Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-04-26
WOMAN'S WORLD.
DRESS REFORM RECOMMENDED BY
WoMEN'S NATIONAL COUNCIL.

Inc women OF broOklyn-D1f1cult Feat
For a woman-Two Women and One
Muffin Favor of Universal Woman Suf-
frage-An Experiment in Dancing.
A little over two years ago the Nation
al Council of Women of the United
States, assembled in the interests of the
sex, passed this resolution:
Resolved, That the general officers shall ap-
point committee of women whose duty it
shall be to report within year suggestions for
business costume for women which shall meet
the demands of health, comfort and good taste.
The committee consisted of Frances E.
Russell of st. Paul, chairman; Annie
Jenness- Miller, Frank Stuart Parker and
Octavia W. Bates, M. d.
The committee has recently made pub
lie the following report:
One Of the duties assigned to the COM
mittee was the reporting the commit
tees idea of an everyday dress for wom-
en-a dress, as explained in the resolu-
ton, Suitable for business hours, for
shopping, for marketing, homework,
walking and other forms of exercise"
AS the executive board and the COM
mittee on dress agree in deprecating
anything in the nature Of uniform for
women, our Recommendation will allow
large liberty for taste and Judgment
Our hope is to deliver women from Ger
tain hard and fast lines, within which
fashion has so long confined them.
1t has been customary to clothe the
head regardless of comfort. Our recon-
mendation is to relieve the head from
unnecessary weight and furnish prop
er protection from sunshine and cold
We take pleasure in recommending
the union underwear of varying texture,
price and style, the equestrian trousers,
and any properly adjusted waist, or none
as forming a very perfect system of I'M
derclothing. which is a necessary condi-
ton of freedom and comfort Utility
and beauty, of which proportion is an
essential element, demand freedom of
outline, and outside dress should con-
form to this principle.
Numerous beautiful designs, some of
them including the short waist of the
empire period, have been offered to us by
artists and others. which each may
adopt according to her individual needs
Among these are three costumes in which
the principles named are practically APP
piled. These costumes are the Syrian
dress, suggested by our English sisters;
the gymnasium dress. which is acknowl-
edged to be graceful and beautiful, and
the American costume, consisting of a
short skirted gown with leggings.
Recognizing these different designs as
merely suggestive, great latitude and
variety are possible in general effect.
The dressing Of the neck should be
loose and easy. whatever style of collar
may be preferred, and the sleeves, how
ever cut. should give the greatest posi-
BILE freedom to the arms.
The best authorities agree that the
hands and feet require as much freedom
as any other parts of the body; there
fore easy fitting gloves and shoes loose
across the balls. with room for the toes
and with low. broad heels. are recon-
mended.
The outside wrap should be loose
enough to permit unrestrained motion TO
every member of the body.
The above is submitted as outlining,
at least in essentials, a reasonable dress
for all women who are engaged in the
activities of life.
After making these suggestions the
committee says:
This present year offers an exception
ally good opportunity for the women
who crave freedom from the unwhole-
some restrictions imposed by the con-
ventional dress to adopt more sensible
costume Women visiting the Colum-
bian exposition, where the costumes of
foreign nations will show so much that
Is unconventional to American eyes, need
not fear to attract unpleasant notice by
wearing there the short street dress,
which will add greatly to their comfort
in viewing the fair.