Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-11-12
A SENSIBLE SUIT.


nov Women should Dress to Combine
Health. Beauty and Economy.
II has been said that most people
dress a. they like when they dress Ike
Their fellows. however foolish that NAV
be, and that "gregariouS folly gives
greater sense of satisfaction to them
than does the soundrst indiy dual COM
mon SENSE. 1t is undrniahlc that
noticeable deviation from the custom
OF tn" period brings dl>agrrcable prom
lnence 10 the unfortunate advcnturer.
From the chaos of costume of the
present. however. gcntitwOman.
whatever her style of person. may Sc
lect almost any style of dress she fam
cieS. and be not ont Of the fashion.
But for her to be clothed in manner
AT once healthful. economical and
beautiful. she will consider herself, her
purse aud her position in lie. She will
bee II with cleanliness. No soul can
be at its best in nOt-to-be-reSpected
body.
The economy of one is unwarranted
clu>cnesS in another. We will. there
fore. consider what has been aptly
termed the IN .ddle extreme.
Nature asks us to be clean; to sup
port the weight of our garments, so far
as is possible. from the bony frame
work If the shoulders; to allow no
manifold cloth to press upon and heat
the small of the back. whence radate
nerves and where cluster ligatures and
muscles. whose INJURIES are seeds Of
suffering and death; to refuse all com
preston of Ourvital organs and to have
our clothing a. well fitted to our shapes
a. is consistent with perfect freedom OF
motion. One is more at ease IN the
cheapest gown perfectly fitted than in
the co>tlrSt material bunglcd.
Practical illustration is sometimes
better than anv amount of theoretical
advice, and VII describe. therefore,
the manner of dress adopted by a
woman who is now. at seventy years
of age. the wonder and admiration of
all who meet with her. She is the wife
of an aged. retired clergyman, and has
lived on both large and small incomes.
She was not born in what is called the
AabVl III lass. 'sAA t'ft~ Iii'l' WI n III
the twenty-four hours. | venture to
say, than does one woman in fifty of
those Younger than herself. She is
the best COnversationaIiSt in her town
of four thousand inhabitants. reads ali
the papers and magaZ nes she can lay
hands upon. is straight as a dart and
steps like healthy girl. With an in
valid husband she has often been
obliged to be more or less active in
matters belong ne to a mans work,
and has felt the necessity of entire free
dom and ease of motion. The div ded
costume never entered her by no means
strong minded" notions. She wears
Balbriggau underve>tS, with drawers
to match. in summer; these give way
to merino or mixed cotton and wool
IN winter; over them goes a pair Of
hose->uppOrterS, extending from the
shoulder directly To the stockings. with
no belt. Her stockings are long and
very good. and she wears Balbriggan
stVlts all the year. As her sensitive skin
rebels at wool: but she wears flannel
lined shoes. with heels one inch high.
from November to Nav. Next the
underclothing follows a garment which
is, in my opinion. the desideratum of
n w0man's dreSs-that which carries
the whole superstructure. It, with an
addit on is what commerce names the
combination skirt and corset cover
She wears no corsets. but this
garment is fitted to her. as BASQUE
would be. Its upper fronts are cut
out the-r pIaces being filled by GATH
cred puffs. She stitches three cords in
the hutton-side of the front. or at
taches a thin. wide whal.bOnc. en-
ca.ed and easily detached for the laun-
dry. On the two seams on ether side
the middle of the back. which are four
or five inches apart. she SewS straps an
inch wide. from the armholes to with
in three inches OF their eXtremities,
which are neatly shaped. ending on a
line with the waist; on the pendent
ends are dress reform buttons. to
which the petticoat is attached bv short
straps. sewed perpendicularlv to its
belt and furnished with hutton-holes.
Ii takes only a short time to provide
ease of the unburdenai hack TINS So