Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-01
The Fantastic Feminine.

inc bmntnaNlC FEMININE.
- RS. WOODROW WILSON. wife
" OF the president OF Princeaon
I university, contributes TO the
49, American Magazine a notable
IlSS92U critical review Of woman's fan
SS tastic fashions. illustrated with
photographs Of gowns, ~corsets, hats and
hair actually worn in America today. Her
tone is caustio and amusing. Mrs. Wilson
says Il IL claimed by those who have had
much experience IN hospitals that women
\ show greater fortitude than men in hear
ing pain. But" comments Mrs. Wilson.
the place to learn that lesson is at The
oorsetiere's." She continues;
Consider the thrilling dramati momen,
when the cold, authoritative statement rang
out; Hips must gol II the word had been
Ears must got 1t would have been re-
ceived as Loyalty, the order obeyed as I'M
questionably by the best disciplined body
the world has even seen-the v~otaries OF
fashion.
" Hips must GOT without a murmur,
without even a suggestion Of mutiny, the
vast army OF stout women moved In ono
mighty, acquiescent body on the cors-
teres. AS by magic, in answer to the de-
nand, the supply Of these experienced art
lists in torture increased. Without a dis
senting voice the army resigned itself to
the Inevitable. 1t was magnificent, but It
was not war. No, It was martyrdom.
THAT is the secret Of our slender grace.
Compression Yes, but all this fat that Is
moulded out Of sight has to go somewhere.
and where does It go? One has a hideous
vision Of ingrowing fat. An unnecessary
fear. Compression, it has been discovered,
will in time eliminate the superfluous flesh;
but this adipose-reducing corset which
transforms the stout lady into the sylph,
must be worn night and day to gain re-
suits as quickly as possible, and it is built
upon the lines Of the greatest possible re-
sistance. The shirt Of Nessus would be
a most comfortable and LUXURIOUS jacket
in comparison with It. 1t is certainly not a
waistband. 1t is a harness. The back
boards of our grandmothers were sup
posed to be uncomfortable What would
the DANES Of that era have thought II
they had had to wear a skintight-oh, no
that word has lost significance-a coat Of
armor much tighter than skin, and reach
ing from under the arms nearly to the
knees on the sides, and held firmly in
place by the most elaborate system OF
gathering, half a dozen elastics that give
not at all. The steel bands extending
downward over the stomach are very broad
and some corsetieres prefer to lace up the
corset along the sides Of these bars, in
stead OF in the back, claiming that they
thus get more Of the desired compression.
rs 1t uncomfortable? Does It hurt2
mo one ever heard a woman complain.
She may bite her lips and clinch her hands
and the hot tears may start, but find her
harness tight? Oh, dear, no. She may be
a lt3tIo -. D,tn,ton.t, -. ,Az,It. tbt.
but she never wears a tight corset, She
can thrust her arms right down between
it and her flesh"
II havs splinterer many O lance in de-
Tense of woman's sense Of humor, ever
maintaining that it was as keen or keener
than a mans. only less obvious because
more subtle. II was rather a blow then.
upon discussing the subject of sheath and
medieval gowns. and the relative merits
of c~art-wheels and peach-basket hats with
a group of women, to have them all assert
that they did not see anything inherently
funny in either gowns or hats, nothing to
cause spontaneous laughter at any rate.
They looked shocked and seemed to think
It a rather irreverent handling of sacred
subjects. But when 1 was talking to a
member OF the staff OF this magazine
about the illustrations, he said: L think
we shall present some OF the styles exactly
as they are. What's the use Of carica-
tn en- humorously taoinwguestg aoi aio
turing a caricature?'
"Still, that Is not necessarily an argu-
ment against woman's deficient sense OF
humor. II may mean that clothes are toe
vital and intimate an interest In her life
for her to be able to view them humor-
ously.
"A great queen was willing to go down
to postertty wearing a hoop-skirt. Never
theless, there was an early Victorian sim
plicity and modest about that rat-trap
garb that has nothing in common with the
glazing poster effects OF today. Then,
woman, as a violet by a messy stone,
shrank demurely within her wire enclosure
and buried her dropping head and coy
bushes in the deep shade OF the sheltering
poke bonnet. Then, the waiting love-laoe
behld the woman OF his dreams advance
as a balloon floating along the earth, its
slender stem crowned by a large coal
scuttle. All Clartssas were alike In ap-
pearance, and 1t took keen eyes 20 tell
who was who. Thus the mystery of the
inscrutable feminine was more intact and
inviolAte than ever.
But now woman scorns concealment
Mystery She apparently abjures it.
Fearlessly she energies from a swirl OF
draperies which seem to shroud the curves
OF grace. And there IS not a lint con-
cealed, not a petticoat retained; and yet,
Oh curious paradox, she retreats behind
the revelation and remains as great q
mystery as when she employs every de-
vice OF incognito. Has a bed-slat form?
Has 8 telegraph pole shape?"
Woman Suffrage in Colorado,
''only the drtgs Of womankind vote in