The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-14
DRESS REFORM CRUSADE
YOUNG WOMEN AT CEAUrAUOUA
DOMINIC TIE NEW GARB.


DOMINIC TIE NEW GARB.
Old-styIe Garments to be Had for a
Song-Mrs. Parks Terse Criticism of
Former Movements Miss Dodge's
Attitude.
From the .Neto York Sun.
CHAUTAUQUA, Aug. 1.-THE dress re-
form crusade will be ultimately narrowed
- two articles instead of four said a
woman here to-day who is one of the re-
formers. "These two will be the tights and
the dress. The days of the fourteen articles
in women's apparel, just like'the thirty-nine
articles in the religious creeds, are num-
bered; and we are on the Threshold Of a
revival of classic simplicity in matters of
clothing. 1t will be the dress for the woman,
not the woman for the dress"
This little speech mildly reflects the prom
inence and potency of the new movement.
Conspicuous TeformeFs arrive at Chautau-
qua nearly every dav, and even DR.. j. NJ.
Buckley, the little wide-awake editor of the
Methodist Christian Advocate, is printing
himself for dcubled-leaded editorial favor.
ing the reform.
Helen Potter, the well-known impersona-
tor came up from New York to get the lat
est news on the subject; and Mrs. Frank
Parker, the leader, is simply deIuged with
inquiries.
Previous movements toward better dress
have failed, the reformers say, because they
we're not comprehensive enough The first
movement aimed only at comfort and
utility, the second was guided by those in
terested in improving the health Of women,
both ignoring or failing to provide for the
element of beauty. The present Parker
y1sada0 inalndoG all fhasa auA
bends even a study of the principles of
Delsarte. 1t means something more than
the mere putting off of corsets. It means
nothing less than that the beauty of the
line from the arm pit to the ankle must be
appreciated and insisted upon, and that
perfect physical proportion is obscured. if
not accompanied by grace of motion. The
beauty of the lines of the female form must
be seen.
To show how the leaven of the new move
ment Is working at Chautauqua it is only
necessary TO say, and this on the authority
of the dress reformers themselves, that the
young women here are making sweeping
changes in their wardrobe, and that the
old style undeTgarments may be had for a
song. The younger element are quite en-
thusiastic over the reform. for the spirit of
athletic sports Is fairly rampant here, and
the girls compete splendidly with the boys
IN rowing, racing, riding, fencing, club
swinging, bicycling, tennis playing, shoot
ing, bathing-in fact, in every outdoor
sport The new style dress frees the young
women from many conventional customs,
and gives them greater play of the muscles
constructions from corsets and collars AMI
the bondage Of bands are unknown under
the lew dispensation. Hence it is that the
refcrmers are counting converts by the hun
died at Chautauqua.
The southern girls here are the most ems
thuslastic on the subject. Whether or not
1t Is because the hot weather in their section
has taught them to welcome any movement
that discards superfluous stays and skirts, 1t
Is certain that the young women from Ten
nessee, Georgia and the Carolinas spending
the summer here look upon the abolition of
skirts with decidedly more favor than did
their fathers on the abolition of slavery,
Mrs. Parker has slipped away for short
rest. Before leaving she said:
The new crusade means something more
than an embroidered bathing suit, as Kate
Field intimates. 1t means something infius
1tely better than DR.. Mary Walkers unWo-
manly trousers, or Elizabeth Cady Stanton's
ugly ruffied boomers.
Neither has it any sympathy with Ella
wheeler Wilcox's nightgown, which is a
suggestion OF the bed chamber. Our eli
mate IS not suited to this Mother Hubbard
costume. Then, too, in the evolution of
dress, you must take into consideration the
prejudlces of women. The dresses must be
apart from the nightgown. Mrs. Wilcox's
idea ignores the principles Of beauty. If
you want beauty you must follow the out
lines of the figure, The trouble with Mrs
Jenness- Miller's dress is that the waist lue
which is only one-third Of the body, is
lowered too much. She would put on a
boys vest and a boyish. high, stiff collar.
"fhe upper part Of such figure would
look ike e sophomore in college and the
lower part like peasant girl. Mary Sey-
mour's idea is too nondescript to notice.
Such a skirt reaching down to point near
the ankle, with boys jacket, vest and tie,
would be out OF the question. There's no
unity in the costume. The knickerbocker
notion is entirely too radical departure
and is the mere imitation of boy.
The masculine figure is essentially differ
ent from the feminine figure, aud what
would suit man. from the point of COM
fort, would not suit woman. In tailor
made costume the figure of the girl is cut
IN two in the middle. The triangular effect
is ugly and stiff. We believe we are on the
track Of the right system, and shall adhere
to our present plan until we can discover a
better one.
Miss Grace Dodge of New York was seen
here day or two ago by the Sun reporter,
and said that she had refused absolutely to
serve on the National Dress Reform Com
mittee. While interested in sensible dress
Tor women, she did not want TO be con-
nected with the present movement because
Oh Inc prominence it would give her.