, 1889-05-03
AND ARTISTIC.
The Style of Dress Advocated by
Mrs. Miller.
Vigorous Crusade Against Corset
and BustIe.
The Ladies Delighted With the
BifurCated Petticoat.

Mrs. Jenness-Miller came to town
yesterday, lectured on artistic and correct
dress and started a mild craze. She is
not beautiful, for the queenly air recog-
nIzed as an essential element of beauty is
lacking; but she is pretty, winsome, of
divine form. perfect carriage and withal a
picture of health. In address she is logi-
cal and eloquent with the stage presence
of a practical orator. Her pronunciation
is Bostonese corrupted by a residence in
New York. The faint disposition to
drawl final words is delightful
AS the Denver Republican said when
Mrs. Muller appeared in that city. her
mission if TO prove that the system of
dress which she advocates and exemplifies
meets the needs of art, comfort and
health in a measure far superior to that of
the reigniug mode. And her method of
conducting her mission was to come upon
the stage arrayed in dresses for various
seasons and occasions, and proving by oc-
cular demonstration the points of her con-
tention.
Her lecture was entertaining through
out and at times really brilliant, for Mrs.
Miller is an educated and cultured lady of
talent whose very earnestness would make
her succeed on the lecture platform. Her
TRADE against corsets and bustles is caus-
tic and bold, but reasonable and consis-
sistent always. She urges the physical de-
velopment of women and declares that no
institution OF learning is complete with
out a gymnasium annex. One of the
prime merits commended for MIS-. MilleI's
costume is that the wearer can indulge in
calesthenic exercises.
In the course Of her lecture Mrs. Miller
exhibited several dresses. A school gown
was a model Of simplicity and neatness
and would be becoming on any miss in
the land. A tea gown was a beauty. a
regular symphony, but the Willard dress
was a odd freak, while the evening tot
let was something pretty bad and will be
a failure.
The bifurcated p~etticoat was exhibited
after the retirement of half a dozen gen.
tlemen. who had the temerity to attend
and listen to the delightful discourse.
The ladies say that this garment is a most
acceptable innovation, as it admits Of free
movement of the limbs and still protects
them from the elements. Mrs. Miller
calls this article legelettes, having re-
jected, she said, the only other feasible
title-ittle p~anties. Legelettes will be
adopted here. The principal piece of
underwear is a garment shaped to the
outlines of the body. 1t was pronounced
pretty, practicable and comfortable. Mrs.
Miller says there is no extra cost attached
to dressing by her system. Only bones
and cloth are used in making the gar
ments and they can be changed rapidly
as Mrs. Miller evidenced by throwing off
one dress a%nd.donnIng another Maud in s.
time, 2:lO. The lady demonstrated the
comfort of her dresses by showing how
easily she could sit down and turn about
in them.
Mrs. Miller has been wearing the new
styles four years, and has perfected her
form by exercise. She never wore a cor
set, but has a small waist and fine bust.
With her ideas of dress reform she car
RIGS a fund of valuable ideas on hygiene.
For the stout woman she advocates a wise
measure for the reduction of the surplus
adipose tissue before trying to drape her
figure in a slightly gown. For the lean
she counsels an increase of avoirdupois
before solving the problem of dress. For
all her sex she advocates hygenic princi-
Piles that would supply them with a stock
Of vitality, health, proportion and spark
ling eyes, which arc the chief elements OF
beauty, and without which dress OF any
| lind mill ho nj M aunil