The Washington critic., 1888-01-07
OLIVIA" GOES FOR GAIL
Are Women Really Run over by the
Juggemaut of Fashion?
MODERN STYLES THE BEST.
a Protest Against Greek Models
and a Plea for the BustIc.
written for the wAsmuoroS cnrrrc,


that will not pinch" and pull and
send. us down TO untimely graves,
martyrs TO the Juggernaut of fashion.
Since Wendell Phillips lashed the
nation with the whip Of his singing
sarcasm no such polished scolding has
been born into the literary world as
emanates from the pen Of our inn
mortal sister, It would not be so
blighting if the trade were not "copy-
righted" and by this means VIC
"small fry" and littlewomen are held
up to the scorn of anunfeeling world,
because "the pen is mightier than the
sword" and Gail has chosen TO inn
pale MS alive on the point Of her cruel
cimeter.
But in all humility, may we ask,
what is to prevent the majestic Gail
mighty intellect upon her poor,
naked, suffering sisters, whilst in
venting covering that shall meet her
approbation2 There is great dearth
of inventive genius Of the feminine
type, as proved by the shapes in the
Patent Office, and there is an aching
void where Gail can prove herself q
Joan Of Arc to her less gifted country
women.
Ever since the innocent days that
Mother Eve sported the iig-leaf full
dress gown, down, down to the
skinny wrap of the Aryan woman,
the baggy, sandal-footed female
Greek, the loose girdle-bound Roman
to all the hideous costumes of the
middle ages, succeeded by the hor-
rors of the Pompadour's reign, Gail
has existed in this age, with all the
spoils of knowledge tecming in her
brain, apparently without the power
to mix and combine in
HER INTELLECTUAL cRuCIBLE
something that will answer the pur-
pose for which she so loudly calls
If the greatest Roman amongst us
who is capable of running" Presi-
Dental campaign shrieks in vain,
where can the woman be found who
can accomplish this gigantic under
taking Can it be possible that our
dear Gail, locked in her stony New
| England fortress, has not found out
| that woman's emancipation from the
| rigid rules of fashion has olready
come-that it dawned upon a 10
| nighted world when the sceptre fell
from the hand of the Empress OF
France, the gifted and peerless
Eugenie?
| When the empire of the Third Napo
leon departed the writer was requested by
prominent daily journal to ascertain
"what the American women We're going
to do without Eugenie to set the fash
ions" Mrs. Grant was interviewed, ano
answered; "In matters pertaining tC
good sense and fine tact I rely on Mrs
Fish. Say to her that you seek her pres
ence by my direction"
This queenly woman was easily
reached, who replied: ~ am glad the
time has come when we shall have fash
ions of our own, and not be dictated TO b,
those who differ from us in the spirit o
their institutions. This is q republic, no
a monarchy or an empire"
"But, can ] say the ladies Of the Cab
met will originate the fashions
"By no means. | only speak for my
self.~
-fer-uff'
Then say: mo one woman, either a
home or abroad, will be followed or al
lowed to set the fashions for this coun
try. So far rs | am concerned, the short
comfortable street dress has come to stay
and the neat-fitting basque in some fori
will always be, found in my wardrobe
and ! trust every woman will seek hC
own convenience and comfort Will,
thinking of other things rather tina
dress" With prophetic force Mrs. fisl
struck I..'l. l...ttt
THE KEY NOTE
of our emancipation AS an artist pain
a picture, an American woman can aT
pear in any costume devised by her owl
inventive genius and exquisite taste. Sh
can evolve from the dead and gone age
or conceive a creation in her own bus
brain without the slightest departur
from the Goddess of Fashion.
Suppose some woman should inven
what her vanity would like to prov
national dress, would Gail at
wise us TO robe ourselves like
string of charity children or emulate til
pauper peasantry of Europe? Gail goC
on to say "the dress of the women Of tC
day is vastly better than dress has somC
times been, but also vastly worse" Sh
admits the street dress short and the fu
dress long are all right, but the tOUn nc,
OUR BLESSED BUsTLE,
that helps us balance and hide our mani
fold sins, comes in for the greatest cen
sure. Alloy, Gail beloved spinstcrl Wha
are we TO do with two-thirds of matul
womanhood, who, from various cause
cannot make the front widths of thci
dresses fall plumb from the chin down /
one straight perpendicular line? Does Ga
recall that women in middle life VIII
want to look their best have not th
forms Of the Venus de Medici or Power
Greek SlaycP Has not the good God mad
the law of equilibrium the basis of .crei
t..,O n,NA l,ta.. OF I'm
sand ont of place--and yet Gail Hamilto
would destroy our balance pin, our arc
{ safety in our flight after beauty and col
sistency.
Gail proceeds 10 say. $50 long as "
must have the present style of dress v
, must have the pinched waist. A cor
9 Portable gown Of the Nineteenth Centul
, looks clumsy and countrytled."
: Has Gail inspected the tea gowns wol
at the Capital by the ladies who recei'
/ their friends "at home2" All the syr
metry, grace and perfection of ease dwell
i'm the "tlowing lines and falling draper
>, Compare il to the Landed Greek Costuu
I when diycstcd of poetry and roman
, and insane rawlings over woman in
: bag, with string tied around her wal
1 ! occasionally or Mother Hubbard
!. three sheets i'm the wind and a tiOwiI
!. sail. Neither Victoria IN her obesity {
the throne, nor Queen kup and her max,
I subjects can doom us to Mother Ilu
4 barls; on still worse Greek draperies.
q We have all got TO be ugly together let
2 borrow the bunoos of the harem al
q peep out with one eye, for We Americ,
n women never do the thing halfway.
n Coming back to Gail wisdom She ash
Z HAS the nineteenth century, has d
Caucasian blood no power to redeem itsC
from thrall, TO lend itself 10 grace ~
freedom We talk of Paganism and d
Greek women made themselves SUI
n models of loyeliness that the art of
2. ages has never supplemented them !
II us look at