Omaha daily bee., 1888-04-29

sure is removed. Rei one and all, II
close pressed, wilt Admit the disabilities
OF much that they call beautiful, and
profess readiness for anything demon
strably better. 21'3I
The reformed c9stgme has failed to
make its way into popular favor; such
costumes at any rate as emanates from
Lady Habberton and other inventors OF
the same order. 1t is impossible for the
most ardent advocates OF reform to DEM
onstrate that beauty dwells in any OF
these. 1t was my fortune to meet at q
scientific conventions an English en-
thusiast who wore the divided skirt.
She was fresh and fair and big, with the
deep chest voice OF the healthy English
woman and the caimest defiance OF any
law of beauty or proportion. Her
dress was n gray poplin bag, separating
below, with a rufile around the bottom,
and a mere line of white appearing
above the neck-band. 1t may have
been comfortable, but it was also hide
Gus, and no woman with any real sense
OF what beauty meant would have toler-
ated 10, eve as a sick garment. From
the fashion precisely as il stands to-day
any woman can. plan for herself q cos
tune, easy, comfortable land most GER
tainly graceful and becoming. The
short skirt clears the ground we'll, and
is thus neither worn or soiled. The
in one piece, and thus in
stantly adjusted. The shoes are
low-heeled and broad, the stockings
black or dark. With half-itting jacket
or long cloak perfect ease and looseness
are both possible. and sleeves may be
as one will. Woman's dress has never,
in modern times, been more really what
it should be in all its outward express
sion and adaptation to modern needs.
1t remains to Danish all bands and liga-
lures, secure even layers for the whole
body, abolish hideous steel punches and
support the dress so far as it needs sup
port by a fiounced back to the UNDER
skirt, and behold the modern woman
emancipated, yet not q terror.
This for street and ordinary house.
dress, the quality Of the material used
being dependent on the purse of the
buyer. For evening there is greater
latitude, and nothing could be more
graceful or more intrinsically beautiful
than many of the costumes worn,
whether by matron or maid. The ma
teriai is often of the simplest nuns veil
ing or soft cashmere for the elder wear
ers, and muslins dotted or embroidered
for the younger ones; but the effect
produced by suitable combinations is
beyond any to be secured
by mere blind expenditure for
the costliest thing. 1t has also been
demonstrated hat a dress may be SO
constructed a. to remain beautiful even
when quite apart from any existing
fashion, and many women with very
limited means but keen artistic sense
are proving this, and appearing an
entire season or more in what is called
society" in the same dress modelled
after some favorite painters costume,
and insuring always an instant tribute
Of admiration. HgC.
The farmers wife or daughter, the
busy woman everywhere, with whom
there is little leisure and less oppor-
tuning for planning or wearing beauti-
full costumes, a still take refuge in one
phase of the beautiful choosing color
and material that willC unite becoming
ness and utility. Doing this, she, too
will escape the chargejof overdressing,
brought against us by hasty travellers
through the country ,lfor the majority
of sensible womeu-and their name is
~legion-live below rather than above
their opportunities and, indeed, their
duty in the matter. They are under
rather than overdressed. and have
much to learn before the laws of dress
are made plain. HELEN CAMPBELL.