Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-21
MODERN W0MEN'S DRESS
one o'the UnsOlyed rroblcms Of the
Age--The Hydra known as Med.
ern style.
nov women Are tortured nnd Made Ridio
"ous- oHrmeuts md Draperits uased
Upon scientino Principles.


MIN vi tue human race IL 70 COntidefa-
bic extent the result Of woman's mons.
lrous and unhcalihiul habits Of dress.
whether or no common sense will ever
succeed In eifcoting the reform that is 10
much desired, "a well rs 80 essential to
the future wcll.bcing Of humanity, Il ono
q the unsolvcd problems OF our see.
Keiotmcrs IN this direction have, unfnr.
tunately for good cause, been made ob.
lccts Of scnseloss and often brutal assaults
and rldlculo, They have also as n rule
belonged 10 the genus crank, and women
and men alike have facility agreed 10
Ignore the good and valuable ia their
efforts, and TO unite In condemnation OF
tleir methods.
There Is some announcement in the
fact that there rs, all along the line,
notable stir 10 the matter of dress reform
That has Tor its cornerstone regard for
hygltnic principles, Mrs JonnCes-
Miller, former nostonian but now
resident OF Washington, has devoted many
years OF modest ana almost sol tary study
10 this subject, aud she has Mt last given
form % her ideas In garments aud
drnpcrlcs, based upon what are believed
to be artistic az well ~ scientific pnnci.
pics.
Mrs. Miller urges that fashionable fol-
Hos aud consequent ctOrmltlos have long
enough held iron sway, and that nature
ana reason alike cry aloud foi radical
change, II women wOnld be beautiful
after the Groclan model which Is HE per.
1 elton VI beauty, they must live and
dress IN accordance with the plain laws
OF health "what Is thorc,n she asks
''About this burdrusomo aggregation Of
\ long skirts worn by women OF every
social grade, with endless complications
OF loops, puns, and weight that Ia death
to health and happiness and TO prolonged
| usefulness, that women should continue
/ IN this bondapo2" Science objects 10 tho
practice Of lacing, steollng, and swad.
! ding for the reason chiefly that II Is To-.
convenient, ugly, and a burden OF sorrow
TO the unborn world, Science also pro-
poses dress without lgatures or bands,
stool9 or whale bOucs-tho essential thing
being freedom from pressure, weight,
ana deiormity. Science and sense abhor
po.tcoais, corsets, and French heels.
The Incredible uglincsa Of the modern
feminine drupery cannot be adequately
described. Nearly every woman Que eecs
on the street goes bobblng along wi h
hustle grotosqucly awry, a fact Of which
she must be aware, for at every tenth
step, more or less, IN her promenade the
close observer shall sec hor iurtiyely
readiust 10 Stand in the lobby OF thea.
ter and note the women who enter. They
are soliCltous for nothing In this world
save tholr bustlee, and the greater their
dCformity the more t0ndurly do they 10.
garG ihomi but, II you would obtain the
beat view Of this mOnstrDslty, take posi-.
finn "A hulIfIiut an al.
the ground aud look straight down upon Il
procession Of passing women. Nothing
else IN lie ~ 40 ludicrouB. II rs not
strange that wild Western machine poet
was lately moved 10 the utterauce Of the
immortal truth that
man may sing aud man may whihc
OfplsY thu plano MI day,
Hut be cant haeR n bustlo at tho end Of his
rplnc,
Because he's not built that way
A contemporary offers these ringing
words 10 support OF Ste own Advocacy Of
tho reform which Mrs, Jebness. Miller
proposes
The universal love Of the ancient Greek
race Tor al that IL physically graceful aud
BhAprly was ~ reality u popular and mag.
pincent study Of anatomy Strict alton
ton was paid TO grace In apparel as welt
~ In personal bearing, while no pooplo
were ever more scrupulong IN rcgg ri Tor
personal cleanliness, No Greek woman
ever dreamed Of wearing shoes that
crnmpod her feet, with heels three inches
nigh, or Of COMPRISING hor graceful waist
In ylllainous corset " sixteen inches
glrlh, or Of wearing mansir1us bunch Of
juto 10 conceal the beautiful hnir with
which nature gifted her, or Of fastening
an nncOuth, shtpeloss bundle Of fantastic
drspery aboustne small Oi her back, or OF
wearing long dresses 10 trail IN the dust,
mud, etc. We do not believe that Greek
women were ever troubled with cOrnH or
mshhapcd toes. Aud we do believe they
were far more ittod ~ become mothers
Of desirable offspring than the doformed,
artificial, painted, and patched women Of
this age
Tho modern fashion which Induces ita
yotarios 10 rick themselves out 70 attract
lasclyioub attention IL far more roprehon
siblo than that which left the fair limbs Of
tho Spartan girls exposed. Modern fash.
ions Ia dress throughout the civilized
world are for the most part uncouth and
devoid Oi grace, many Of them having
been invented 20 conceal some natural Do.
formliy II we seek the picturesque and
graceful IN drcsH VIC must actually 20
among barharianB 70 lind them. In Spain,
Greece, and Italy II II true we may stlll
lind a Picturesque national costume, but
everywhere the natioEAl dress IN disap
pearlng before the Innovations of thls
absurd an cruel hydra knowu ms Modern
style II ~ the prisoner Of tho body and
the dcmoTaiizer OF the soul.