Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-05
COMMON SENSE DRESS.
Mrs. Jenness Miller Delivers a Lect-
ure TO a Crowded House.

Mrs. JemnesS Miller Delivers a Lect- |
ure 10 a Crowded House.
The Los Angeles Theater was crowded
from top to bottom yesterday afternoon,
when Mrs. Jenness Miller lectured upon
dress reform. The majority of those in
the audience were women, but there
were few men waiting to be turned out
during the last half OF the lecture, when
il was announced that the fair lecturer
would exhibit her ideas of what under
garments should be. She made her ap-
pearance on the stage few minutes late
owing to the non-arrival of her trunks
containing her costumes. In her lecture
she ssid:s
The secret of dress for woman is a
costume which will allow OF physical
comfort. 1t is four years since | have
worn anything which caused me discom
fcrt and prevented the free use of every
limb. To have set of garments suita-
BILE to the human form divine, each one
should be made in such a manner that
there is 10 pressure whatever ON any Of
the organs OF the system. When | was
growing young girl people all said that
l would die, and never arrive at woman's
estate, and it is more than likely that,
had dressed from that time on in the
manner prescribed by fashion, would
have been dead. But l did nothing of
the kind. l used certain kind of COM
mon sense judgment in dressing myself,
and here l am, hearty and well in every
| particular.
To be made as nature intended dresses
should be, ii nature ever intended that
people should wear clothes OF any kind,
the garments should most undoubtedly
be arranged so that they follow the lines
of the form, and in all possible cases
should be made in one piece. Each limb
should be properly clothed in its turn.
Commencing at the leg, have it closely
lclothed, and the same with the arms and
neck. The body may be wrapped little
| tighter, but only in the way | will now
mention. The undergarment should, in
| the first place, be of the purest wool, all
in one piece, and smoothly fitting to the
body ali the way from the chest to below
the knee, 30 that in no case are there any
tight bands about the waist, as is usually
the case.
"Next to the undergarments, which l
have called the 'chemilette,' wear an
other garment for which l had large
amount of trouble in finding q name. 1t
is a divided skirt, and have called it
the 'leglet, and its wear makes me feel
as comfortable as man, and that is saying
a good deal. One gentleman wanted me to
call it an abbreviated skirt, but as it is
by no means skirt, l refused to so call
it. This being around my body, gives
me as much freedom in walking as any
one could wish, and when | walk up
stairs l have no necessity to put my
hand to it. [ can also go around corner
on windy day without any fear of hav-
ing all my clothes thrown up over my
head, and this l think you will all
admit is a great consideration. Under
this, where it joins the stocking, wear
the spiral wire garter, liking this
better than any other pattern, as it is
ligature and gives with every move
ment of the limb. On top of this wear
a simple dress and then you have all
that is necessary for comfortable and
healthy method of wearing clothing, but
remember in all cases that these things
must all be made in one piece, and that
under no circumstances must there be
any tight bands about the center of the
body. With clothing of this kind on a
woman can indulge in all kinds of phys.
ical exercises and calisthenics without
any danger OF bursting her dress or hurt.
ing herself.
The lecturer then exhibited a number
OF her common sense costumes which ap'
peared to please the audience greatly.
AN ASTONISUTNC CHANGE