Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-08

ness toward light, that it never retIogrades, but
| with steady, unfaltering step marches constantly
onward and upward. Whether this be true IN
| the abstract admits of considerable debate, but
in the concrete as regards dress 1t certainly
| possesses a considerab e modicum OF truth
| From the fig leaf aprons of our first parents 70
the elaborate toilets of to-day, there has been
vast number of gradations, and perhaps, all
things considered, the dressing of women at the
/ present time is more healthtuI and sensible
than in any previous age. Think of the fash
| ionable denominations that have fourished and
faded away within comparatively recent and
brief period. Hoops, especially the fitting
kind; the long trains for street dresses, the dis
gushing 'pull-back' skirts. so tight that they
made it almost i'm possible for a woman to walk.
! the monstrous bustles. which made our sex
! more unsightly and ungraceful than so many
camels, and countless other horrors, the mere
memory of which is like nightmare to every
/ woman who has suffered under them. Why, l
nearly tainted when recently heard that an eff
| fort is to be made to revive hoop skirts.
But because we have pronounced anathe n a
maranatha upon these folles and have rele-
! gated them to fashions dust heap. it by no
means follows that there is no room for further
! improvement. Medical men and political econ
| omists tell us great deal about the heavy bur
den of sex which we poor women nave to bear
| heavy. The theory of woman's dTesS-that IT IS
| on Y to make her look pretty-whlch the world
! has accepted for centuries past, has done lore
| to afiict and injure our sex than all the wrongs
| that tyrant man could intict upon US in whole
| hecatomb OF eternities. UIlllty, health and
| comfort are sacrificed to beauty, whereas the
| law of common sense would order exactly the
| reverse.
| In considering the reforms imperatively de-
| manded in the present style OF woman's dress,
| corsets claim the first attention. Now am not
going to quote any of the worm-eaten chestnuts
about the evils of tight lacing. Every woman
! az knows
describable relief she experiences when she
| takes it off, whether or not she is sufficiently
| honest to ADMIT the fact. With great major
| ity of women corsets are wholly unnecessary
| from every standpoint, even that of beauty. In
| the last act of Fascination 1 dispense with
| them entirely when wear an empire or Jose
! phine gown, which is high-waisted and hangs
| straight from the shoulders. l strongly favor
| the adoption of this style of gown. 1t has
! beauty, healthfulness, comfort and utility. To
! very stout women a corset seems to me indis-
! pensable, but it should be made of very soft and
/ pliable whale6ones. There is everything in the
! way corset is made and adapted to the figure
! of the wearer. Formerly used to wear very
! stiff heavy corsets, which caused me great dis
/ comfort. Like everything else, corsets have
been greatly improved within the last few years
! and are now much more soft than formerly, so
/ that am quite as comfortable with as without
/ them.
/ Woman IS underclothing calls for radical re-
/ form. I have never had any experience with
/ the Union updergarment now much talked
/ Of but from what have heard of it should be
inclined to favor it. L think it very foolish to
are kept at summer heat so that when at home
/ we do not need it, and if we wear it indoors we
derive no benefit from 1t when we go out IN the
for cold weather should be in our outer gar
ments. Oh. II we could only dress like men, in
trousers and suspenders! Or, If we can't make
up our minds to that, we might at least wear
bloomer costume.
During the two years that have been PLAYING
in Fascination have had considerable ex-
perience of male attire. You know Lady Madge
Slashton DISCUSSES herself as Charles NARROW.
When dressed for the latter character feel just
much at my ease and as entirely free from
self consciousness as ever do in the habi1i-
mentS of my own sex.
Since l so strongly favor all these radical
forms you will naturally ask why 1 still con-
tinue o dress like other ladies. Probably for
the same reason that many men are Democrats
grandfathers were. The great majority of wo-
men. myself included, dress as we do and will
mply because our mothers and grandmothers
set us the example. CORA TANNER.
MARGARET mATaER ADVOCATES DRESS REFORM.
AS the world Of fashion becomes more and
more enlightened upon hygienic laws and the
consequences following in the train of some of
its absurd modes of dress, many changes for the
better will naturally be demanded and made
from time to time in the feminine toilet. The
question Of health should be a prominent one
in any system of dress, and there doubtless
many reasons why every dress re form that may
be proposed should be given careful consdera-
ton. OF course, as matter of progressiveness,
an actress must keep pace with such innova-
tions, for the dressing of the period plays an
important part in the thoughtful consideration
and study Of every true artist. Dress reform
seems to me to be simply battle of health
against beauty OF contour and physical lowell
but those who have been sparingly dealt with
by nature in the matter of physique, will, 1
Ths he bnse Sn
the introduction of styles of gowns
which enable one to dispense with stays
or eorsets. are abundant matter for great
rejoicing and devout thankfulness, and are an
encouraging step in the right direction. The
present radical reforms. now to generally dis
cussed, seem to draw their inspiration from n.y.
gienic considerations, and for that reason may
be justly deemed worthy of unanimous adop-
ton. AS general thing think an actress
would not hesitate to espo1se such On imror ant
cause as dress reform, if she were permitted to
do SO by the critical attitude of her patrons.
The methods Of our leading dress reformers and
the system OF dressing they advocate seem to
me to possess much 10 recommend them. and
am heartily in SYM athy with their leading
views. shall continue to respect the opinion
of the anu Sement public, however, aud when
they demand dress reform shall not be loath to
follow its dictates.
MARGARET MArHER.
EMMA JUCH MAKES WAR ON coRsErs.
There can be no subject more worthy OF the
most careful and serious consideration than
woman's dress, since upon it largely depends
her comfort, health, appearance and happiness.
1t should be so contrived as to secure all these
ends in the highest possible degree without con-
ficting in the slightest with any one of them.
To devise style of dress which shall success
fully do this requires, and is worthy the
highest form of genius.
To insure comfort. woman's dress must first of
an be adapted to whatever pursuit of business
or pleasure she desires to follow. 1t must leave
her perfectly free and untrammeled in all her
movements. It must not annoy her with any
sensation of weight or tightness.
gree OF health, woman's dress must not in any
way impose pressure restraint upon her in
ternal organs nor upon any OF the muscles Of
her body. It must not interfere with the freest
possible circulation of the blood and move
ments of respii alton.
Ever since the garden of Eden most women
have devoutly believed that the sole object and
purpose of dress is to beautify them, and our
sex will never adopt any reform in their apparel
hat does not tend IN that direction. Il Is all
very well for some poet 10 say that beauty I'M
ad orned Is adorned the most. Venus rising
from the sea was doubtless very charming
sight, but Venus herself, even on that occasion,
would have been none the worse for at least q
silk parasol of the shade of color required to
give her complexion Just the right tint, or dot
ted veil TO heighten the effect of her liquid and
luminous eyes.
Women are controlled almost wholly by fash
ion. 10 the dictates of that remorseless god
dess they will unhesitatingly sacrifice comfort,