The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-03-29
uuill, whispering to me, 1T goes nicely
Ia an insertionr'


Ia an insertionf"
One article of underwear deserves es.
pecial notice, and that is the corset. A
certain class of reformers have bent their
energies more or less for many years To
the destruction and exile of this means
OF grace" and with some success. a hid
eous garment, or, rather, an agglomera-
lion Of garments, known as dress re-
FORM" or combination" has been
invented, and large class of brave and
determined women have ~Nrn them,
and some continue to wear them, but
whence the satisfaction they seem to de-
rive and the benevolent wish To induce
everybody else to follow their example,
never could understand They certain
| ly lose in appearance, for | don't think
the most rabid reformer can really pre-
fer the bulky waists, the fiat busts and
the queer look as if the woman and her
clothes were walking in opposite direc-
tons, or as if the house were on fire and
she had thrown some shapeless wrapper
over her nightdress.
OF course, everybody comedies, in these
days of hygiene and common sense, that
corset should never be worn tight
enough to hinder respiration, even under
violent exercise. 1t should never make
one feel it uncomfortable to throw ones
self upon a lounge in the daytime, nor
should it be relief to take it off at
night. 1t should be simply, as the old
fashioned name implies, stay to the
body. holding 1t in comely form and
making smooth, harmonious surface
over which to fit the gown. And to do
this properly the corset must be well
made and Of good material. Don't buy
poor ones, if you go without one or your
gowns to secure the price of good ones.
If you have naturally good figure
cheap corset won't fit you; if you have a
poor figure no dressmaker can make it
better unless you give her good corset
TO fit over. Cheap corsets are always
straight up and down, scant in the bust
and hips, stiff and unyielding of fabric
and furnished with bogus bones that
warp and break at once. Leave every
thing under $3 to the dress reformers as
objects of holy horror and whets to their
appetites for anathema.
A caprice of fashion in these later
years has suggested Undertaking and
corsets of various tints and fabrics, cul-
minating in black silk. During one OF
my visits to Paris | allowed myself to
be persuaded into buying some sets OF
this black silk raiment, including cor
set, but did SO merely to secure me-
mento of a vagary of the mode sure to
soon pass away; for however pretty and
piquant rose, or blue, or scarlet, or black
may be in contrast with a soft, white
neck and arms, nothing satisfies the eye,
or soothes the conscience of good taste,
like creamy white in cambria and lace
and embroidery. One, however, must
here make an exception in the matter of
hose, which should, to my mind, never
be white, unless in harmony with some
especial costume.
Boots, again, are matter where one
may not judciously economic. BE your
foot pretty or ugly, be sure you will
spoil it both as to appearance and feeling
by wearing cheap and therefore ill fit
ting boots.
When have time | mean to devote
myself to the question Of why cheap gar
ments, corsets, shoes, skirts, gloves,
you please. are always fash
toned for ill shaped forms. Why is it
not as easy to cut cheap shoe long and
narrow and with high instep as short
and wide and fiat? And so with all the |
rest you cannot economic on corsets,
shoes or gloves and be well dressed. And
)ne word more: If you have slippers let
hem be chronic invalids, never leaving
,he bedroom! 1t is very nice and com.
Portable to have pair to slip into as you
90 to your bath or your wardrobe, or sit
1t your toilet table at night, but there
ends their appropriate use. Well fitting
yet cozy boots are the wear for every
other emergency of life. They are the
most becoming of all foot gear; they
1race and protect the ankle, and they
ire in the long run mo pun intendeD far
more comfortable than slippers or low
shoes.
Of course they may be so prettily and
lelicately made as to suit the ARREST cos
ume, and when of that style are fas-
,inating detail of dancing costume. l
remember a pair had made of violet
'ilk to match a costume, which were
'eally iores. And as a proof that good
md well fitted boots preserve the feet
rom change or infirmty, will mention
hat my own have been made upon the
anne last for twenty years without the
east change, and that l can put on
lew pair before breakfast and wear them
III day without once remembering them.
But they are good boots. So having dis
,osed of what may be called the CONT
leatial portion of a woman's toilet, let
Is consider those outward and visible
igns" by which the world will judge
whether she is well dressed or not.
As to material. SO many women
eem to fancy that very cheap silk ID
necessarily better than good wooden or
wen cotton fabric. Now, it is not so;
md / always want to say as much to the
lear struggling souls whom l often meet
n much trimmed robes of that thin and
ustling silk which reminds one of dried
autumn leaves whirling along before