The herald., 1895-04-07
Dress That
Is Graceful and
Sanitary
FRANCES E. RUSSELL

The following article comprises copious
excerpts from the report OF the chairman
of the committee on dress to the national
council of women, recently held at Wash
ington:
The work of your committee includes
the carrying forward of the recommenda-
tions made by the dress reform commit
tee of the New England Woman s club, in
the seventies, the first to recommend the
union undersuits, though these were
known and used among the dress reform
ers in the iifties. Our committee, in
seeking .'an improvement in woman $
dress, which will give her the free and
healthful use of the organs of her body
when working or taking exercise" con-
demns not only the corset but the long
skirt. as a serious hindrance to freedom
of movement.
It was especially against this infringe
ment by social tyranny of woman S right
to life. liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness that the first crusade had been made
in the fifties. The seeming failure of that
effort seemed to many to be a final deci
sion. But the world is coming to under
stand at last that those early reformers
were simply in advance of their age.
Could their counsels have prevailed, as
time would have modified them, very
different might have been the present
condition of our country-a better fulfill
ment of its early promise. Not long he
fore, in 1884, Count de ToquevIlle, after a
careful study of our institutions, had this
TO say:
man so esaily submits to the despotic
sway of women, they are nevertheless
curtailed of some of the greatest qualities
of the human species and regarded as
seductive but imperfect beings, and (what
may well provoke astonishment) women
.I...~ &-l.x L. ~nlx %,.,
same light and almost consider it a prlvi-
lege that they are entitled to show them
selves futile. feeble and timid. The
women of America claim no such priyi-
leges, etc., If l were asked, now that |
am drawing to the close OF this work-in
which l have spoken OF SO many import
ant things done by Americans-to what
the singular prosperity and growing
strength of that people ought mainly to
be attributed. | should reply, to the supe-
rority of thier women
Remorsefully do we read this tribute to
our foremothers. Since it was given. the
national health and character have been
unfavorably affected by fashions of dress
made for the mothers of the race by men
in Paris, who consider women seductive
but imperfect beings" They have been
made to suit women who consider it a
privilege to show themselves futile. feeble
and timid' The effect of clothing upon
long ago two four-year-old children were
being prepared for their photograph,
building a high block-house on our piazza.
When they were ready a young woman
who had been assisting came into the
parlor, where the mother of one of the
children and | were looking out at the
living picture, and said to me- What
an argument for dress reform from the
artistic side. The little boy. in his Jersey
suit, cannot take any attitude that is
not graceful and picturesque; but |
thought he could never get the little girls
drapery arranged.
The boys S mother heard this, and said:
Little boys are naturally more graceful
than girls. | have noticed it often when
other children are playing with our little
boys. The girls just stand around and
watch the boys, who are never still
minute
How are your little girls dressed?" I
asked
Like this one-in long loose Kate
Greenaway gowns. But | don't believe
that makes any difference. 1t is
natural
'You should hear this little girls
mother testify as to that, | said.
''She told me that she once dressed the
child in her boy cousins clothes just for
fun. and she never saw such a sudden
change in anyone. The little girl began
to dance and run and jump. laughing all
the time. bubbling over with delight and
when she mad to change ba k to her own
clothes she cried piteously.
Talk about equal rights and fair
chance in the world 1t is a sight to make