Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-24
TRoUsERs FoR WoaTEN.
Views of Mrs. Z. NJ. King, the Londol
Dress Eeforrner

Views of Mrs. Z. NJ. King, the London
Dress RefOrmer.
Mrs. Z. NJ. King, Honorary Secretary
Of the Rational Dress Association, which
has for the last two or three years been
exciting some curiosity in England, saws
a Montreal special to the New Yerk
Times, has arrived in this city, having
come over on the steamship Vancouver.
In conversation with a Times correspond
ent, Mrs. King stated that her Object in
coming to this country was primarily to
attend the meetings of the British asso-
citation. She also hoped to disseminate
her views on the subject OF dress reform
both in Canada and the United States.
Mrs. King is quite an interesting woman,
pleasant and Intelligent; she speaks well,
and Is very enthusiastic on the subject Of
her pet hobby. She is rather short Of
stature, but with finely developed ply
sique, which speaks well for her theory
She Is % years old, and is the mother Of
several children. She wears her hair,
which is yet scarcely tinged with gray,
short, and arranged in a somewhat mas
culine style.
Mrs. Kings dress at first sight seems to
have nothing startling in it, appearing to
consist only of a loose flowing vest and
basque and short dTaped skirt. She ex-
planned It's mysteries. and, lifting her
skirt, showed the correspondent that she
wore trousers. Taking a modest glance
at those garments, the correspondent saw
that they were made OF the same material
as the Wearer'S dress, trimmed also in the
same fashion, Mrs. Kings idea being to
do away with all SuperfiuOus petticOats
which impede the freedom of the lower
limbs, or, as Mrs. KING calls them plainly.
legs, and thus interfere with the health
and strength of women. Mrs. King
worked for some time in unison with
Lady Haberton, who was one OF the first
to take up the subject of dress reform in
England, but differences OfOpiniOn arose
and the two ladies thought it best to sepa-
rate. Mrs. King believes in calling
spade spade, and insisted on speaking
OF her trousers as trousers, while Lady
HabertOn preferred the less startling ap-
pellatiOn of a ''diyided skirt Mrs. King
thinks that though the word trousers may
sound strange and struck some ladies, il
is the only correct one, and that these
trousers should be worn instead of petit
coats, and that over this should be worn
the dress, so as not 10 be too great
shock to the weak nerves Of public opin-
ION, though she has no doubt that the day
will yet cOme-perhaps not in her time,
nor even in her chIldren's-when women
will wear skirts which will aOt come be-
low the knees, the lower part Of the legs
being covered with some style of trousers.
Clothing cOnCists Of two parts-dress
and drapeTy. The first named, being for
utility, should conform to the outlines OF
the figure; and what, she pathetically
asks, is more beautiful among all Gods
created things than the figure of a .wO-
man? The drapcry. she says, may be
safely left to the Individual taste of the
weareT, for she Is sure that Though she
herself may not have the knack Of making
the dress attractive, the love of prettiness
born IN most women viii soon assert it
self; besides which theY have the added
beauty Of better health and the graceful
freedom of limb which a more rational
mode OF dress would give. Especially to
young girls. on whom depends the welfare
Of the coming generations, does Mrs.
King WllBh TO make IL clear that because
they adopt a style of dress which Is
healthful and comfortable. they need not
necessarily sacrifice beauty. but quite tue
contrary. Mrs. King says that coming
out OF the Vancouver they had 'ladIes'
evenings, > during which she delivered an
address on her views Of dress reform, and
succeeded in hOrrifyIng her lady fellow
passengers to an unheard q extent,
which is easily believed il she appeared
before them in the semi-mascuiHe toilet
she wore before your correspondent. This
4uAlN SdN , lLA0A gilt has many wi BbAiNt-
ests in the States, some of whom have
organized a dress exhibition, to be held
iu San Francisco this fall. This viii be
somewhat similar to the exhibition that
Mrs. King had in London, at which, she
says, there were 10000 paying visitors.
1t - not, however, only to women THAI
she addresses herself, but also to the
sterner sex, in whose costume she sees
much that needs refOrn-nOt, perhaps,
on the ground of utility, but on that of
beauty OF outline and cOlOring; and, in-
deed, she asserts that many men are MEM
bers Of her society, not only because they
wish TO see their wives and daughters be-
come healthier and stronger women, but
because they are not satisfied with their
own dress. Mrs. King very sensibly OBJ
serves it is only through the support Of
men that women viii have courage to
endure the ridicule with which their trou-
ser costumes viii be greeted.