The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-01
The MUDLESS GOWN
An Expert Opinion From One Of
the Four Hundred.
WHY TREY ARENOT FASHIONABLE
Not False Modesty But Charity for the Unbeau-
tiful Bars Dress Reform-Barmaids-
Hcrsemen Talk of Sunol.

New YORK, Oct 90, 1891.-[Specisl cor
respondence of The SUNDAY HERALD. =
5 have just had what insist upon consider
ing the unusual nerve to interview fem
inine member Of the four hundred.
The mudless gown having made its ap-
pearance in Boston, and formal movement
having appeared at the Hub. leaving the
rest of the continent to follow suit-tailor
made suit-it seems to be imperative that
some expression of opinion should be ex-
acted from New York. In order to acquire
an opinion that might be considered in some
measure official, L improved an excellent
opportunity which presented itself yester-
day, to talk on the subject with lady
whose name appears in Mr.. MoAllist er's
list.
You will believe that there are subjects
upon which 1t might be easier to conduct
IN interview. Yet the way has been pre-
pared in some measure by the dress reform
tendency that has appeared in SO much mod
ern. discussion. For some months New
York women have been talking vaguely
and inconclusively about dress reform;
sending pictures to the newspapers in IL
lustration of certain timid theories Of dress
revolution; and ali the time helping the
street cleaning commissioners to remove
from the the city thoroughfares that pecu-
liarly fine quality of mud in the production
OF which New York holds unique distinc-
fion.
"Short skirts?" said the lady of the four
hundred. "Well, they are an excellent
theory, and it is true that they will neither
catch the dirt from the sidewalks nor from
ones heels. Then men could not step on
hens that were eight inches from the
ground, although have seen men accom-
plish performances that might have seemed
not less impossible. l suppose there are
other distinct advantages, SO far as the
theory of rainy day costume goes. But
every dress reform movement necessarily
begins with the shortening if not with the
abandoning of the skirt, and here the dress
reformer meets the two great obstacles
which have so long stood in her way.
THE first Of these obstacles is the preju-
dice against the loss of the drapery feature.
-Hlsthetic preference is for the maintenance
OF drapery. We cannot get away from the
charm of long flowing drapery. We may
find practical reasons for giving it up
wholly or in part, but you may be very GER
tain that for distinct beauty we will never
be able to get substitute for graceful flow
ing lines. And the greatest practical value
of drapery brings US 10 the second great
costacle-the satisfying of women who are
not beautiful"
''Do you mean'-I began.
Yes, do mean that dress reform is gen.
orally direct threat at women who have
rot good figures. Now, drapery is demo-
cratic device. 1t leaves so much to the i'm
lgination that woman who is too heavy
N too slight is shielded by the convention
llizing lines of her gown. The minute you
begin shortening skirts or doing away with
them altogether you begin TO make 1t very
hard for very portly woman to look any
thing but what she actually is"
And that is a sin, | added.
''Of course it is sin. There are q great
many pretty women In the world. but the
proportion of Venus de Medicis to the whole
humber is Interestingly small. We can't
afford, you know, to consider these Venus
oe Medics only. The great majority rule
the question, and the great majority will in
sist upon something that leaves enough to
the imagination TO give them a chance in
the competition for distinction"
'But do you mean to say" l suggested,
with some hesitation, THAT the modern
fashionable gown always leaves enough to
the imagination"
"If it does not il is not artistic, and I
think only the exception sins in this re-
spect. At least every gown has the flow
Ing skirt, and we at least conventionalize
half of the figure. That is the strong point,
for we conventionaliZe that half of the fig
ure which person with podgy figure
finds it hardest to manage, or would find it
hardest TO manage in costume that made
deficiencies more apparent"
's'Hhen do you hold out no hope to the
dress retormersP
II certainly do. 1 really think that this
slightly shortened skirt is a stepgin the
right direction. Especially as the Boston
advocates are taking the cold edgekof the
innovation by wearing riding boots th at
wrinkle about the ankles. You see people
would not mind exhibiting their ankles if
they were always pretty"
"Do you mean by this that the general re-
luctance is not due to modesty alone.
pm afraid that is exactly what l mean.
Now, woman may show her neck or not,
Just as she chooses. If she has pretty neck
the shows it whenever she gets chance.
She likes q costume that gives her the ad-
vantage of this alternative in regard to
other parts OF her anatomy
~ see,'' was all could say TO this.
s'If there is any doubt the majority wants
tie benefit of it. Now, very heavy women
ere more likely to have good wrist than a
good ankle. The chances are very greatly
against the ankle, especially in women who
have passed middle life, while the wrist
generally retains its slenderness where it
has ever had sienderness TO start with
This is why i say the riding boot idea is a
GOOD one. aud the new movement may sue
ceed because it is moderate. A slightly
shortened skirt is ali the reformers can ex-
meet for long time to come. And yet Ii