Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-10
SLEEVES AND THE LAW.
Dedhnm and the Problem More Thnn
$50 Years Ago.

pcd,nm md the Problem More Than
$50 Years Ago.
From, the Boston Evening Transcript.
Dedham leaps into popularity. or at least
into notoriety. with mighty pouno,
springing forward as If on a balloon, anu
all by aid of big sleeves. 1t appears anu
the nress of the land begins to ring with
the rews, that long, long ago Dednam SET
her face nightly against the inquiry OIL
rufred sleeves and the vain temptations
thereof, and, with Puritan ferVor anu
promptness, passed law prohibiting them
A municipal statute Of Dedham of the year
of grace 1899 reads, We are informed:
And be II further enacted. That here
after no person whatsoever shall make
garment for women or any other sex with
Sleeves more than half an ell wide in the
widest part. and so proportionate ior pig
ger or smaller persons. Ana LOT p.eseht
reformation of immoderate great sleeves
and some other superhuitfeS winch may
easily he redressed without much pre1u-
dice or spoil of garments. 1t Is ordered &C.
'Half an ell" Is not phrase used by
Felix or Doucet or any OF the rulers OF
sl,e of this era. An ell Is said by anu
ouarians and others to be, In old English
measurement about forty-five inches: rms
would be yard and nine 1nches. 10 ue
term.ne the length of an ell most women
", uld swiftly and cautiously measure the
distance from the ends of their noses to
the extremity of their dexter thumbs,
stretched as far as possible on pias iine
away from their right shoulders tney
would then add to this exact YARD the nine
inches which are well known to exist be-
tween the middle finger of woman VINO
is busy sewing back and across over ner
hand to a spot on the line OF her Wrist'
which she discerns by intuition, as the
Dra ,ise limit of the quarter yard. Women
always drop their scissors from their iaPs
and oftentimes lose their thimbles while
making this measurement. as II is very
complex and delightfully."- excitingC
The ell width which was forbidden by
the old Dedham statute was undoubtedly
this Eaglisn standard ell OF ioIty suss
inches The canny Scotch, being tnrlitier
merchants used legally to sell th1rty-seVen
inches of cloth for an ell. To be sure, they
had to buy it by the same length, but that
was a matter of no consequence beSlues
Flemish and Dutch merchants peins thril-
Ter still counted only twenty-seven inches
an ell. ~. ia
1t is very affecting to read In the old
Dedham statute that it was not the wear
ers of big sleeves, but the people who made
garments "for women or any otner sex
with "immoderate great sleeves, VINO were
to be offenders in the eyes OF the Jaw
Every woman and most men know that IL
is the dressmakers and the tailors VINO
lead womankind into these extrayagances.
What Boston woman. yea, verify, what
Dedham woman of today, or OF 1859. would
of her own free will. unstimulated by dress
cloth to the breezes as If about to mount
and fly away with wings bigger than
dozen doves to region where fashions
are probably unknown? Angels sleeves,
of course is but a figurative expression
for those trailing shoulder garments. which
went out of even their limited vogue some
time ago: they were the object of much
unangelic objurgation by the way. during
their brief earthly career.
The "immoderate sleeves" OF 1873 are
big enough, in all conscience, but nobody
expects any legislation against them. Ded-
ham is herewith warned against trying
to revive her ancient statute and put IT
into practical working use. The old
woman Of 80 years ago may have meekly
bowed to the decree of "tyrant man. and
furled her sleeves at his bidding; but the
new" woman of the present Is firm for
her rights" to be fashionable as she
pleases (or cam, and from Dedham to
Brooklne from Dorchester to Melrose and
all over Boston there would arise cry
of protest If any man-legisiator should try
to make a law against big sleeves.