbows againsther sides; and,
with horizontal forcarms and little gloved hands
dangling from limp wrists, tilts painfully along.
The profile of such figure, and its ungraceful
gait, arc irresistibly suggestive of q lame ksnga
roo When it is whirlod and tossed about in
dance by one of the fashionable Jumping jacks in
black broadcoa,h, who arc here so numerous, and
so much alike that you con hardly tell one from
another, the sight-what with the bobbing up
and down of the woman's panier and the agile
sidelong leaps Of the jumpngjack across the fioor
is too e1a peratiugly ridiculous for laughter