Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-10-07
No Corsets.
A CRUSADE AGAINST TIGHT LAcING.
MRS. CONRAD MILLER's DRESS REFORM
Washington star

MRS. CONRAD NILLER's DRESS REFORM.
Washington star.
There ! Don't you think that is grace
ful and pretty ?" exclaimed a very attractive
Young lady the other day as she bounded
lightly into the psrlor 10 see Star report
er. The reporter declared that she was
both. ''Oh, the dress, The dress mean"
she SAID, revolving gracefully TO display the
beauty OF the garment The scribe was in
ellned 10 think that any dress would look
pretty when shown to such an advantage.
but he withheld his praise and quietly ac-
quiesced.
But IT was something more than the mere
beauty Of the material of the dress to which
the reporters attention was directed |,
was the peculiar fashion. AT frs, glance
the reporter noticed nothing remarkable
about II, except, perhaps, that its folds fell
more gracefully. But in this il was s,rik-
ing, and that II was worn by Mrs. Conrad
Miller, who has undertaken a reform OF
womens dress. demanded for it closer in
spectlon. Mrs. Miller is known to the lit
erary world as Miss Annie Jenness, author
Of barbara lhayer," and is relative Of
Wendell Philips and Oliver Wendell
Holmes. The dress she wore was a very
rich figured black silk. Of unconventional
cut. That IS 10 say, it was not cut 10 be
worn with corsets.
M, idea is, she said, turning once more
for the scribe TO see the set Of her gown.
My idea Is to get women to set aside their
eorsets. want 10 teach them that their
dresses NAV set better, aud that the, can be
infinitely more graceful. more comfortable
and more healthful If they free themselves
from all stiffness and oonstraint You agree
with me Yes, of course; ; al men would
le, II Is said that women dress 10 please
men. which, Of course, is not So
'fon see this. costume fall, gracefully.
and here, how easily move in it," She
posed gracefully, sva,ed her body around
and around from the waist. threw her arms
out easily and bent forward until her hands
neaFi, touched the carpet This Was done
easily, without torNardaess or display.
NO woman with corsets on could do
that" she said. There must be TO corse,s
and no bands. The wais, musi not be com.
pressed nor hurdened with the weight or
half dozen skirts. There mus, be no un-
dfr.klr;s al all, and the costume mus, hang
form. This skirt weighs almost nothing
The entire outer garment ls merely the dec
Grafton. The ornamentation of drrss |, is
not intended for warmth. This, YOU see, Is
short IT j. intended for the street For the
house 1t would be longer-hardly one Of
those yery long trains that are in every
bodys way. but train that could take care
Of itself. Underneath. a. have sad. there
IS no skirt. Instead there Is a tight fitting
garment IN one piece from head to foot.
something like a bathing suit without the
skirt. only Il j. made Of .lk and fits closely
There Is no part Of the body which has to
bear all the weight Of clothes Each part
supports the weight Of what covers ii, and no
more. There is no waistband. no stiffness.
and no binding. This undrrgarmeut -
made Of different material, according TO tie
weather, SO as 10 give perfec, comfort sum
mer and winter
Mature never intended women 10 wear
corseis. |; vas never intended that they
should torture and defofm Themselves In
ngine Venus in corsets Women we're made
to be beautiful. 10 be prrfect-the fines, 81
Lords creation. It is their duty to maintain
a form Of exquisite symmetry; 70 train and
The corset i curse 10 the human race
Women say they must wear them for sup
port. lr,; that IS because they have dead.
ened the muscles nature gave them for thi.
purpose. Women sre endowed with i'm.
mense and powerful! muscles that men has,
not. These give them al the support the,
want where they most need il, Bot The,
must be developed and cared for not
bound in and compressed from early Youth
until they are dead and useless Where
women have eiieciualIy DESTROYED these sup.
ports, BY long Years Of iacing. do not ex
pee, them 10 discard the artificial support,
They have become d-formed. Bu, they
must train their lt,le girls to follow nature
ard young women must develop their s,l
living powers
Il, is the duty Of a woman" she contin-
ued "to be beautiful She should deyelor
Ail her physical and mental qualities year b,
year and become more perfect, more brauti-
'ui and more attractive as she gets older
instead Of being broken down a, middl,
age. Taking of corse,s and developing hei
nature doesn't make woman masculine
1t does not take from her any Of that deli
cate sensibiity which is the gift Of her sex
Her qualities are those Of woman and
their careful development and cultivation
make her only the more womanl, Anat
| omy shows that a woman Is naturally strong
er than man. but hers is not the strength
OF man. She is stronger within her owr
functions. To destroy this is an outrage tc
nature, 10 her husband and TO her children
oh, but when We get fat some say, 'wt
have 10 wear oorsets.' | know woman
who weighs 2l0 pounds who Ia. beautiful
form and wears none.
.As 10 evening dresses. they are the mos,
graceful and beautiful made this way, They
can be made in many beautiful patterns
Then she described ,cme, which description
dazzled the reporter and was beyond hi.
power 10 repeat.
Wait and shall show YOU something.
Then She disappeared, and in the space Of
! about three minutes came down stairs again
fobed in a morning gown tina, must have
been made for a Grecian goddess 1t wasn't
| Mother Hubbard it WASH, wrapper il
wasn't ANYTHING modern. The material was
exceedingly rich, but its construction was as
II drawn by an artist. Every fold was a
line of beauty, according TO the canons ol
taste that governed the Grecian goddesses
IN their dress-maklnp establishments