The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-05-31
Tie RslEn or1he DecoIIe1se.

|. If there was ever q time i'll the annals
of female attire when mOdesty was en-
/ tirely disregarded, that time is when a
| belle of the period dresses for an even
ing entertainment 0r an actress for q
/ " sweIP' part. The waist is cut square
| in the neck, back and front, and very
! low, especially behind, the opening OF
! the dress extending almost down to the
wait There are no sleeves, only q
shoulder strap, which makes a woman
/ look all arms, neck and bust-a terrible
! expanse of bare flesh, which is sOftened
only bv q necklace, or a black velvet
ribbon with a )cket attached. The waist
/ is cut basque shape, but plain and tight
/ to the figure, aud comes,dOwn to the hip
bone there the skirt begins, but there is
not fold, nor should there be even q
! wrinkle in front or at the sides; at the
/ back breadth one or two immense box
plaits are set in to give the requisite
putting and the sweep of the train. The
looping or puff, owing to the extreme
! length of the bOdy-fOr it terminates al
/ the end of the backbOne-mUstO of neces
| sity be very low down.
! Most eff the dresses are without over
skirt, sash, fOunce or trimming of any
kind. Some of the skirts have a full
} HOuuC6 dDOlb ii 1OOL OCCp dJ bllC BOtlOlL
! of the dress, inside of which is tackled q
| fine white muslin hounce, trimmed with
! lace to represeiit a petticOat, and this is
said to be positively all the UnderclOth-
/ ing that On actress or a dame de &3cjete
wears in full dress. Such a dress as this,
of handsome, thick cream COlOred silk, is
worn by Miss Katherine Rogers as the
princess in d" The Danicheffs." 1t GER
| tainly looks statuesaue when she is
/ standing up, but 1t is laughable to see
I her sit down. Her tie-baCk and scanti-
ness of material restrain free movement,
and SO she eases herself down gingerly
she can not sit down quickly and freely,
! but insinuates herself into seat, always
with her face to the audience.
Fortunately she plays part the chief
characteristic of which is dignity, which
| is supposed to consist in slowness of aC-
| tion and holding the head well up one
! trembles to think what would happen if
some of the strings should snap, or some
one should step on the skirt, tearing it
away from the body. In such an event,
if report be true, Eve herself would be
rivaled in simplicity and paucity of ap-
pareI-because under clothing, for an
ultra fashionable lady, is obsolete. All
the actresses dress the same, and it re-
veals, alas, in many cases, less beauty of
form than our sex Is generally credited
with. It shows the bad effect Of tight
lacing, which is not so observable in
ample drapery which effect is princi-
paIiy a very small waist at the expense
of a good deal of corporation. 1t also
exposes queer limbs, in some instances (;
big knees, that stick out, or knock in,
and fearful feet, that find no concealing
folds, and hips-dear dear! What a
strange assortment of these-sOme too
broad, some too narrow, some too high,
and some non est. In short, the statu-
esque style requires the form of a young
Venus all others it tries sadly. No
bustles are worn---they have gone out
entirely, and if any overskirt or drapeTy
is worn it must be draped low down,
only little above the hem of the dress.
But as the Lenten season has now set in,
/ it is not necessary to discuss ball OF even
ing dresses rather should the fashion
writer treat of sackcloth and ashes.
Even for street wear the statuesque Is
effected; the waists are cut into several
seams, which is becoming to stout
form, and there are fat ladies in ex-
istence, the present lath-like fashion TO
the contrary notwithstanding.