The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-03-25

'How shall women dress?" is question
always in order. Politics are interesting in
November alone; crops are staple subject
OF conversation only during certain periods of
the year; but woman and her dress are al
ways in order, Always an interesting topic
There is a charming mystery attached to the
coming fashions; they are inexplicable; no
one can foresee them. Worth himself. with a.
score of years experience in the millinery
business, can no more foretell what colors
and what styles will be fashionable next year
than the dowdiest little miss at boarding
school. 1t is this mystery that lends fashion
half it's charms; it keeps the public mind al
ways excited and attentive, eagerly looking
forward to Fashions debut on Easter.
How women will dress the coming sum
mer, fall or winter is therefore conundrum
that fashion gazette could scarcely solve
and about which newspaper had best hold
it's peace. There is, however, question con-
corning woman's dress which has lately be-
| come subject Of discussion among the
newspapers, and this is, woman's ideal
dress. the dress OF the future. A few months
ago there was organized at the North
society entitled "Dress Reformers'' who
devoted themselves as missionaries to the
reamls of Fashion to reform its barbarties
and correct it's sins. The idea of these re-
formers was to persuade women to dress in
a reasonable, healthy and sensible manner
They have not succeeded very well in their
enterprise, as only about ten or twenty fe-
males have adopted the ideal dress proposed
by them, and these mostly of an age and
appearance that no dress could improve:
but their argument in favor of the ideal dress
is, nevertheless, overwhelming and unan-
swerable. Recognizing the fact that men
are mainly responsible for the vagares and
extravagances Of fashion by admiring and
encouraging them, the Dress Reformers"
wisely throw into their pronuncamento an
assertion that ought to win over all the men
OF this country to their ideas and views. The
present style Of dressing is, they demonstrate,
Injurious to the physical development of
women. 1t gives them abnormal desires and
appetites, and is only too likely to develop
intoxication and host of vices. Not only
this, but it spoils their dispositions and tenn
pers. A woman weighed down by heavy skirts |
goes about weary in body, cross and fretful. |
The men, therefore, who encourage the pres
ent style Of dressing are themselves respon-
sible for much Of the petulance and ill-nature |
that they get at home
In place of the present awkward, hot
and unhealthy dress, these reformers sug-
gest a loose frock coat and-heavens
a pair of pants. And here, through fear |
OF adding any more horrors to this re-
form-it is unwholesome enough medicine al
ready-they announce that these pants and |
coat can be made Of any material or color
that the wearer sees fit, and may be trimmed
in any way that feminine ingenuity can de-
wise. To this they pledge themselves that
they will never attack the material or trim
mings of these pants. ..~.m....
In support of this reformed style of dress.
they quote, by permission, from the cele-
brated Worth of Paris, the king OF fashion.
Worth writes as follows: II have to make the
same answer to you that I have made to the
women of Europe. The costume Of the Per-
sian women is the handsomest upon the face
Of the earth. 1t consists of loose waist.
short skirt and trousers-not too loose. I
have made this costume beautifully and hung
it up in Paris but the women will not wear
it. I can do nothing more. They must suffer
until they are willing to adopt it,
Are not these arguments Overwhelming?
Who can resist Worth's Persian trousers?