Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-09-14

Isabella Proctor Makes Plea FOR tho
Conventional Skirt.
1t Is curious to observe that whatever
style OF women's dress is in vogue there
always arises a clique to clarnor for some
radical change in it which, If effected.
4 will make the human race wiser, happier
and better in every respect. No doubt
Eve had not worn her fig leaf costume a
week before Adam began to demonstrate
to her that unless she changed its entire
construction she was liable to sunstroke,
ophthalmia and spinal curvature. The
cry Of reform has continued ever since
with more or less yigor through all the
contradictory phases Of fashion, the kind
of reform called for varying with each
change Of mode in order to be in opposi-
ton to the prevailing style. Asv7t hN
If short dresses are worn, there must
be q reform in the interests Of woman
illness and grace. If long gowns obtain,
reform must be instituted in favor Of
health and cleanliness. When skirts
expand, statesmen shout for a reform
that shall secure sufficient standing room
for the nation When they cling. the
cry is still reform for the sake of
modesty. By no ingenuity can fashion
contrive platform that reform il not
anxious to knock from beneath her.
A year or two opopular reform took
the shape of business Woman's dress. -
although why business women should be
any reader than anybody else to ticket
themselves by wearing o special stvle is
not apparent. If woman has herself
and others to support, she has quite linn
itations enough created by her circum-
stances not tc submit to an artificial re-
striction in so personal a matter as that
of her wardrobe. The women most pub
liely in favor Of a reformed attire for
working women were ladies who them
selves had little else to doexcept theorize
in their drawing rooms. 1t did not seem
to occur to them that their sisters less
fortunately situated might object to
adopting class uniform which would
accent the difference between them and
the lilies of the field
One of the oldest among the late freaks
Of reform is the trousers convention at
Chicago-as if the gathering together of
few coquettish experimenters in cos
tune could have any appreciable infiu-
ence over women at large in making
them sacrifice their own fancies and re-
quirements in the way Of dress. Trous-
ers are convenient, but at their best they
give woman the lock ora soubrette;
at their worst-that is, when she is mid
die aged and stout-they rob her of her
mature dignity and render her d laugh
ing stock. The grace and stateliness be-
slowed by flowing garments is universal
ly recognized witness the robes of Of
flee and church vestures worn by men.
Although the latter adopt trousers as
their ordinary dress, they can the better
bear the severity Of the attire that
strength E3thsFv than Be BeaAtH EtlEv il their
dignity to womans shorter stature and
softer outlines that she can i'll afford to
lose, and she will probably continue to
wear it despite the reformers, as long
as she retains the aesthetic instincts and
reserve which are characteristic of the
majority Of her sex.
The advocates of still another scheme
of reform earnestly recommended the
costume of their invention on the ground
that it completely concealed the form
without seeming to realize that their
movement was retrograde instead of
progressive. Why not at once declare
in favor of the dress of the women of the
harem, who never appear i'll public iun-
less they are completely veiled from head
to foot? In a land where women are ad-
mitted to have not only soul but intel
lect, and are therefore respected, there
can be no possible reason for mufling the
figure out of all sembIance to woman
hood, and reformers who are guilty by
implication of such disrespect will never
have a large following. Garments are
worn for warmth andcoyering, and what
beauty they possess is mainly borrowed
from the body which they cover and
which is the reason Of their being Con
ceal by drapery all indication Of its shape
and movement and there remains merely
a clumsy mass of cloth. devoid Of mean
ing or individuality,
The absurdities and distortions of dress
are greatly to be condemned as sins
against the principles Of hygiene. there
fore agaillst those of beauty. bat it is not
necessary to wear startling or hideous
garments il order to be clothed health
fully. A woman of sense and artistic
perception can dress conveniently and
becomingly without departing 50 far
from the reiglling mode as to make her
self conspicuous. and women will no
doubt keep on exercising their own taste
in the matter despite all the conventions
that can be called by young and pretty
enthusiasts. Isabella PROCTOR.