St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-20
GOOD FORM In WATER
Jennie June On the Fashion
able Bathing Dress and
It's Ethics.
Why Women Do Not Bathe
More--Loud Bathing
Suits.
The Bather a Great Target
For a Shore Lined With
Spectators.
The Best Bathing Dress For
Women and How 1t is
Made.

found than III AIHclICd, NHooo S
are washed both by the Atlantic ana
Pacific, and whose white. sand-oordereo
levels often skirt many miles OF coast
region without presenting any obstacle
to the free enjoyment of salt water III
its easy reaches and most playful, cap
tiyating moods. There was a time,
thirty or forty years ago, when people
did battle for pure pleasure; when, WIN
out knowing much and thinking less IN
regard to hygienic or sanitary lnnu-
ences. they bathed in salt water pc
cause il eXhilarated them, because II
made them feel more alive, because
well, perhaps, because pleasures were
fewer and they were glad to make the
most of those they had.
But after while bathing became Une
fashion and subject to the laws OF laSn-
ion. Whatever becomes fashionable
must of necessity in time become un-
fashionable. The ebb and flow is as
natural and unalterable as the ebb and
flow of tides. The only way we know
thing is fashionable is by the alterna-
ton with period of depression OF re-
tirement. Whatever occupies the same
position without change becomes
s'standard," but no longer reJolceS IN
the ecat of fashion.
Sea-bathing is just now emerging
from a recent period OF depression:
Notwithstanding the fashion plates and
the fashion articles which appear and
reappear with the regularity OF the
seasons, there has been very little bath
ing of late years, even at those summer
resorts specially provided with Deach
and sea-bathing facilities. Eliminate
the children and the nursery maids
from the crowd upon the beach at New
port, Long Branch OF Coney Island and
afeW would be left but spectators.
Perhaps this shows business has had
as much to do as anything with the de-
cline in the healthful practice and en-
joyment of sea bathing. Whatever
fashion touches it vitiateS and, i'll time,
impairs. 1t removed
Bathing
from the region of natural and health
full pleasure and made it a spectacle.
This was opposed to old-fashioned ideas
of reserve, and even decency, and
obliged many to give up the practice on
account of the impoSsibiiity of adapting
themselves to new ways and methods.
In fact, there is something revolving in
the idea of going out in midday, in the
hot suns glare, stripping off ones
clothing to the skin. putting on snowy
bit of flannel. and marching with bare
legs and arms the diStance-SOmetlmeS
long-from the bathing house to the sea,
before a crowd OF men and women,
whose glasses are levelled as If at q
ballet, take in every detail OF figure and
dress or undreSS. The objections to
this sort of ordeal may be absurd" but
they are real, and have exercised avery
strong deterrent influence.
Our fashions still come from abroad.
Since bathing became fashionable bath
ing dresses must be fashionable" I'm
accordance with foreign ideas of fash
iom also. Thus we have cut off the
sleeves to the shoulder and the trousers
to little below the knees, adopting
with our exposed method style of
dress which is only employed abroad i'll
connection with bathing-houSeS which
wheel into the sea, and from the steps
of which the bather makes the plunge
into the enveloping embrace OF the
waves.
The effect of sea-bathing as stimu-
ulant and restorative is wholly lost IN
this capricious subsection to the whlms
of an irresponsible and intangible
authority. II is to begin with an almost
infallible test of the existence OF NOR
bid conditions of the body. but the re-
suits in these cases are so little CRAFTY
Ing to vanity, so frequently
Positively Dfsfiguring
she was persuaded to continue the treat.
ment and regimen for six weeks longer.
At the end of that time her complexion
had acquired an almost transparent
clearneSs. Her morbid conditions had
all disappeared. Her appetite had be-
come natural and regular, her spirits
bright and elaStic-in short, she was a
changed and reconstructed person.
Salt and sulphur are known as potent
instruments in the extinction of many
forms of germinal disease, and every
one knows how exhilirating to the
nerves, how stimulating to the muscles.
how inspiring to every form Of activity
is bath in the sea. So well is this
known, that infuSionS of salt in
tepid water are the daily habit
of persons who live in cities and
are restricted to sponge bathing, but
the effect is not to be compared to free
and unlimited absorption of the Iigor
and force of the elemental principle in
its native element. That this agent. SO
strong, so vital, so remedial, should be
subject to the restrictions and caprices
of what we are pleased to call fashion,
is unworthy the sense and intelligence
of this age and century. Only that il
has fallen into disuse, so that the sub
ject has been felt to be of little conse
Quence, physicians ought to have taker
it up long ago, removed it from the
realm of caprice, and placed it upon {
scientific basis, among other powerful
forces for good and for evil, to be useC
with discretion and also with knoWl
edge.
10 nj no Nd Ito,
one doubt the general intelligence O.
the nineteenth century when one hear!
the fantastic tricks of costume charged
upon some of the frequenterS of sum
mer watering places, as if bathing, ever
in public, removed all restraints of de
cency and common sense. 1t is trut
that among the primitive tribes and tn,
poorer Chinese women jump into thu
water Immediately after childbirth
without any feeling of restraint ano
with no after ill consequences, but thi
is usage, and they are as insensible t.
the virtue OF covering as to the vice o
nudity. The Objectionable feature o
the particularly snowy and undres
bathing suit is that it puts its wearer OF
parade and makes her specially con
spicuous during the performance of al
act about which instinct usually thro w
an air of reserve. 1t is worse than
ballet dancer. because ballet girls wea
their dress for living, while the battle
elects to exhibit herself without illuSio
or necessity:
Doubtless the best dress is thatwhich
men and boys wear, woven drawers G
combination of short drawers wit
sleeveless shirt forming as little of a
impeachment as possible to active motto
in the wearer. But this is not dres
for the beach or in which woman ca
properly walk over the sands under tn
fire of hundred lorgnettes. Men, it
said, do it. why not women? But thi
is why not: The dress of men accu:
toms every one to the strict outline {
form and limbs, so that
The UncOverIng
them in part does not shock the sens
bilities as does the same exposure o
the part of women. Besides the figuI
of the woman is more conspicuous; it
made for maternity, ssubje to change
Is shrine, in word. is dedicated to tn
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