, 1875-07-25
GOSSIP FOR THE LADIES.
Bathing and. Bathing-Costumes
at Home and Abroad.
Extravaganza Voted Vulgar by the
Grand World Of Paris.
Proposed Establishment of a Man,ss
Rights Association In London.

hlEnLS ASSOCIATION III 1OnQ0ns
4 Story for the Girls-The Woman Ques
ton in FILA Slight Mistake.
The Duke Of montrose and His America
de..-MsceiIaneous Notes Relative
to the Fair Sex.
BATHING AND sArH,ne.cosTuMEs.
0tsre Loqans Long -8ranch tetser H. The Ness For
| Graphic.
In the first place, The bathing-houses ar
shantlos, unfit for ladies to dress in and, in tn
second, the exposure to the gaze of the 1ounger
On the beach ia an ordeal which many ladies srt
un~illiDg to undergo. The poorness Of ths
bath1ng-dresses on hire and the absence o.
female attendants are other reasons why surf
bathing is not very popular. The contrast will
European practices herein is so striking that i
is really extraordinary, with the rapid proerest
I in kindred matters We have made OF late, there
ia none 10 this respect.
! At the English vatering-pIaces the modesty ot
| the ladies is saved by the use Of the
| bathing machines, into which the bather entert
! fully dressed. is driven into the water, and out
of. reach Of too close scrutiny, bathes at ease,
after having rndresssd in the machine. In
France all arraogau,ents relating to bathing are
parfoct. Bathing houses OF ali degrees OF ele.
| gance eau be had for the hlring, and the beach
t is enlivened from end to end by the hand
some structuEes belonging to- cottage peo-
pie. Not to erect ones own pleasant bath
ing house would be considered strange omis-
sion by families living at Barritz, Etretat,
Dioppe, or Trouville, and. in fact persons liv-
ing anywhere within S Or miles OF those places
put up elegant cottages on the sands- The
bright and graceful appearance Of these struct.
ures adds greatly to the attrachveness OF the
beach At french watering place. Inside, they
are a(ways comfortably and often sumptuously
fitted up, small stove being considered an ipdis-
penaable necessity. These are private property,
o{ course. The casual lodger ut the hotels
Wishing to bal ne fluids, however the following
comforts awaiting him: Dath~houses Of varying
convenience. according to price; fine coleo-
ton OF excellent and sbape1y costumes on hire;
male or female attendants, as required, who
immediately on seeing the bather emerge from
the sea, place = bot-water foot-bath and WE'LL
warmed towels in his bathing house. The pre-
cautions taken 10 prevent accidents in the water
are also excellent, and we'll worth imitation here
As many as dozen baiqneurs. or ''batha1s," !" are
always in the water at any frequented spot
and these men take especial care Of ladies' and
children, carving infants in their arms during
the whole length OF their bath, and keeping q
close watch on the movements Of every person,
that none NAV venture rashly. Boats too, plY
about the bathing grounds conatantfy during
bathIng-hours, and accidental drowning is al
most impossible.
1t seems ssrangethat the eirrepEessib1e geometry
OF the American women should n OF have niched
itself Ito use Nine. de Sev1sne's expreee6n)in her
bathing costume. Women OF the most marked
elegance in drawing-roons obey the law Of our
land and matte the rilest acarecrows Of them
selves to go into the surf. Mnre bathing
dresses arc let out At Along Branch in single
week than are 70 disposed In whole season at
all tho French resorts combined. Every French
attention TO providing herseH With TN co.tun,e
de balm. And this outfit is carefully selected 10
regard to lts becom1neness in color and cut in
at IT must be as perfect it's freshness as m
doubted, as anv dress that Madame wears.
Some Of these costumes are really
charming, and, when donned. enhance the
beauty or elegance OF their wearers
quite as much as any. other. A delicate rose
flannel, with knife-plaitings Of whi1a, hat trim
med in accordance, pink hose and straw e{1oes.
naTy-blne serge with stripes IT yellow, green,
aud brown merinos-these are some OF tue COM
bin4tious wsioh dwell in nv memory from last |
season. Manv ladies' have several such cos
tumcs,-an extravagance scarcely worth rnen-
@o N4o Va HAICA QF6SSeH
are made are verv cheap. But whatever a
French 1adv's eea-bathina costume may
be,--her own and three or four
of them in season. O, hired from |
day to day from Ia baigneur,~-one accesso-
n is absolutely indispensable. mean the long
1annel cloak, which 1t would be to offend the
painest propriety not to wear from the moment
he bathar leaves her cabin until she is ready to
plunge into the sea; then the cloak is thrown off,
10 be Immediately douned again on leaving the |
inn thah hon 10
with these ctoaks- Each claims her own, and I
never heard of misrepresentation. To dis
pense with these cloaks-wa.m and dry after
eaving the sea-aod to run sloug the Bands ex-
posed to the wind in dripping bath-dress, would
oe considered piece ofimprudence in hygienic
'ense; and to dress and go AWAY without hav-
1ot foot-bath, would be looked upon as sheer
;petoms. Male and female attendants keep all
oathere' costumes, aud it is considered necessary
race Of the sea for the proper preservation of
It is true thai many Amerl-
an ladies' here at the Branch have their own !
}athing- costumes. but these are almost inya-
iab1y made OF dark flannel, and no effort at
oquetry is attempted.
ANTI-WOMAN's-R RIGHTS ASSOCIATION
London CbrTesuondence Nsd Fork Times.
4 good deal OF amusement has been occa-
ioned By the matured establishment OF a new
ssociation to protect the male population from
he iUEi6idua ap1raaefnna nf nn1ifin%f fannA1ea ]