Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-11-19
Dress Reform.


The Chicago papers have devoted
considerable space of late to the con-
sideration of the subject of dress re-
form. Tue Tribune of that city, in
report of lecture by Mrs. Jane Swiss
helm, says;
Mrs. Swisshelm's "get-in" was q
combination of chemise and drawers.
The front was cut IN one piece, with a
plat laid from shoulder 10 waist in
front to admit of the fullness required
by the bust. 1t was faced around the
shoulder and under the arm. a facing
in the shape of V was placed on the
back. The top was cut like short
night-gown, the bottom was the same
as any drawers. These were buttoned
at the side. She wore cotton because
she preferred it, but any person could
wear flannel inside and button the gar
ments through on to the others, or they
could make the garment of flannel. 1t
was very large, but she did not use it
to support weight. No weight should
ever be hung to knit garment. Mrs.
Swisshelm uses unbleached cotton in
stead of merino or flannel. 1t should
be washed through hot water without
soap, and folded smoothly without
ironing. This absorbs the gases about
as thoroughly as flannel. This garment
was in place of what the Boston ladies
called a chemiloon. She didn't like
that name, but didn't know that "get-
in was much better. The dress she
wore was new, having been made fifteen
years ago, and was very long on the
shoulder. She shouldn't like to set
type in it all day. The reason why
women could not compete with men
was on account of their dress. Twenty
years ago she had organized body of
female type-setters in Pittsburgh. She
had them dress suitably, and they kept
their places years after she had left.
Again, in Minnesota she had taught
a young girl type-setting. She (Mrs.
S. had learned all she knew in two
hours from male typo, and then had
set up as boss printer and had sue
ceeded. She had carried the business
on for seven years. She taught this
young girl in Minnesota, and in one
year she had grown so perfect in her
profession that she set up four sticks Of
legal advertising with only three mis-
takes-a thing no male typo in ST. Paul
could do. Then, during the Indian
troubles, this young girl and another,
when all the men ran away, stayed and
continued type-setting. The news
came in, friends massacred in this place,
Fort Abercrombie attacked, every one
flying, the Indians upon them, and still
these two girls went on setting type,
and they got out their paper regu-
larly.
Next Mrs. Swisshelm showed her
"carry all" This was very much like
a loose basque, with broad bands over
the shoulders, buttons on the waist, and
strap under the arms, to be used for
the fastening of the stocking supporter.
These are elastic, with two tapes that
are to be fastened through loops In the
stockings. They are simply tied
through, but all the weight comes un-
der the arm, and if there is any strain
it is on the shoulder. 1t was not made
high-necked because Mrs. Swisshelm
preferred ventilation, and there she
thought men made mistake by cloth
ing their shoulders too warmly. There
were no bones in the "carry- all" but
ladies could put splint up the front If
they liked. They should wear q broad
strap over the shoulder, and then di-
vide it, making them SO as to bring one
portion further forward. If they must
wear corsets, let them have similar
straps.
She next showed a garr,ent she was
sure would shock the ladies, but it did
away with multiplicity of skirts, or
any except the dress-skirt. These were
waterproof drawers with gaiter bottoms
to cover the shoes. They were lined
with canton flannel. and faced at the
bottom with waterproof high enough to
make them impervious to wet. Similar
articles were worn by all the Western
farmers wives when they went out In
winter. They might be made of silk,
and be ornamental as well as useful.
They did away with the necessity of the
wooden logging that absorbed snow
and wet, and were particularly desira
ble for teachers and school children.
They should be replaced in the house
by single skirt, and might be worn in
school without danger, as the feet we're
always cold, and from this cause both
] school children and teachers suffered