Evening star., 1886-09-04
VENUS WITHOUT STAYS.
A Talk with . Lady who In Makiug
war ON COrSets.

VENUS WITHOUT STAYS
A Talk with . Lady who In Making
War on Corsets.
SHE GIVES PRAeTIGAL DEHoHsT1Az4oN Oh
coRsETLEss GRAcE-Eow HER GARMENTS
ARE MADE-THE ILL gFFECTs OF TIGHT
LAcING-MoRNING AND EvENING DRESSES.
"There! Don't you think that Is graceful and
pretty?" exclaimed q very attractive young
lady the other day as she bounded lightly into
the parlor to see STAR reporter. The reporter
declared that she was both. 'Oh, the dress!
The dress I mean," she said. revolving grace
fully to display the beauty Of the garment
The scribe was inclined to think that any dress
would look pretty when shown to such an adj
vantage, but he withheld his praise and quietly
acquiesced. But it was something more than
the mere beauty OF the material OF the dress TO
which the reporters attention was directed. It
was the peculiar fashion. At FIRST glance the
reporter noticed nothing remarkable about IL,
Bps ssis Il Va
was worn by Mrs. Conrad Miller, who has
undertaken 2 reform Of women's dress, de-
known to the literary world as Miss Annie
Jenness, author of barbara Thayer," and is q
relative to Wendell Phillips and oliver Wen-
dell Holmes. The dress she wore was q very
rich Inquired black silk, of unconventional cut
Ihat Is to say. it was not cut to be worn with
corsets.
PRETTY REFORMER.
But before going any further, get that false
notion out OF your head! The conventional
'refOrmer OF woman's dress" Is angular, sharp
eatured and dyspeptic; wants to be man and
cant; wears trowsers, a beaver bat aud Is q
porter was talking with not al ali! r. she was
young married lady, whose form and features,
ti tihrougn their finene,s. would attract etten-
tion, and whose modest and amiable counte-
nance would command respect This il beau
tiIul young lady reformer!
My idea is,' sue said, turning once more
ior the scribe to see the set OF her gown, "My
idea Is to get women to set aside their cOrsets.
l want TO teach them that their dresses may
graceful more comfortable and more healthful
II they free themselves from all stiffness aud
All aau sgres With me Yes
women dress to please men, which, OF course,
FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT.
lyon see this costume falls gracefully, and
here, how easily l move in it, She posed
gracefully. swayed her body around and around
from the waist, threw her arms out easily and
oent forward until her hands nearly touched
the carpet. This was done easily. without tor
wardness or display.
"NO woman with cOrsets on could do that" ="
she said There must be no corsets and no
bands. The waist must not be compressed nor
skirts. There must be no underskirts at all,
AND the costume must hang from the
ST.hiGaiaer5, This ciingns closely to the form.
entire outer garment is merely the
decoration, The ornamentation OF dress. It
is not Intended for warmth. This, you see, is
house 1t would be lOnger-hardy one OF those
very long trains that are in every body's way,
but a train that could take care OF ITSELF Under
meath, AS have said, there is 10 skirt Instead
there Is tight fitting garment In one piece
from head foot something like q bathing
SUIT without the skirt, oniy it Is made of silk
- n art h<,.tv
which has to bear ali the weight OF the clothes.
tach part supports the weight OF what covers
II, ana no more. There is no waist band, no
stiffness, AMI no binding. This under garment
Is made OF different material, according to the
weather, so Is to give perfect comfort summer
and winter.
NATURE AND FAs ION.
"Nature never intended women to wear cor
sets. 1t was never intended that they should
torture and defOrm themselves. Imagine
Venus in corsets! Women were made to be
beautiful, to be perfect-the finest OF Lords
creation. 1t is their duty to maintain form ol
exquisite symmetry; to train and develop 1t; to
Keep IL strong ANA graceful. The corset Is a
curse TO the uuman race. Women say they
must wear them tor support. Yes; that Is be-
Cause they have deadened the mus les that
nature gave them for tuis purpose. Women
are endowed With Immense anu powerful mus
cles that men have not. These give them all
the support they want where they most need it.
but they must be developed ana cared ,Or: moi
bound in and compressed from early youth
until they are dead ana useless. Where women
have eftectuaiiy destroyed these supports, by
discard The artificial supports. Tuey have be-
come deformed. But they must train their lit
tie girls to follow nature, and young women must
develop tne,r still living powers.
WOMANS DUTY TO BE BEAUTIFUL.
at is the duty OF woman" she
continued, ITO be beautiful. She should
develop all her physical and mental
qualities year by year and becOm q
more , perfect, more beautiful and more attrao-
tive as sne gets Older; fnsead Of being broken
developing her nature doesn't make a woman
mascuiine. 1t does not take from ner any of
that delicate sensibiity which is the gift of her
sex. Her Qualities are hose of woman aud
their careful development and cultivation
makes her only the more womanly. Anatomy
SHOWS that u woman IS naturally stronger
than man, but hers is not the strength OF a
man. She Is stronger Within her own functions
TO destroy this is an outrage to nature, to her
we get lat sone say, I'VE have to wear corsets.
know a woman VINO weighs 2lO pounds VINO
has u beautiful form and wears none.
EVENING DRESSES.
"As to evening dresses they are most grace
full and beautiful made this way. They can be
made in many beautiful patterns" Then she
described some which description dazzled the
reporter and Was beyond his power to repeat.
"Wait and shall show you something.' Then
she Disappeared, and in the space Of about
three minutes came down stairs again, robed in
IL morning gown tnat must have been made for
Grecian goddess. II wasn't a Mother Hub
bard; it wasn't a wrapper; it wasn't anything
modern. Tne material was exceedingly ricn
but its construction was il drawn by an
artist. Every told was a line OF beauty, Accord
ing To the canons of taste that governed the
Gfecian godtesses In their dressmaking estab-
IisnmentS.
There should be a reform in mems clothes.
too, size said "Tney should be dressed to nave,
more freedom OF motion. Their suspenders
prevent the development of the lungs, and Ia
support trOwSerS at tine waist is Injurious to the
back. Their Lrowsers should be hung more as
lutte boys ara-oy bloa,eS under their coats
Their pants and vests should De one."