Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-22

nave led as astrsy at times, but we @ We
TO them certain emsncipatiOus that could
nsrdly have come in any other way. San
siole women had long SGD adopted many
Of them, but fashionable women, some Of
whom are Tot sensible, could never have
been brought TO low heels, and thick
boots, ard plain gowns, and empy
dressed hair il it had not been "so EE-
slish, you know"
Simplicity is the last possession earned
by humanity O2ly the highest order own
1t, " imitation is not ownership, sui for
many who have adopted 8 simple fashion
because it is Ergllsn, there is no real IL
ward acceptance Of simplicity, and tLere
Will be immediate rsvsrsion to Old ten
denci9s II the pressure is removed.
Yet one and sill, if close pressed, vii! ad-
nit the disabilities of much that they call
beautiful, aud profess readiness for any
thing demopstra5ly better.
The reformed costume has failed TO
make i's way INTO popular favor; such
costume at any rate SIS emsnstes from
LaGY Ha3berton and other inventors Of
the same order. It is Impossible for the
most ardent advocates Of reform to O.
m nstrate that beauty dwells in any If
these. l. WAS my fortune 70 ms e. st q
scientific convention sn English euthu5l
asst who were the divided ekirt. She was
fresh sld fair aSd big, with the deep
cnest voice Of the heAlthy English women
End the c.lm5st defiance Of nay
ia" OF beauty Or proportion. Her
dress was gray ponlin bag
separating below, with 1uftls aroun1
the bottom, snd mere line Of white up
pesrirg above the neck band. II m-v
have been comfortable, but It WAS also
hideous, and no womsn with any real
sense OF WHIST beauty means would have
tolerated il, even IS a sick garment
From the fashion precisely IS il s.auds
to-day any woman can plan for herself 8
costume easy, comfortable, and most
certainly graceful snd becoming. The
short skirt clears the ground well, and Is
thus neither worn nor soiled. The dress
is often q princess, made in one
piece, and thus instantly ad-
justed. The shoes are low heeled
and broad; the stockings blsck or
dsrB. With half-htting jscket or long
cloak perfect esse and looseness are both
possible, AMI sleeves may be as one Will.
W0msn's dress has never, in modern
times, been more really what it should be
tation to modern needs. II remains to
Danish all bands and ligstu.es; secure
even layers for the whole body; abolish
hideous steel punches, and support the
dress so far as 1t needs support by per
hcps h1unCed back 10 the underskirt,
and behold the modern woman emanci-
pated, yet not 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 lati-
tude, and nothing could well be more
graceful or more intrinsically beautiful
than msny Of the costumes worn, whether
by marion or maid. The material is
often Of the simplest nun's-v yelling or soft
cashmere for the elder wearers, ard
muslirs dotted or embroidered for the
younger ones; but tne eff )rt produced by
suita0le combinations is bcyoud any
to be secured by mere bliud expenditure
for the costllest thing. II has also been
demonstrated that dress may be so
constructed as to remain beautiful even
when quite spsrL from any existing fash
loD, and many women with limited
means, but keen artl .tic sense, are prov
ing this, ard appearing through an entire
season or more in what is called "soci-
ETY." in the same dress modelled after
some fayorite painters costume, and
insuring always an instant tribute of sd
mlration.
The farmers wife or daughter, the
busy woman everywhere, with whom
there is little leisure and less opportunity
for planning or wearing beautiful cos
tunes, can still take refuge in one phase
Of the beautiful, choosing color and ma
terial that will unite becomingness and
utility. Doing this, she, too, will escape
the charge Of overdressing, brought
against US by hasty travellers through the
country. for the msjority OF sensible
wonderland their name is legion-live
below rather than above their opportuni-
ties and, indeed, their duty In the mat
ter. They are under rather than over
dressed, and have much to learn before
the laws Of dress are made plain.
HELEN CAMPBELL.