American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-05-04
Fanny Fern on Dress.

WIEN I say that the street dress of the
majority of respectable women of New
| \ DIRK to-day is disgusting, | but freely eN-
| women, and yet, save to them who know
| them to he such, their appearance leaves a
| large margin for doubt. The clown at IA
circus wears not more stunning or parti-
colored costume in fact he has the adj
vantage of being sufficiently 81 aut'-to
use nautical phrase-not to interfere
with locomotion while theirs-what
with disgusting humps upon their backs.
and big rosetteS upon their sides and
shoulders, and loops and folds, and but
tons, and clasps, and bows upon their
| skirts, and striped satin pctticoats, all too
short to hide often clumsy ankles-and
more colors and shades of colors heaped
upon one poor little fashion-ridden body
than ever were gathered in one rainbow
and all this worn without regard to tenn
perature or time, or place. say this
presents spectacle which is too disheart-
ening even to be comical. One cannot
smile at the young girls who are. one day
Heaven help them-to be wives and
mothers. Wives and mothers | say to
myself, as | see the throat and neck with
only the projections of "A gold locllet between
itself and the cold autumnal winds. Wives
and mothers | say, as | see them running
shape in the vain endeavor to walk on
their heels like corks fastened far into the
middle of the sole of their boots; and
those boots so high upon the calf of the
leg, and so tightly buitoned across it that
circulation is stopped, and violent head
aches follow. Wives and mothers! l say,
as | see the heating and burdensome pan
nier tackled on the most delicate portion
of a woman frame, to make still surer
confirmed n
husbands, brothers, lovers, can be think
ing about to be willing that the women
they love and respect should appear in
public looking like women whom they
despise, is marvel to me. Why they do
not say this to them, and shame them into
decent appearance-if their glasses can
not effect it do not know. Oh, the
lief it is to meet a lady, instead of a bal
let-girl. Oh, the relief it is to see a firm
stepping, rosy, broad-chested bright eyed
woman, clad simply with dress all of
one color, and free from punches and
tags. L turn to look at such one with
true respect that she has the good taste to
appear on the street in a dress betting
the street.
If seem to speak harshly, it is because
L feel earnestly on this subject. | had
hoped that the women of 1872 would
have been worthy of the day in which
they live. had hoped that ali time would
not have been spent in keeping up with
the chameleon change of fashion, too ugly,
too absurd for liberation. 1t is because |
want them to be something, to do some
thing higher and nobler than peacock
might aim at that l turn heartsick away
from these intinitesimal fripperies that
narrow the soul and purse, and leave
nothing in their wake but emptiness
Nor is it necessary, in avoiding all this,
that a woman should look ssstronr minded
as the bugbear phrase goes 1t is not
necessary she should dress like her grand
mother in order to look like decent
woman. 1t is not necessary she should
fOrSwear ornament because it were better
and more respectable to have it confined to
festal and home occasions and less to pub
lie promenade. She is not driven to the
alternative of mutfiing herself like an ON
nibus driver in January, or catching the
consumption with her throat protected
only by gold locket. Oh, wish that Il
good social position, would inaugurate a
plain, ladylike costume for street and
church wear. l say young and handsome,
because if an old woman does this, the lit
tie chits toss their heads and say, "Oh,
she has had her day and doesn't care now
and we want ours" Now that's per-
fectly natural, and right, too, that you
should have your youth; that you should,
as girls say, ''make the most of your
selves, but in doing SO don't you think it
would be well not to lessen or cheaper
yourselves? and l submit, with all defer
ence to your dressmakers and mammas,
that every one of you who appears in
public in the manner have described is
doing this very thing-is defiling woman
hood, and bringing it into derision and
contempt, whether you believe it or not.