The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-23
woarEN's DRESS.
Disastrous Results of Men-Set Fashions
The Monstrosities of Nj. Worth.
New York Commercial Advertiser.

New York Commercial Advertiser.
very interesting meeting Of dress .reformers
was held in this city on Thursday evening.
About seventy five enthusiastic men and women
met at Carriers Hall, Fourteenth street. to
ventilate certain novel ideas, under the auspices
of the Science Of Life Club, whose members be-
lieve or profess to believe, in the attainment of
immortal life in this world by obedience to nat
ural laws.
The president of the club. Mrs. CYNTHIA Leon
ard. mother of Lillian Russell. an elderly lady
who wears short hair. opened the discussion on
dress reform by recalling the mob that nearly
killed one Of the first women who appeared in
Bloomer costume in the streets of Buffalo thirty
four years ago. The speaker declared that men
exercised an arbitrary rule over women in the
matter of dress, and she attributed the absurd
ties of dress to fashions designed by men. Mr..
WORTH she said was the originator of countless
modern monstrosities. Thereupon she exhibited
late French fashion plate, and directed atten-
ton to the extension at the back below the waist,
which was $50 enormous as to suggest the idea
of a pair of hind legs folded beneath" She
feared that in the next generation this fashion
might result in a retrogression OF the race to the
quadruped or centaur period. She also pointed
out the great length of waist in the plates, which
brought the belt line below the elbows in many
figures and the fact that the feet were much
smaller than the hands of the figures.
Mrs. Leonard then attacked mems clothing, on
the grounds that it is not uniform in warmth;
that it overheats the shoulders and spine; that it
leaves the lungs, the stomach and bowels unduly
protected, and that it is sombre and monotonous.
She advocated the use of lace, flowers and furbe-
lows. Nature, she exclaimed, decorates with
flowers, why not initiate her9 Men would be
healthier happier, and more moralif they would
take the same pains as women do to brighten
their apparel The immoral practices OF boys
rarely began until they went into trousers
Mrs Leonard referred with approval to recent
articles in the North American Review which
showed that women's clothes are not so fit as
mems for working, reminding her hearers that
when man has work to do. the first thing he
does is to take off coat and vest; and If the work
is very hard, his suspenders come off Also While
she did not advocate trousers for women, she
thought that much shorter walking dresses,
with hose only, for shapey-lim bed women, and
Turkish trousers for other women, would be an
| immense improvement for walking and working
purposes.
Mrs. Leonard's views were received with marks
of favor. She was followed by Robert Blessart,
a ladies tailor" who spoke with broad York
shire accent, and sawed the air at each sentence.
He would put coat, vest and trousers on women,
and thought it nonsense that even large. stout
women should dress differently from men in any
way. But he disapproved of laees and furbelows
for men,
When asked how he would distinguish the
sexes on the street he replied: eff every man
wore heavy beard like mine there would be no
difficulty" AS some of the gentlemen present
were apparently unable to produce such an orna-
ment, this remark was not received with uni
versal cordiality.
Dr. Weeks thought that dark coors are I'M
healthful. because they keep the sun from the
body.
Mrs Hall explained that certain colors agreed
or disagreed with chemical elements in the body,
and that each person should endeavor to find
which colors best agree with him or her.
Mrs. Egli, Swiss lady, showed photographs
Of the pretty Swiss peasant costumes, and de-
scribed their fine points.
Several members had an animated discus
sion on the merits of hoops, bustles and cor
sets, but all agreed in denouncng high-heeled
shoes