Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-14
Mrs. Miller Talks on Dress RefOrna-lHeI
Campaign Against C0rxets.

There was not stylish new bonnet in the audi
ence that assembled at the Universalist church
last evening to hear Mrs. Jenness Miller lecture on
dress reform. There were staid married women,
elderly women and some young women. while
here and there was a man. TWAS good audience
| TO talk to as glance at the kindly Intelligent
| faces would show, but there did not seem to be
| present any OF that class from which converts
might be expected. The young lady with the at
tenuated waist. high heels and other attractive
frivolies not there and against the follies OF
| this class the lecturers wit and sarcasm was
mostly directed. However, she received the APP
sepse aSd not alone their
by her rhetoric but their eyes by her dress and ap
pearance. She made pretty picture as she
Kent briefly said few words OF introduction,
Ind the most critical of her sex would acknOwl
dge her beauty whatever they might think o. the
listed in the dress, which represented one OF the
types in the proposed dress reform. 1t was in
With the sides and back OF dark blue velvet and
| the front a soft mass OF white cashmere with
plenty of Irish lace. Everybody said, "what a
hear what the owner OF the dress had to say.
MRS. MILLER's TALK.
She began to talk, and she talked fuently and
we'll for about an hour, showing familiarity with
her subject and deep conviction in the truth Of
what She was saying. 1t was not an illustrated
lecture as some might have supposed, from the
fact that this lady has variety OF dresses made
for different occasions. and so the gentlemen
present were not made uncomfortable. She spoke
VI the evils of the present style of dress and the
injurious effects upon health and life, and yet.
while all women'readily acknowledge all this, she
SAID they have not the power to free themselves
from the bondage OF fashions which emanate from
unknown and irresponsible sources. She ridiculed
the mock modeSty which allowed women to 90 into
public places with the upper portion of their body
practically nude. yet would shrink from any en-
p0sure of the lower limbs. These portions OF the
anHt0mS- lecturer In IN ma
ter1al respect. from that OF men, and there was no
reason why women could not have as much free
dOm ana ease IN their movements as the opposite
sex. For street wear, She advocated short dresses
She condemned cOrSeuS and high heels and her de-
scr1ption OF the suffering entailed upon women by
the Stylish MODES OF dress, she Said could be veri
lied in the faces and movements OF the fashiOnaby
dressed women one meets. The corset of course was
the main subject for attack. She said that by a
merci1ul arrangement the region OF the waist had
been made strong and capable OF enduring severe
treatment and this accounted for the existence Of
II men were obliged to dress as women do they
would be dead In short time and while the
speaker dld not advocate murder. yet she thought
IL WOULD De right TO make some man an awful
example Tor the good effect upon the minds OF wO-
men she said that in advocating a reform in
dress she wanted to begin with the lady OF fashion,
for 1t was the style OF dress worn by such wo-
man that was initiated by the servants and others.
MRS. TOPLOFTY
let out her corsetS and had large waist: then
large waists became the style, and so OF tight
sleeves ana Otnef denominations. The Stckly. help
less. delicate women, whose condition was the re-
suit OF the fashionable style OF dressing, in her
opinion were not desirable wives. were unfit for
any useful duty, and entailed misery upon their
cnilOren ana unhappfneSS upon their husbands.
The remedy for all this lay In the hands OF women.
Tney were slaves to power which had no legiti-
mate fght TO rule. The dreSSnakerS who made
money from the change in the style were prnci-
pally responsible for what is known IS fashionable
dress, and why civilized women should yield
Dlnd, unqueStioning submission to such an au-
thOr1ty was indeed a marvel. The sneaker was
very severe upon the fOllieS and vanities OF
women. but paused in the midst OF her tnyective
long enough 10 remark to the men present that IL
her subject had happened to be men she could say
equally severe things. However. she did not say
them. and the men enjoyed the lecture hugely "a nd
remarked to tn ir wives on the way home that
Mrs: Miller expressed their ideas exactly After
the lecture Mrs. Miller was surrounded by beyy
OF women, who wanted to get closer look at her
costume, which. in accordance with her ideas was
adapted to the natural curves OF the body and
was not separated In two parts, as she said