The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-11-08
Important Considerations for Ladies'

Important Considerations iOr Auuies
There seems to be difference Of opin-
ion upon this question, as to what portion
of the woman's body the weight Of cloth
ing should most fall upon. On one side it
is asserted that the internal organs of the
abdomen are so delicate and so easily dis
placed or deranged, that it is conductive to
weakness and disease to carry any weights
hanging upon that portion of the body.
1t is replied to this that women's shoulders
are not strong enough and suitably shaped
to carry so great weight as fashion puts
upon women in the way of dress without
undue WEAKNESS to the shoulders, and that
the greater breadth of the female form at
the hips suggests the propriety of carrying
the chief weight Of the clothing there. There
is some sense in this reply, for 1t does hap
pen that even the long, heavy sack or CIR
cular cloaks sometimes worn by women,
become q heavy burden TO weak or even
to very sloping shoulders. No doubt it
feels more comfortable to carry heavy
skirts hanging upon the corset rather than
suspended from the shoulders, for q we'll
fitting corset so equalizcs the pressure
around the waist and abdomen that no one
spot suffers especially. But the corset is
only an enemy in disguise. hardly think,
however, that it can be driven from the
field so long as our present style Of dress
remains I'm fashion--certainly not while
basques and ''bias wasts' are generally
worn. did it puzzle any reader of Miss
Phelps papers in The Independent to know
what she meant by "bias waists ?" | am
sure it did. She must have meant what
some of us call "plain waists,o or the
waists cut to fit the figure with 'biases"
or "dartsn in front) The charm of those
waists is their perfect 'sit,n of course !;
and they bring with them the temptation
to pinch and pad the figure, and to use
case of bones or steel about the waist to
prevent wrinkles and help make good
figure.
An old lady tells US that she and her
sister used always in her girlhood to finish
up their corsets with tops fitting their
shoulders, so that their corsets never
pressed very heavily upon their hips,
abdomen, and back. 1t is nonsense to talk
as though women who wear skirts unsup-
ported from the shoulders wear the weight
upon the hips. In o majority Of such
cases the chief point of support is the abb
domen, and that is where the pressure is
chiefly felt and chiefly mischievous. The
back also suffers. | do not think that sus-
penders can ever meet with much favor
among women, certainly not with
women of well-developed busts. l
would not put them or anything
that would press over the bust upon
a growing girl, for fear of hindering fine
development of the form. l do not know
of anything better than well-made un.
derwaist for women and for children. 1t
is clearly and comfortable Citing the fig
urge loosely, of course) and makes q
good support for the skirts, either by
means Of buttons or by means of gored
or circling piece about two inches or less
in depth, with long whalebone or rattan
run in the hem. This is set on around the
bottom of the waist, and skirts buttoned
around the waist hang upon it and make no
pressure upon the hips. A piece of the
cloth of the underwaist, sewed on when the
bust ought to be either full like scent puff
or set on plain like pocket, open at the top,
! serves as receptacle for any material which
woman defrauded by nature of a good
womanly form are tempted to carry. The
best filling for these pockets is probably
white curled hair or moss. 1t is great
pity that any woman should need such an
addition to her wardrobe, but everybody
knows that it is frequently the case, and
less simple and less artistic articles for
the purpose are openly exposed for
sale. The waist proposed here, such
as many have worn for years, suits
some of us better when made
over the shoulders like Garibaldi OF
Spencer waist, but gathered into a belt
five or six inches wide with cores Tor darts
or hiaeac\ In fit the fipure This seems tC
give more freedom to the arms, and gives
good ''set" to the loose dress-waist worr
over it.