Year: 1874

The two most conspicuous antl-nealth
fashions this present season are the long
over -trimmed skirts, and the high, small,
vet heavy hats. The excess of a fashiona-
BILE wOman's dress is on the ground where
it ought not to be, and the absence Of cloth
inc is most noticeable where it is most re-
uuired. Said thoughtful woman recent
": Our sex are so untidy; infinitely
more so than men. Look at the dresses
dragging on every sidewalk in every city,
and over the roads and lawns in the coun-
try, and accept my saying. What man
would trail broadcloth coat along the
sidewalk? What woman does not sweep
silks over them every time she goes out OF
the house ?" Ladies all agree that the
trails are heavy and unclean, and add
greatly TO the expense of the costume, but
how many of them will go without them?


The fashion is simply arbitrary and they
cannot be stronger than it. The fact that
every arbitrary fashion is degrading, mas
much as it ignores individuality and repu-
dates selfhOod, is of no consequence to
women generally. The average woman
has not conception of the servitude III
which she lives nor has she the slightest
desire to alter matters. If pigtails Ia
Chinese are the style, all kinds of heads
don them; narrow heads, high heads,
broad heads, fla heads. 'Isit suitable and
becoming?" is not the question asked now
adays. Beauty is sacrificed to style, and
the most hideOus style that ever was ILL
vented is more complacently worn than
garment that is one season behind the
fashion, however beautiful it may be.
With dresses so with hats. 1t is the fash
ionabe article that is bought, the most
ultra style that is most admired. And
women with faces ''thin as hatchet" aud
colorless as the bones so illy-cnncealed by
the thin flesh upon them, buy high pyra-
mid-shape hats, and stand them like cones
on the end of the pointed plait of hair. In
stead of studying symmetry and grace, and
what is becoming, hats are bought that
represent the latest extreme style. and
nothing is considered of half so much inl-
pOrtance as the assurance that they are
st, lish. Tall, lOng-faced women should
always wear low, broad, plainly-trimmed


hats Let the trimming be as rich as posSl-
bic, if desired, but the rule should be OBJ
served. Flat crowns are becoming TO
either tall or short, thin persons. Stout
women should never wear the HAT, but al


ways the low crown. The mistake wo-


men make is fitting a hat under the eye OF
the milliner. 1t should be tried on at
nome. anu III IL Is llOl DtCOltllAll IL
not to be worn. There is no woman so
/ homely that becoming clothing will not
| improve her appearance, and there is such


Joy in beholding harmony and beauty
/ that we should all try hard to compass it.


Gradually, but all too gradually, are


women learning to see the dress question
/ in all its varied aspects. Surely if slowly
they are recognizing the fact that when


once they OutgrOw it. it will forever be


their slave. The class of people who have
| ruled the world through this weakness OF


the sex are terrified at the INSTRUMENTATION


of the few of the sex who have already
shown signs of unmistakable rebellion.
And concessions enough have been made
/ to them to convince them that enlightened


wOmanhOod will one day overthrow the
/ tvrant fashion, and substitute in its stead
whatever is available, suitable. and proper.
| The time will have arrived when mistress


and maid no longer will vie with each


other in overlooking their heads with eX-


less of millinery when dresses will cease


to be the mOps for unclean sidewalks


when lightness and lOOseness hall be the


rule for every garment worn, and when


health and hygiene shall go hand in hand


with style and fashion, and be the arbiters


and not the slaves of its caprice and whims
I-RrooklVl Union.