Year: 1879

Tended the common taste, but 1T was
fashionable and from the law Of
fashion there was no appeal. The
garment was modified by the varying
tastes of it's wearers; but those who
took the lead in fashion wore it half
way to the knees before and trailing
in the dust behind but it was far
from rivalng in length and gorgeous
Less tne train Of a modern belle.


While l was quite young, the prac-
tice of


TIGHT LACING


became common. 1t was deemed nee.
essary, not only to exhibit the bust,
but by compression to give it grace.
ful form. Of all the fashions i have
known, this was carried to the most
ridiculous excess. A small waist was
deemed mark Of refinement and es.
scrti,i to beauty. TO secure this
mark Of perfection young ladies laced
themselves with strong cords attached
to belposts, on which they bore the
full weight Of their bodies, or had the
service performed by muscular wait
ing maids who exerted their utmost
strength to compress the waists Of
their young mistresscs. cannot
vouch for the correctness Of the state.
ment, but | often heard it affirmed
that some young women caused their
breast bones to be Tapped by their
tight lacing. remember we'll seeing
a girl who was so severely laced that
an ornament worn on her breast
moved up and down as she breathed,
because her body had no room for ex.
pansion. In those days


OBESITY WAS HELD IN ABHoRRENCE.


Young ladies who had tendency
to corpulcucy sought to aid the effect
of l.cing by the most abstemlous diet
and free use of vinegar. Some of
them, naturally fine looking, reduced
themselves by these processes to a
shostly appearance Nor was this
all, nor the worst. According to the
testimony of physicians, many women
o! fine constitutions and fair promise
of long life brought themselves to
oarly graves, and others rendered
themselves invaIids for life by follow
ing an arbitrary and senselcss fashion
1t long maintained its hold on socie-
ty, but finally disappeared, leaving
everybody amazed that it should ever
have prevailed.


In my boyhood the aged people
used TO tell of


THE DAYS WHEN HOOPS WERE IN FASH
as an article Of dress. In old pic.
lures the wondering youth had an op-
portunlty Of seeing how their grand
mothers and great e; audmothers ap-
peared when they were encompassed
by these badges Of gen,iIity. The
fashion seemed extremely ridiculous
1t was supposed that mode Of dress
so grotesque and inconvenient could
never make its appearance again. 1t
was the relic of a barbarous age that
could rot be Thought Of without
amusement. 1t is as true Of fashion
as of history, that it constantly re-
peats itself Contrary to all expecta
ton and all reasoning, the hoop dress
came again into fashion. At first the
hoops were small, giving to the dress
a graceful expansion. Gradually they
were enlarged to enormous proper
tions. A lady fashionably dressed
could not enter door of ordinary size
without tilting her hoops. In full
dress she could not ride in a carriage
with her escort. Her hoops, in their
highest style, would have made no in
convenient tent for a soldier. The
singularity OF the dress was lost sight
of in its commonness. Had it come
suddenly y into use in its full proper.
tions,


THE BOYS WOULD HAVE HooTED
it on the streets but it was intro
duccd so stealthily that it created no
surprise and afforded no amusement.
1t departed as it came slowly and ia
perceptibly, leaving not trace be-
hind it. 1t must certainly be account
ed one Of the freaks Of feminine fan
cy. Small hoops, to give the dress
the needed fuliness, may be conven-
lent ,nd graceful but the expanded
hoops, which turned gentlemen FROM