The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-15
WEARING TROUSERS.
A Pretty Little Woman Says They Ire Bet
Ter Than Divided Skirts.

Are women wasting their forces by their
present fashion of dress? Would they be
more charming as well as forceful if their
clothing were 10 be radically changed?
With the abandonment OF corsets, pettcoats
and tailor-made gowns and the wearing
instead of Oriental draperies. would Ameri-
can women be utterly irresistible? asks
a writer for tine New York World.
The enthusiastic woman proprietor of
woman's Quitting establishment says they
would. She not only advocates the reform
of woman's dress from physical standpoints,
but insists that woman is fritterng away
her forces through 'encasement." Woman's
power is handicapped through the distor-
tiOns and discemfUrts Of niDe-Ienths Of her
present madish clothing.
AS she is now dressed she is uncomforta-
BILE and self-conscious. She has lost all live
motion. Trced up in tailor-made gown
she is like nothing save turkey ready TO be
put in the oven and basted. She is not indi-
vidual nor can SIZE lie until freed from the
denominations of fashion The woman who
says: Come and see me in my wrapper
when l have my corsets off and then we can
talk in comfort" does not realize what an
| argument she gives to the dress reformers.
A woman is simply irresistible in the loose.
easy tea gown, and her conversation is
brighter, her ideas keener, than when,
sheathed in her satin cOrsetS, she sits at din
ner, silent martyr to the conyentonalities
of fashion.
Comfortable Clothes" says the earnest
| little reformer, need not be ill-shapen. I
| DO not advocate the wearing of Outre and
| eccentric garments, nor would | wish to see
| Greek draperies on the street or ungodly
| cheeseclOtb costumes in drawing rooms.
! You know Chamf0rt says that one cannot
imagine how much cleverness is necessary
not to be ridiculous. But in every refOrma-
! ton 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 atti-
tude OF the tea-g0wn with that Of the dinner
or street gown. Health should of course
be placed over all considerations, but the
psychical and artistic conditions should not
be overlooked. A rational American art in
dress Should be yentured, commensurate
| with our progress. 1t is said of Americans
that they dress alike; that they fashion their
| garments as dictated, with no regard for the
size or figure of the individual, and copied
after the fashion Of Europeans. 1 would
emanclpate, women from trash. l would
see them dress to advantage without alb
surdity. would have them consult col0ring,
| form, height, motion, in selecting clothing,
and would forever Danish corsels, petticoats
| aud high heels"
And what do you suppose this outfitter
| offers In place of petiicnats? Turkish leg
let's. divided skirts, silk tights? No; unde-
piable trousers! Trousers trifi, shorter
and tighter than those our 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 poneee, were brought forward,
fashioned snugly to the hip and upper part
of the leg, with fullness for the knee, and
buttoncd close about the calf even as Mr..
Mansfield's Beau Brummel trousers were
buttoned.
1.-The divided skirts are no Improvement
upon the petticoats," said the outfitter.
''You only have q double amount of fulluess
to flop about the ankles, to get wet and be-