The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-04-14
WOMEN'S DRESS.


and enclosed with an iron railing.
WOMEN'S DRESS.
What London Physician Says About tt
Corsets Strongly Denounced.
DR.. Richardson delivered lecture
yesterday at the London institution on
health and dress. The lecturer said the
character of dress stands go closely to the
character of the person who wears it that
it is hard to touch the one without the
other. All kinds ofsymyathies are evok-
ed by dress; political sympathies are on
the most intimate relationship with dress;
social sympathies are indexed by it: ar
tistic sympathies are part of it. Pro
ceeding then to lay out the plan of the
lecture he begged it to be understood
that it was altogether part from his pur-
pose to depreciate good fashion in dress.
He thought it was the duty IF every one
to cultivate good fashion and that every
woman ought to make herself as becom-
ingly beautiful as she possibly could.
Corsets, wristbands, carriers and tight
shoes were especially denounced. The
dress should be loose, and the weight of
1t should be borne by the shoulders. In
mems modern dress, this was fairly ac-
complished; but in women's dress, drag
ing from the waist, there is such waste
of physical power that if women were in
all respects free as men, they could never
approach to the position of men as act
i've workers, until they had emancipated
themselves from this physical bondage.
The reform he suggested in the dress
of women, was that it should IN ali prac-
teal details, have the same advantages,
| and should be, in fact, the same, with
the exception of the exterior robe or
gown. Tue long dress for women, which
even trespassed lightly on the ground,
was the most becoming for them. This
should play the same part as the outer
coat OF the man, the rest of the dress be-
ing the same, except that it might be
made of lighter materials. The great
surgeon Cline, when once consulted by
an anxious mother, as to what she should
do to prevent girl from becoming de
formed, answered: "Let her have no
stays, and let her run about like the
boys" He would indorse this wise rule,
and would add: 'Let the mothers of
England clothe the girls precisely as
they clothe the boys, permitting Knicker-
bockers if they like, and let them add the
one distinguishing mark of light, loose,
flowing gown, and the girls will grow in.
to women as vigorous, as healthy and as
well-formed in body as their companions
of the sterner SEX" In the next part OF
the lecture the quality of clothing was
considered, and the amount at various
seasons. The necessity of special care in
adapting clothing to season was illustra.
ted from the physiological rule first dis
covered by the late Mr.. Mlllner, that the
body independent of any will Of it's own,
underwent two pounds of waste, com
mencing toward the close Of September,
and the increase in the first week of
April. Warm clothing ought to begin
in September or early in October, and
ought not to be left off until the close of
April. For underclothing next the skin
he strongly recommended silk, and next
light fieecy flannel Thick heavy flannel,
and every material that absorbed and
held the watery excretions from the skin,
were at all times bad. Heavy clothes
were bad and had really no necessary
connection with warmth. For outer
garments in cold weather those that were
light and feecy were best, and furs were
excellent.
After describing the dangers that &C.
cur in cold seasons from sudden chang
es of dress, and the fimsy dresses in
which young ladies 60 IN and cut of the
heated bathrooms during inclement
weather, the lecturer touched on the
ventilation of dress. He criticised Sc
verely the permanent waterproof which
shuts up the rain that distlls from the
body at the same time that 1t keeps out
the rain which fall from the clouds-a
distinction with difference not in fav-
or of the wearer of the permanent water
proof. Then he dwelt on the coler OF
dress, contending that the Lancet was
quite right in stating that white olor
was the best even in cold weather, while
1t was admittedly the best in the summer
season. The objection to white was, of
course, the readiness with which it show
ed the Dirt objection which was strict
~ an advantage in a health point of view,
but which would be met practically by
modifying the color to gray. Fol- all
ordinary occasions light gray ought to
take the place of black for outer cover
ings of the body. Black was in fact of
all colors the worst, aud these kpoor Ia
dies who thought it necessary after be-
reavement to immerse Themselves for
months in Grape were indeed to be pitied.
After the suttee it was almost the sad
dest of miseUes inflicted by society on
the already miserable.
4 Wooden Watch.
A North Carolina paper. the Abino.