St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-14
THE CORSET MUST GO.
Stylish Dress Reform Considered by
Physicians.
PRACTICAL LESSON.
How The Divided Skirt Lceks---A Neat
Costume That Hangs From the
Shoulder.

of femme torture handed down to us in
agoniZing stages from Catherine de
Medicis-received a roasting at the
meeting of the Homeopathic academy,
last night, that every woman i'll the
city should have heard, if hearing she
would have needed. The academy met
at the Nicollet house and talked the
subject of dress reform, upon the
theory now adopted by every intelligent
physician, that most of the trouble
which make the lives of so many
women hideOus may be laid at
the door of corsets and other fashiOna-
BILE dress tortnres. DR.. Tucker, prac-
ticing lady physician of Mortified, was
present, and introduced the subject of
dress for infants, exhibiting a costume
that met her ideas, and did away with
the band which has always been con-
sidered indispensable. 1t is composite
garment of three thickneSscs, the first,
which goes next to the skin, be-
ing of Canton flannel, the next
of all wool, and the third or
outside garment being Of the
dress goods desired. The band was de-
nounced as impeding both circulation
and respiration, and DR.. Fargo gave it
as his belief that the band was fire.
guently the cause of lung trouble in
after life, as it checked the cary de-
velopment OF the abdominal muscles.
Dr.. Tucker regarded the ability of q
child to wear flannel next its skin as an
evidence of health, as the firm skin was
not easily chafed. After discussing this
topic for some time and examining the
dress exhibited, the academy got upon
DRESS REFORM,
and began by laying to the corset. the
hustle and the high-heel shoe the many
terrible sufferingS peculiar to women.
DR.. Lawrence told of a patient who had
suffered long and severely, land for
whom no medical treatment was of
avail. During her suffering she had
studied up the matter of dress re-
form, and finally had adopted
system of her own, which
after only a short trial had
benefited her more than all the medical
treatment she had received. He has
prevailed upon her to come before the
academy and give the benefit of her eX-
perience, and accordingly introduced a
comely young matrOn, whose intelligent
face bore the traces of her suffering.
She brought in large package of cloth
ing and announced she wore the reform
Those ladies who declare that style and
corset are inseparable should have
noted the easy grace and style of her
costume and become silent. The dress
was beyond the masculine power to
describe accurately, but it is sufficient
to say it was stylish to a.degree, and
yet gave to her movements grace
full freedom utterly unknown to
the fashionable young lady. She
could raise her arms at full
length above her head with perfect
ease. and while her skirts fell in grace
full folds they offered no impeachment to
the free use of her limbs in walking.
She said she had heard the lectures of
Jenness Miller on dress reform and
then modified her patterns to suit her
own ideas, and the result was the dress
she now exhibited.
THE REFORMED DRESS.
First of all came a WOODEN garment,
jersey fitting, which covers the body
from neck to heels, and even the arms,
for winter wear. II believe in wearing
wool next the body at all seasons said
the lady, and several homeopaths
nodded acquiescence. Even wooden
came another resembling waist and
drawers in One-a handsome garment,
of wool on the inside and silk
outside, cream-colored and trimmed at
neck and bottom with lace. "Make this
handsome and the ladies will adopt it
sooner, you know" At the waist was
band, made to neatly fit the waist at its
greatest expansion without binding.
Upon this band were buttons, to which
was fastened the underskirt, made
of heavy material Tor light,
to suit the season. and reach
ing to the shoe tops. The popularity
of the skirt was that it was divided
or bifurcated like pair of very full
pantaloons. This one was covered with
silk to prevent rubbing and to make
walking easy. 1t fastened snugly to
the waistband, as did also the stocking
supporters. thus throwing the entire
weight upon the shoulders, as the
band does not bind on the waist. The
outer skirt has thin waist, sleeveless
thus throwing the weight of every
ders. The dress was completed by the
outer waist, a blOuse-like garment, Or
namented to the owners taste. The
skirt was set out with reeds in place of
hustle, having the same appearance,
and a few featherbones in the waist
prevented Wrinkling. 1t made an as
tonlshingly handsome and stylish dress,
though perhaps of much finer material
than necessary.
EFFECT OF SUCH A DRESS.
The lady explained how every part of
the body was equally warmed by such
dress, and showed the freedom it gave
to every limb. Since wearing it her
waist had developed three and one-half
inches and her bust correspondingly.
She had discarded high heels and felt
beneficial effects from such a step,
while her general health was cor
respondingly improved. Such "A dress
was admirably suited to slender lady.
but very tleshy one might have to add
health waist as bust supporter. When
woman left off corset, she said, the
bust dropped. but this could be rene
died by dasheS of cold water. The
physicians listened with great interest
to this recital, and examined the cloth
ing attentively. In the discussion
Which followed, the corset, high
heels and heavy hustle were holly
denounced and the dress reform com
mended, but it was agreed thatiit would
never he adopted until ladies could be
convinced that it would be stylish.
| There was where the education was re-
qnired, but it was also agreed that one
look at the lady present, in her attract
i've costume, would do more than the
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