Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-27

last journey. Woman'S happiness, health
and peace Of mind demand that she should
be we'll dressed. 1t has been said that ap-
propriate and attractive dress gives q
serenity and feeling Of satisfaction that
even religion cannot give.
Miss Seavey was opposed to women imi-
tating men In their outing clothes. She
never could be content without a skirt.
She advocated q simple, attractive cos
tune. consisting of loose but artistic
blouse and a serge skirt. which contains
number Of the good points Of the riding
habit. It Is fitted while the wearer Is on
her wheel, so that 1t conforms to the mo-
gracefully down the sides. 1t is heavily
gored In the back, SO as to fit to the sad
die. With this goes the combination I'M
dergarment, which fits SO easily and yet
snugly to the body. Caters and suit
able hat or cap complete the costume.
Clad in such garments, comfortable and
yet graceful said Miss Seavey. the good
which comes to a woman on a wheel, skim
else and oxygen, can hardly be overesd-
mated.
Dress and Hygiene.
Improved Dress From a Hygienic Stand
point" was the subject considered by Mrs.
Ellen A. Richardson of Massachusetts,, who
said that hygienic dress is nothing more
than oxygenic dress. In other words 1t Is
such a dress as will give the wearer an
opportunity to get plenty of air. 1t must
be loose. SO that woman can breathe IN
to the very bottom of her lungs Mrs.
Richardson characterized the present style
of dress, with its mammoth sleeves, small
waists and pointed shoes. as ugly In the
extreme as well as unhygienic to the last
degree. Mrs. Richardson paid particular
attention to the manner In which women
take care of their feet, and pointed out
some of the many physical evils whica
result from wearing tight shoes and nigh
heels. She said that it was hard to say
whit 10 ho or of dress.
the restriction of the feet or OF the dress.
Comfort and Beauty.
Annie White johnson of Illinois read q
paper on the subject of Improved Dress
From the Standpoints of Comfort. Health
and Beauty" Mrs johnson herself wore
a reform" dress, which was not inartfs-
tic. In opening her address she said that
she did not appear simply in the interests
of prettiness. She said, however, that the
only way to get the female sex to adopt
rational dress is to convince them that
such a dress is at once pretty and becom-
ing. Tell a woman that the corset Is GER
tain to destroy her health and physique
and she is only half won over, but get ner
once to realize that the natural figure. not
bound up and contorted, Is an object OF
real beauty and she is a convert immediate
ly. Mrs. johnson then went on to snow
how rational dress tends to make fndi-
vidual women and the entire sex more
beautiful by allowing the body to develop
along natural lines and to its full perfec-
ton. Reform in woman's dress will never
ANTAGONISTS or physicians, but through the
application of artistic principles to mat
tiers of dress.
Mrs. Clara Bewick Colby of this city, who
is well known as dress reformer," con-
tinued the discussion. dividing the subject
into the three topics of health, beauty and
ethics. If we are healthy We are sure to
be comfortable. Woman's first need now
tc To-, - and Ch n
made G. spirited attack on the corset
heavy skirts and tight shoes.
Attacking Drcssmnkcrs.
The formal discussion of the morning
was brought to a close by Julia Pauline
Leavens of Illinois, who made a very bright
address, devoting most OF, her attention to
the stupidity Of dressmakers." who are
opposed to the reform movement. Women,
she said, are bossed by their dressmakers,
and ought to strike. If dressmakers will
not make the sort Of dresses that women
want the women ought to go elsewhere.
The dress OF the women Of today is not
beautiful, is not comfortable and not
healthful. No woman would care for q
copy of the famous picture of Queen Louise
coming down the palace stairs If the queen
wore a tailor-made gown. No one would
admire the vestal Tuccia If she had a tiny
waist and wore big sleeves. The dress re-
form movement is not mere fad of nov
city mongers, but is the result of earnest
thought by men and women of taste all
over the land. The movement has come to
stay, and is sure to accomplish great re-
suits.
After some announcements and a few re-
marks from Kate Brownlee Sherwood and
Mrs. Sewall, a general discussion on the
subject of dress followed, which was pre-
sided over by Mrs. Bagley, and shortly be-
fore l o'clock the morning session ad-
journed.
This Evenings Session.
There is no session of the council this af-
ternoon, and the program for the session
this evening at 8 o'clock is as follows:
Observation-Disclosures Administration So
ciety-"Is Vivisection Morally Justifiable?'
Caroline Earle White. Pennsylvania; 1.-THE
Worst Thing in the World" Mary F. Low
ell. Pennsylvania.
Moral Reforn.-National Council of Wo-
men of the United .States-"One Result Of
the Double Moral Standard" Charlton Ed
holm, Illinois; :.Morality VS.. Moral Codes"
Rev. Ida C. Hultin, Illinois.