The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-01-08
AS TO Low-NHCKRD DRESSES
Nave They Been More Decouette
Than Usual This Year2
New York World.

n evening gatherings this season nave
attracted universal attention. While
lest year and the year preceding very
lecollette dresses were worn by come
ladies, they were the exception, and
not almost the universal rule. as is the
ease t lis year. The subject has formed
q topic Of conversation at the clubs
and elsewhere, and many and variou.
have betn the reasons assigned for the
seemingly all prevalent fashion. The
young msr,ied ladies are the most
conspicuous in tins matter of dress, CT
IA her undres-, and several who have
occupied prominent boxes at the Met
r0pOlitsn opera house during the sea
son just closing Save attracted publ C
notice from he unbiushing display Of
natural but generally concealed beau
". Last year luw-necked dresses
used to be held in place by shoulder
straps, but this year these have been
discarded and to the observer the orm
straps seem entirely insufficient and
inadequate to hold the corsage, aud
the: e is feeling of momenfary expec
talon lest the entire bodice fall down
Several prominent society leaders
were questioned Yesterday regarding
the reas m. for this remarkable and
inderen; fashion and as to its probab-
le result and Tenderness. Owing 10
the fact that their opinions would
consequently reflect upon their assO
ciates and fellows. they declined to
give their names for publicari N.
A middle aged society and club
man. who is well and widely known,
and who is regular a tendant at the
Demonlco bali, said when questioned
en- the subject. Pshaw, the majority
Of dresses worn this year by sociey
women are not cut any lower than
usual. Women withiDretty uecks md
chests like 10 display them and, som-
a little more immodest uncoSer them
selves as much as they dare. MY
explanation of this whole Outcry
against dec0Ilete dresses is that the
boxes in the new oprea house, where
the fashionable women sit, bring
them nearer to and render them more
easily seen by that portion of the
audience which, while 1t may under
stand FIstbusch sociabie, is MT ia
milisr with the balls and parties of
our distinctively fashionable set in the
metropolis; where these dresses rarrlv
excite aEy comment even among the
masculAens sex.
An equally prominent society WON
an said 1t is n subject do not much
care to discuss, sui the hole question
rests ON whether wnmaa is modest or
immoiest The fashions change in
this respect every few years, and
year after they hsve been cut lower in
Paris they be, in to cut them lower
here, but as TO where lady shall
draw the line rests with herself and
her own ideas aud feelings. Under
tire dirsctory when high WASTED dress
es we're worn the bosom. except in the
ease Of young girls, was often entirely
exposed, and / do not know that that
period WAS much n IRE immortal thar
this. For myslf, should never care
to wass drss. ~ allow NV daughter
D. wear ore which could excite the
slightest suspicioa or thought of i'm
modesty on our pari in any observers
mind. Dresses. save by members 1T
Roman Catholic families. are rot quite
as low in England Is here, and an
American sccie,y girl vino married an
En- glish l,rd, aud who has been max
ing quite q long visit here. recently.
created quite sensa'inn by her low
cut dresses wtea she frs: returned
home last year. She may, to a Ger
tain extent, have started the fashion.
An old club man said: The present
fashion of low-cut dresses is, think,
carried to an indecent and di>graceful
extreme. [ cannot but consider 1T
demorslizing tc young men AMI girls
to attend our balls and mngle with
and observe woman whose charms
sre often wholly unc ,vered. [ know
by personal experience when have
heard young men in this cub talk
the day after Drlmonio's bali, that
the husbands and relatives of some of
the ladies they discuss coull have 20
possible grounds for resenting their
imputat!ons lid they hear them.
And yet I believe these la iies to be
pure, good women otherwise, and in
the majority of cases excellent wives
aad mothers. They do not stop to
think how greatly. in yielding 10 an
indulgence in foolish fashion, they
aid in lowering the moral tone If the
community. 1t seems t. 60 from bad
to worse every year, and l do cot
see where it viii stop unless We boldly
g