The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-07-15
Gbc 3ousebulo.
How One Woman Dresses.

At a recent meeting of club in
large town, the women of whom it is
composed were astonished to hear one
of their members, whom they had al
WAYS supposed to be thoroughly con-
yentional, advance radical views regard
ing dress.
"If you think the prevailing mode
of dress so hurtful why do you follow
it yourself?" inquired one OF the men,
bers.
az do not" returned the discomfort;
81 have on scarcely garment which is
constructed according to the usual
method"
The looks of wonder which greeted
this announcement made the Gre
former" laugh.
"You look outwardly just like the
rest of us, for all that we can see," re-
marked another. evil you not tell
us, since one of the chief objects of
this organization is to improve on
the present ways of doing things, just
how you dress yourself?"
The unsupported reformer therefore
arose and told her fellow-seekers after
truth exactly how she was arrayed
throughout. The recital proved so in-
ItTtSIlu3 anu 81 uSClul w IuC Obbll .
club that other women who perhaps do
not belong to any improvement asso-
ciation," whatever, may be glad to
profit by the experience of this one.
Next to her skin this lady wore in
summer gauze undervest, and in win
ter a combination suit, such as is sold
at the women's clothing stores. This
was fastened down the front, and was
=. ,,only 10, t,11 ac
Above this she wore suspenders for Sc
curing the stockings. These passed
over her shoulders. Then came a COM
bination of corset-cover and drawers,
made of ordinary muslin. She was
fitted for this at her dressmaker's, at an
expense Of fifty cents, and made the
garments herself. Above this she wore
a flannel and cotton skirt These
were suspended from shoulder-straps.
She buttoned them from behind, but
solely for the sake of neatpess, for they
kept in place perfectly without button
ing. About the house she wore loose
tea. gowns, or loose gowns cut in the
usual way.
When she had dresses made she put
on pair of corsets, for which she had
been fitted at a professional corset
makers. AS they were not tight, the
dresses worn over them were equally
comfortable with or without the corsets.
In order to avoid any possible strain
ing of the seams, however, she COM
monty wore corsets under these dresses
during the few hours when she had
them on at receptions or parties of any
kind. Her cOrsets were worn next tC
the under flannel.
I" But do you not catch cold in chang
ing from the warmth of the corset,
which is really great protection, tC
clothing worn without any under-waist
at all?' inquired one of the ladies.
" have never done So" replied the
performer" {" In fact, | have very
few colds now-never any, unless [ am
culpably careless-compared with the
number which had when | wore tight
clothing all the time. This is, no doubt
because my clothing permits the free
circulation of the blood. | took the
precaution, after / had made up my
mind to take off corsets, about six years
ago, to discard them in the summer.
Thus l caught no cold, though felt g
chilliness on cool days all summer.
was also quite weak, and was obliged to
rest a great deal for the first six Of
eight weeks after laying aside the strong
support of the corset, on which | haC
so long depended. l have more thar
made up the lost time, and have now
muscles within me which are quite
strong enough to uphold me withou
artificial supports"
4" And do you feel stronger, on The
whole-that is, do you feel paid for The
trouble you have taken?" asked anothe
member.
My waist is larger than it used t.
be-" returned the " reformer,"" but lif,
has put on new aspect to me since
began to dress myself in the way which
| have described. Loose dressing vii
not, of course, cure all the ills of women
but it will very greatly improve thei
compilations, raise their spirits, brighter
them in every way. The man who re
marked, when he saw a woman VIII,
wore a loose frock, and thereby shocked
his conventional ideas, that che would
rather have more figure and less health
voiced the prevailing sentiment of tn
time. I have long been considered t.
have a very stocky and very clums
figure, though the ladies of this clul
have not been critical. Some womel
could dress as do and not show an
difference between their mode of dres
and the reigning style. I do the bes
can to avoid singularity, and yet re
spect the integrity of my body. Ii
other words" she concluded, amid
burst of applause, 81 prefer healt
to any amount of the artificial, pressure
induced figure of the present day.
Kate Epson Clark, IN Christian at WorA
Artificial Flower Making.