The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-09-07
GENUINE. DRESS REFORM.
Garments Should be Made for COM u
Rather Than Show.

Garments Should be Made for Com ort
| Rather Than Show.
as time goes on and people grew
more intelligent and. as a natural
! consequence, more intolerant of evils
| that stand merely from the force of
tradition, the subject of dress reform
for men and women will come more
decidedly to the fore, and better cos
tunes will unquestionably be devised
and adopted. The reform idea is as
yet in its most incipient condition,
but having common sense and impera-
| tive necessity on its side, is bound to
win in due course of time.
The most serious objection to im1ne-
date and radical reform sceras to be
the dread of ridicule; the idea appears
to be fully rooted and grounded in the
human mind that certain amount of
elaborateness is necessary to what is
called becomingness in dress. 1t
might be well to stop a moment and
ask if this is so. and if so, why it is?
A standard has been set for a perfect
figure, and the close-ftting garment
is becoming or ugly, according to the
shape of the individual who wears
it. As nine-tenths of the people who
dress for effect are anything but
models of perfection in figure, it
stands to reason that they should cast
about for trimmings, fixings draperies
and fripperies to modify to some de-
gree or entirely conceal their inartistic
outlines. The only other alternative is
to pad and puff, to use quantities OF
bucl1ram, whalebones and other access
series with which to make up their de-
ficiencies or construct their too solid
flesh.
1t is a rather interesting study 10
note the difference in the shape of the
stout man and woman who have for
any number of years dressed after the
strictest rules of fashion. The flesh
must go somewhere. No lacing or
drawing in can make way with it. and
| misshapen and distorted bodies are in
many cases the legitimate result of
this slavery custom. If fashion and
art could go hand in hand and make
easy-titting clothes the arbitrary cos
tune of the day, health, happiness and
grace would be more general and COM
ing generations would have less TO re-
greet and fewer sins to eXpiate. One of
the first points in the dress of women
is to raise the waist line. Instead of
drawing in the figure below the ribs
the belt should be put higher up The
empire dress is much the more health
ful and comfortable. The slender
waist is one of the most deadly possess
sions with which foolish and fashion
ridden people ever found themselves
handicapped. The breath is the line,
and as one is deprived of it, so vitality
becomes weak. the resisting power de-
creases and disease and death find
ready and sometimes willing victims.
The blouse is an unmixed blessing
either for men or women. There is no
reason why a man should not wear
really handsome blouse of good ma
terial as n dressy garment. Take for
example a blouse of black silk with
dainty sleeve and neck ruffies of fine
linen, rather wide turned back cuffs
prim conservative collar and lapels, if
one chose, and a few plaits or folds
artistically disposed. Why should not
this make a very desirable morning.
dress for gentleman? This with fine
gossamer underwear would be admira-
BILE in midsummer and would do away
with the burdensomcness of the coat,
vest and thicLly-starched dress-shirt
front that can by no stretch of imagin-
alton be other than uncomfortable
Every garment should be made suffi-
GENTLY loose to give absolute freedom
of movement and this may be done
without. in any sense. sacrificing sym
metry, beauty or grace-indeed these
elements appear to come in for the very
least consideration III the general
makeup of the toilet. To produce
articles so tight that they wear out
almost immediately is most to the adj
vantage of those who make a business
of designing such things. To this class
of people we have bowed our necks in
the most abject servitude, and IL W ould
| seem quite time that we read to our
! selves and the world specially en-
pha:ic and comprehensive riot-act and
, followed it up with a far-reaching and
unmistak able proclamation of emanci-
pation--N V LEDGER