The critic., 1890-12-23
NEW FASHIONS IN woMAN.s Dnrs.


women VIII wear Trousers BecAuSe
They Are Comfortable.
Are women wasting their forces by their
present fashion of drcss2 Would they be
more charming as well as forceful IL their
clothing were to be radically reformed?
With the abandonment of coiScts, petit
coats and tnilor-madc gowns and the wear
ing instead of oriental draperies, would
American women he utterly irresistablei
The enthusiastic woman proprietor of
woman's QUILTING establishment says
they would. She not only advocates the
reform of woman's dress from physical
standpoints, but insists that woman is
frittcring her forces through ''cncasemcnt
instead Of adornment." Woman'spowcr
is handicapped through the distortions
and discomforts of nineteenth of her
present modish clothing. As she Is now
dressed she is uncomfortable and sclf-un-
conscious. She has lost all live motion.
Triccd up in tailor-madc gown, she is
like nothing save q turkey ready to be put
in the oven and basted. She Is not indi-
vidual nor can she be until freed from
the abomination Of fashion. The woman
who says Come and see me in my wrap
rer when have my corscts Off, and then
we can talk In comfort does not realize
what an argument she gives to the dress
rcfOrmers.
A woman is simply Irresistible in the
loose, easy tea gown, and her conversation
Is brighter, her ideas kecner than
when sheathed in her satin corsets she
sits at dinner, a silent martyr to the con-
ventionalities of fashion.
'Comfortable clothes" says this earnest
little reformer, need not be ill-shapen.
do not advocate the wearing Of outre or
eccentric garments, nor would wish to
see Greek draperies on the streets or un-
godly cheese cloth costumes in drawing
rooms. You know Chamfort says that
one cannot imagine how much cleyerness
Is necessary not to be ridiculous But in
every reformation there are extremists
and they are sure to awaken attention to
the movement and make way for the
moderate reformers. Beautiful garments
can be comfortable and extravaganza is
neither beauty nor art. This comfort
certainly destroys grace.
Compare the supple movement and at
titude of the tea gown with that of the din
ner or streetgow Health should Of course
be placed over all considerations, but the
physical and artistic conditions should not
be overlooked. A rational American art
in dress should be ventnrcd commensu-
rate with our progress. II said of Amer
leans that they dress alike that they
fashion their garments as directed, with
no regard for the size or figure of the in
dividual and copy after the fashion of
Europeans. ! would emancipate women
from trash. ] would see them dress TO
advantage without absurdity / would
have them consult coloring form, height,
motion, in selecting clothing, and would
forever Danish corsets, petitcoats and
high heels"
And what do you suppose this outlltter
offers in place of petticoats? Turkish leg
let's, divided skirts, silk tights? No; un-
deniablc trousers! Trousers triie
"A. Ill.
brethren wear, but yet trousers--silken
trousers for the house and cashmere lined
with silk, for the street. A pair Of brown
cashmere trousers; lined with pongec,
were brought forward, fashioned snugly
to the hip and upper part of the leg, with
fullness for the knee and buttoned close
about the calf, even ms Mr.. Mansiield's
Beau BryD,mel trousers were buttoned.
"The divided skirts are no improvement
upon petticeats," said the ovtfitfer. "You
only have double amount of fullness to
flop about the ankles, to get wet and be-
dragglcd, to gather up when descending
dirty stars, and to make you wish You
had never been born. But here is every
thing snug and warm and quite out of the
way. You have nothing to lift but your
gown Such sense of lightness and COM
fort and ease. Petticoats should only be
worn in the house With transparent
dresses, and then should be of the lightest
possible material, china silk, Grape or
null. Heelless shoes should be worn with
street gowns, and slippers to match the
frocks indoors"
'I,ut with the banshment of the corset
would not women lose the trig and neat
appearance they now make?"
''l'y no means. There are ways and
means of dressing so that the plrmipest of
women need not have an untidy appear
ancc. j am an advocate of long cloaks
always for the strect--wool or fur in win
ter, silk or lace for summer. Under these
long cloaks women can wear the easiest of
gowns. The business woman can have
her plain stuff gown, perfectly comfort
able not binding her anywhere. Then
after she climbs the stairs to an office she
| does not enter flushed, breathlcss, EN-
| barrassed and self-conscious. She can talk
| to man with the same ease with which
| he talks to her. She may not be quite as
fascinating or catchy, but she Is more
forceful and effective
care many women adopting the trolls-
| ers in place of petticoats?"
you would be surprised to know how
fast the custom is spreading. Women
will never return to the thraldom of petit
coats. The husbands, too, like the idea
and one well-known man sent me word
that he was delighted to have his wife
wear the breeches.'n
So Il seems that the days of lace frills
and dainty embroidcries, of rilfilcs, pnffs
and things, are fast passing away. Alach
for the strect-crossing lounger on rainy
day, and alack and alacls for the Johnnie.
of the future, who will have no pillows Of
lace, but only plain, ugly, matter-of-fac
trousers to gaze upon from the front row
of the parqnette!
For the best OF holiday liquors go to til,
L n 4 1.,1.l