The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-22

pro,,.b,e Reason why Bare shoulders Have
30 Long Been the Rule.

VI. .derolleteer style Of dress which has so
tor, rrevnilcd at the English court probably
or;cinoted from the fact that the court OK
C;aore,e ~ was destitute of queen, and that
81. ,,aiastv WINS too much occupied by the
,,,,,,tip IL his own wardrobe TO pay alton
,io, To the toilets Of the ladies who rendered
,boir ol,oisance 10 him on drawing room days.
mo r.i,-n If william ~ was too brief 10 al
Low Oueen Adelaide 10 do much toward The
modification Of court dress while when our
present gracious sovereign n4cenhed the
throne she was too young and too incxiefl.
e,f.sd TO formulate "a new code OF cercinohlal
costume. She did not devise q court eTe~,
lam she found one r. was essentially ~ the
b,r, shoullercd sor.. but the "nudte des
~ which prevailed III le,s. and Tor sav'
cral years aiterward, had q perfectly uiio
cent motive Few ladies who follow me
fashions " or who consult the hundred ana
one fashion periodicals poured OFT from the
ure.s every month and every week, have any
ldea Of tho extreme simplicity oi the patterns
of female attire which were In vogue hiiy
and even forty years AGO. 1t Is suiiicient I"
e,v that The bodice and tho skirt OF "a dress
wels. generally in one piece; that the gown
fastened by hooks and EYES behind; that the
skirts were never "drGpcd,' and that Their
ola ornauonration was LOUNGES Tho only
practical way in which lady could sno"
Ina, sle was in full dress was TO wear a low
hooked dre.,, and 20 bare her arms Moro
over. bodlces were, when maio io"' uhi'er
sally cut horizontally instead oi on bir''
and the female noveists 81 the last genera
ZION found unfailing material OF iun IN 40
njctirp the torments undergone by growing
Girl, at evening parties in their endeaYors 10
prevcnt their low ncckcd frocks from s!lpplns
or their shoulders.
When q lady went 20 court she glorllici
herself with q train, tall 'panachr OF
nlufues. and as many diamonds rs fortune
had favored her with: otherwise the cut OF
her Gown did not materially differ from that
of the school girls low nccked muslin ii'ocA-
Nowadays evervrhing IN this direction Is al
torrd The bodice Of a fashionable biil ct
dinner dress has as many angles and curves
n tho diagram OF an advanced problem ID
Euclid. willie the skirt. eith or without u
,rain Is ON elaborate aud delightful puzzle OF
uuTs. panels folds and urbelows. The chaIn
If mod5rn female drpss lies chiefly IN lhr ihci
TINT. IL a lady so chooses, she can 90 rs Dare
nrcfctl is Neil tWNlle ~ AtHli ps~' N'ttl - W
as discreetly yelled up to the throat as Mary
Tudor. and be still IN evening dress; that she
can exhibit hcr shoulder bla.les TO the utmost
by wearing bodice cut behind in ' shape
and that. in front, she may open or close her
corsage. depress It. or mako IL ascend, Just Is
she like. At court. hitherto, no such lati'
t1,de has bccn allowed Low ncckcd dresses
have been adhered TO year after year, to the
generation Of innumerablc colds and coughs
among the ladies who have had to sit SILVER
inc in their carriages IN tho Mall, and In the
bleakoet early spring weather, before they
could reach Buckingham palace on drawing
room DAYS. To these sufferers from the grim
exlrences Of etiquette the new singh court
dress rcscriut viii coLie as most gracious
and graceful boon. Health, common sens
and GOOD taste will alike benefit by thistimeiy
congestion, which is modified only 10y the
harmless requirement that tho "iichu" OF thp
bodice shall pass under a stomacher such 81
was worn in the Eighteenth century Tho
Eighteenth century" is an elastic term, and
the court dress makers may be depended upon
to mako it suit their own notions Of q tasteful
"hirh court dress. london Standard