Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-10-25
Sa0ies' Department..
THE COSTUMES OF WOMEN.

PEELED to appear. This does not refer
10 their entire costume, for a portion is
sensible and proper enough, and perhaps
could not or need not be improved. A
portion, however, could and should be. |
Looked at as it is, what could be more
ill-adopted and announcement than the
long skirts as worn in the public street?
Nor is it alone inconvenient to them
selves f; it is quite as much so to others.
We can conceive of no continuance or
invention more unfortunate or trouble
some, unless indeed it would be to tie
the feet together. and thus prevent To-
comotion entirely. The long skirt is an
abomination and nuisance. Nor Is
its inconvenience its only objection. 1t
is not healthy. The weight of pro-
longed skirt is a grievous burden often
a very great one. 1t must inevitably
be severe task to carry about the
streets weight that, put upon mans
back for time, would make him groan.
We meet and see every day skirts that
weigh, we have no doubt, twenty and
twenty-five pounds. A mans whole
wardrobe, boots, overcoat and all, would
not weigh, at the most, half that des-
perate figure. This excessive weight
pulls at the hips fearfully, and is the
fruitful source of many serious disease,
and often destroys the health. But
women, or most of them, prefer to be
sick and ailing, rather than to be out of
fashion. This is sad and pitiful, but 1t
is true. The bonnets or hats worn by
the sex, are also abominable and ridlcu-
lous, but in another direction, and not
so serious in its nature. Could any
thing be more laughable than the little
mats placed halfway back on the head,
and showered with all manner of flowers,
vegetables, ribbons, laces, buckles. and
birds, as have now been worn for years ?
1t is entirely and exclusively ornament
al. No such hats or bonnets can have
the slightest utility. 1t is very true
that, in this climate at least, the head
does not require anything for warmth,
but it does for covering. Any which
does not reach the dImentions of cover
ing the head and shading the eyes, does
not meet the necessary requirements
No woman should ever wear a bonnet
that fails to do this. Why half the wo.
men in the community are we'll neal
blind, is no fault of a foolish fashion
The fair sex, it is true, can make ;
point on men in regard to a covering fol
the head. Our hats and caps are gen
orally very poorly adapted for their use
As an invention to do a great deal o
injury, they are unequaled. With tn,
exception of the straw, palm-leaf anC
Manila articles, we have no good
healthy hats. They overhead the head
produce badness, and create diseases o
the brain. But we are not treating Q
mems costumes in this article. W
may in another. Another objection t
the millinery department of women, i
l its expense. 1t is too complicated i
structure to be in good taste, ard is a
together wanting in the important elt
ment of simplicity. The point is to pu
u on as much as possible, with the ide
that quantity is beauty. We do not a
Il raign the milliners for this. Their D;
: irons rarely ask, ard still more rarel
i accept the opinions of such. If tn
L acaS the case, more good taste wOul
&c prevail. 1t is the struggle of the W
: men to show and Guido in show. A Ii
e tie scrap of straw. silk. velvet, felt, etC
III is made to groan under a weight of v
ried adornments which is a gross often
y to all true art and the eternal fitness
- things. We have alluded to the cost
bonnets and hats. The same may
~ applied to dresses, shawls and other Fl
lures of woman's wardrobe. 1t Is ;
most generally too excessive. The te
- dency has been for long time, a
- still is, to exaggerated ornamentation.
:" 1t is often that the real fabric of drt
can hardly be seen, on account of
abundance of the ornaments and ge
he gaws On no ground of taste and p
est priety can this be defended. 1t &C
nd weight to the garment, is uncomforta
his to the wearer, and an evil generally,
nd We might add that the continuous we
is ing of gloves in the street is unnecessa
Ose and by no means in good taste. A 90
le looking hand Is never made handsor
les by Obscuring it from view, and an
his shaped one gains nothing by it.
&C. cost of gloves is no small item of
unit pense, as many father and hush;
les, knows-and sometimes the women tn
the selves, and particularly those who e
in their own living. We might refer
and some other details in woman's costu
but In jewelry the excess is marked
see foolish and the foot is generally tr
ed as though it was of worse than
consequence at all. We only allude
rs'' the extensive practice of padding,
a' to the ruinous application of the col
Don They are too delicate to be more I
ress slightly mentioned. We trust that