The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-04

WHY ION 10 nave SenSl OIL
tiles" and to faint at the
least excitement, women did it.
When il was the fashion to have muscles
70 play tennis, 10 ride bicycles, to grow tall
and broad-shcuidered. they did that too.
When fashion allowed thick shoes and
loose light Clothes women wore them, and
have been credited with Increased good
sense in so doing; but now if that CHASTITY
climax q folly, the crinoline, returns, il will
stTaightway appear that the good sense was
only a matter Of fashion, too.
The history of costume is deeply interest
Ing
To examine the eVer-varying garments in
which humanity cOnceals and expresses
itself. and TO see how in all their apparently
causeleSs changes they are the sure results
OF a few simple causes acting together
this IS pleasing study.
Among these causes that which we call
fashion IS the most salient. 1t has more
force than al the other causes combined.
You may set on one side protection,
decency. beauty, use, eeOnomy-eYen per-
sonal prefereuce-and on the other fashion;
and that one consideration outweighs
them all.
The hoopskirt is as good a proof of this
as need be asked.
1t answers no purpose of protection,
either against cold or mechanical injury,
=
its circumference to the dangers that beset
q skirt-swathed body, even at its best. 1t
is essentially Indecent beyond even our
ordinary garments. Skirts with mere
undeTgarmeHts beneath them are compare
lively indecent always. The body is not
dressed It IS only covered, as with cur
tain or tabeclOth. To widen and lift this
curtain or tabecioth-to make II more
buOyant and moYable-is 10 add in all ways
TO tile chances Of exposure.
Moreover, the hrst invention and use Of
the hO0pskiTt is such as 10 brand it forever
from the point of decency.
1t was devised by light lady of the court
OF France. beloved By the King. to conceal
her condition from censOri0us eyes, and
eagerly adopted by other ladies of varying
degrees OF llghtuess as well adapted to pos
sible contingen cies Of Ike nature.
For beauty no word need be said TO those
who understand lis laws. butas most people
DO not little proof may 90 adduced to show
that the crnolne is not beautiful.
A standing figure carries an impression of
grace and elegance IN proportion TO tie Tela-
tive smalness Of its base.
A squat lug is not as beautiful as a slender
vase. A pyramid suggests eternal stability.
but not exactly grace.
And moving figure, live creature, is
beautiful, as 1t gives the impression Of its
order in cTeatiOn-cOmpleX activity.
a turtle might be all the cOlOrs of the
IL.
The horse, the stag. the bird, every creature
we recognize TO be beautiful bOve others, is
so by reason of It's llghtness OF base and Wis
ible power Of swift and varied motion.
The human fgureis most beautiful CT living
forms, because Of the multitude Of actions
possible TO it. Other creatures surpass man
in special powers, but none can DO so many
things so well.
Therefore. tie dress Of the human being
must, fret OF al. conform to the lines OF the
body, or, at least, It's lines OF action. TO be
beautiful.
Anything markedly horizontal at once
c0ntradicts the whole purpose Of the body {;
and he colossal base Of a full skirt makes
al impression Of sOiidty and stability
wholly inconsistent With human beauty.
II does not suggest repOse, as do the soft
curved lines Of q trailing robe; it suggests
more peTmanence, as of a house.
TIE lovely speaking lines Of the body, cut
sharply across the waist and plunged into
the dumb rOtundiiy Of swelled cloth below,
make Of a woman no longer a fair liVln e
shape, but a sort of Egyptian symbol Of
self-con tradicting stupidity.
The plea Of use has no defenders, save
indeed in those who maintain that the hoop
supports the weight Of the skirts. AS the
woman supports the weight of the hoop
with the skirts upon It il is difficult 10 see
the full advantage of this mechanical
enigma.
in the wearing Of this unhal0wed thing
There is the cost Of the snperfuous article
Itself constantly renewed; there is the ex-
pense Of heavier underwear to protect the
lonesome limbs, which shiYer SHINY be-
meath the expanded skirts.
And there is the enormous Increase of
cost in the forced use Of many times more
elCth than was needed before, more n dress,
more in pettlc0ats, more IN outer garments
Of all sorts.
As to personal preference. let the person
who wants to wear hoops speak out if there
IS one.
No, there IS nothing to be said in favor Of
the GRIN line, and there is every hing to be
said against It.
This was known to women Of Intelligence
who wore them before, and viii be equally
well known to women OF Intelligence who
will wear them again.
That they have come upon US so soon
after the last experience is due 10 the in
ereasing speed Of all human action to-day,
TO our improved facilities for international
Intercourse and free Communication with
each other.
The first visit Of this honor, In the shape
of the faTihinEale, about 1896 was Of com
strOus shape returned in tie hOop-pettic0at,
an Improvement on the first style in being
lighter, and gathered at the waist.
This fashion fingered on in various FORMS
especially among the rich and great, until
il was driven out by the attem pied reversiOn
TO Greek simplicity, which came with the
French revolution. The empire style fol-
lowed, the merest fragment Of muslin serV-
ing TO cover the fair ones so lately hid in
swaying bells Of cloth.
We are all more OF less familiar with these
costumes Of our grandmOtheTs the siX-iDch
baby waist the short scant skirt that
scarcely allowed for even t mincing steps
thought proper then, the short puffed
sleeves and bare arms and neck; no one
QuaTTeled with restriction and exposure
any more than they had with concealm ent
and burdensome superiority. And so with
gradual expansion to the middle fftles,
when the swinging leg-cage reappeared.
Our Younger members do not remember
them, but the present writer IN 1863, being
then years of age, had her short legs be-
dizened with an infantile variety of hoops
by loving mother of the period; though
If the:e things be useless and absurd on
women, what saeIilege 1t is to force them
on our children.
A story, good, of course, and very funny,
called The Skeleton In the Closet" by T..
T. Hale, first published in THE Galaxy" in
1866 and easily found now in the volumes
Of his short stories. gives clear light on
the violence Of the mania then existing. 1t
is worth reading. if only to show the names
of these absurdities, soon doubtless TO be
duplicated by our dealers.
The "Belm0nte," the belle Fontaine,"
"Ths Scotch Harebell," 1.-THE Belle Of the
Prsiries," so they named this piece Of hui
man fOolishness in those days.
BY 1870 or so the curse was lifted, and
twenty-three years of skirts that shrank to
Iie-backs swelIed to the indecency Of
panners and busiles, wavered in changing
fI0unces, curved to bells OF snakelke close
ness, and twice. in my own memory, gath
cred the dirt Of streets, have brought US all
too swiftly to another diversion.
ANY one who knows the one law OF fash
ion could have predicted it. That law is
ths-styles 60 to extremes and then react.
Similarly any one observing the fam
poyant breadth of shoulder now affected
may confidently foretel a narrowing and
dropping in that region TIL we see again the
long-seamed sloping shoulders Of our
mothers youth.