The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-03-26
COSTUMES SEVERELY CLASSIC.
THE ENGLISH MOVEMENT FOR GREEK
STYLES OF DRESS FOR WOMEN.

10 Boston Transcript
lie Every few years some enthusiast
woman comes forward with plan f,
4 changing the dress of her sex and inc
A. dentallv reforming innumerable abuse
q, of the laws of health and good tast,
e Amelia Bloomer was the last person VIII
! made any converts TO change in quite
e clothing, and all her disciples have lon
Il ago died or lost faith in her, and til
costume of which she was the advocat
can only be found in some water cures
and few gymnasiums, and possibly a
Nineland, n. J. Then came the Amer
lean dress-reform movement and gen
e eral change in the style of undercloth
ing, not only in the United States. bu
IN England, France, and even Germany
Ihlckly-g gathered garments, with straigh
seams, were replaced by others goreC
and shaped to the figure two garments
were made into one and all were ar
ranged so that the whole weight of the
dress hung from the shoulders, and fol
time women seemed contented.
The pretty princess dress or modifica
tons OF it, which did justice to good
figure when worn with this undprcloth
ing, was so graceful that one could hard,
ly believe it a modification of the com
paratively ugly empress of a dozen
years ago, and was so comfortable that
everybody was loath to forego it when
fashion threatened to substitute the
sacque or Louis XVI. panniers for it.
Several English ladies of taste, deter
mined either to keep their princess dress
| or something very like it, and not to be
| iron II int h. ll~o,,o-, r
| Antoinettes maids of honor, are strenu-
ously urging the adoption of the ancient
Greek dress, with very slight modifca-
tions. This costume consists of two
| pieces, the chiffon and himation, or shawl
as it is usually called by its advocates
| The former is gown, which may be
either high or low-necked, short or long
| sleeved but which should be scanty and
should have as few seams as possible.
1t may be of cotton, linen, silk or wooden,
but should not be stiff and it may be
just long enough to touch the ground or
may have a train. Its color may be
| white, saffron, blue, gray and even
checked. The shawl may be of the same
or of different material to the choiton,
and is simply a seamless piece of cloth
about two yards square, or according to
the rules laid down by some ladies, two
yards by four. The Greeks threw this
garment over the left shoulder, brought
it round under the right arm, and then
their wit over the left shoulder again,
adjusting the folds with as much grace
rs possible. The English ladies draw
two of the corners over the shoulders,
leaving long loop to fall below the waist
at the back, and drawing the edges to-
gether at the front, producing an effect
not unlike that of an overshirt opening
slantwise down the centre This ar
rangement leaves all the limbs free, and
is perfectly easy and graceful; but it
takes both time and taste, and some la
dies prefer to fasten the shawl in it's
place by loops passing over buttons on
the Chiffon and its girdle, SO that it re-
quires but a few moments to draw its |
folds int place.
=, Inc trimming of the chiffon and the |
q law, may b. of infinite varie+--,.e.y
II NAV he wrought into patterns OF com ,
PIlcsi 'ty, -.-hness or laid on III straight |
bands. The proper place for it is around |
the borders of the shawl, the lower edge |
of the chiffon, the wrists of the sleeves,
around the neck, and possibly down
either side of the opening in front. The |
shawl may be edged with fringe and |
may have tassels at the corners to hold |
it in place, according to the ancient
Greek custom, or may be left as it comes |
from the loom. There is no lack of
chances to display handsome jewelry |
with this dress. The shawl is clasped |
on the shoulder by ornaments that may |
be large or small, as one pleases; the |
girdle may flash with diamonds and ru
bies may glow at throat or WHIST, or
even clasp the gown from throat to hem
and the sleeves from wrist to shoulder, |
if one please, without offending against
classic taste, so that the love Of ostenta-
ton can be gratified as easily while
wearing this simple dress as when ar
rayed in the regulation g suit of four
pieces"
Several of the persons who have OBJ
jected to the costume ask why the prin
cess may not be substituted for the
chiffon, and the answer to this inquiry is
that the latter is more simple to make
and easy to fold, and therefore to be
preferred to the princess, although 1t
does not fit quite so smoothly. The
shawl needs no recommendation to any
one who has once seen seen it, and few
who have do not hope for its in
PRODUCTION. There is some danger that
its English advocates will create a pre-
JUDGE against it by calling it a dress for
persons of culture, and seeming to re-
strict its use to a class, thus condemn
ing it to an existence as restricted as
that of the elegant pre-Raphaelite
gowns; but it is to be hoped that if it
should make its appearance here, Amer
lean women will have more sense than
to speak of it as the property of clique.
The most beautiful woman cannot wear
it in public without attracting disagree
able observation until it is put within
the reach of all, and its general adoption
will not detract from the peculiar grace
of those who display most taste in Its
adjustment. However, its appearance
on our shores is still dream of the fu-
ture, and for the present American wo
men will follow French and not Atheni-
an fashions.