Dress Reform.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 5421, 17 July 1901, Page 4

Dress Reform.

No one but ft woman—and we might add none but a woman of rank—would have the courage to start a campaign against a fashion in vogue nmongst her floaters, and especially one that is ao pronounced a favourite at the present day as the long skirt for walking dresses. The courage necessary to attack so firmly established an article of woman's wear can scarcely be comprpfcended by mankind, but the attitude o|""S|o|nen towards those ■-; whe seek to weait.,, tbjfm frftin. some pet extrav* gance may give a slight idea of the difficulties of the task. According t<> the Berlin correspondent of the Standard, Princess Louise of Bavarie, t >*> Consort of the. Heir Pr^ U npti © ;o ;he Bavarian Throne, has formed a I a ;ue for the curtailment of the skirts of ladies* Walking dresses. 'We are told that tha league has been joined by several prominent professors, physicians, artists, and their wives, and the Munich Society of Popular Hygiene, which numbers among its members tbe leading ladies of Munich Society, is Eealously supporting the efforts of the Ladies' Dress League. Thus so far a good at rfc seems to have beea made, and it remains to be seen bow far tbe laudable efforts put forth will succeed In their endeavour. It is not the first time that the evil complained of haß been brought before the public notice, nor is this the first organisation tormed to check the growing fashion of wear* ing long skirts. It cannot be said, however, np to the present that the movement has made any headway. The reception it has met with uas rather served to show the hopelessness of the cause. Thatife has reason and sense on its side, seems to make no difference, for these qualities enter little into tbp dilates of fashion

•The long Sowing skirt is oneidered by Its votaries to be exceed;ngly graceful, and to impaifc to tie wearer a dignity and carriage not; otherwise obtainable. The figure, at is held, gains in height, and the costume is set off with an affect dear to the feminine heart. That its use makes the dress more costly is a matter of small concern, equally with the fact that it h&b been proved to be detrimental to health. It is especially on this last ground that the r formers seek to bring about a change. If the Jong skirt wan confined to its pmper domain, and displayed on smooth lawns at garden parties and such like festivMtg, no great harm would be done. But * hea it is trailed along the pavements of city streets, and allowed in its passage to gather much that ia unclean, it becomes a dangerous object. Some European doctors have conducted experiment* with a view to showing what an active disseminator of disease the trailing skirt is. Apart from this dangerous aspect of tbe custom, the practice of sweeping the surface of the pavement is ofiensive to ©very aesthetic sense, and on this ground alone should meet with condemnation.

A survey of woman's fashions is instructive as showing to what length excess in this direction will go. Those who Beek for an intelligent law governing the surprising fluctuations of woman's drees will find themselves nafflled at every turn,; Marie Antoinette introduced tho crinoline, which was at once adopted by half Europe. Later, she dismissed this monstrosity, and declared in favour of a simpler costume. which in turn had its vogue. So by other rulers oi fashion were fresh modes constantly set in motion only to disappear, and give place to other more remarkable examples of the dressmaker and milliner's art, From • fashion chronicler we learn that after the disappearanca of the crinoline there were worn 'aprons falling low in front and held up at the hips like a window blind, hats tilted over the forehead, and lying on a fearful and wondorfnl structure oi chignon.' A little later, it appear?, ekirts were drawn in at the bottom so that tbey made a quck gait imposs bin-, the bust was thrown forward, the lower part of the body thrown back, the head lost its pom jpousness and shrank into a mere nothing. Ourls vanished, and hair was cut on the forehead a la chien.' We bay® improved on many of these fanciful styles of bygone dayp, but it IB tolerably certain that those now in existence will appear equally strange to future generations; And among such that will be received with a smile of pity and incredulity we may well expect tc see figure the trailing skirt as we know it now. Those who are at present agitating against its uie will probably find, as a study of the history of fashions suggests, that any improvement that comes about will be due to the accident of a fresh whim rather than as tbe result of an} appeal to the good sense of the ladies of fashion. But from whatever cause it arises the change will be welcome as marking the departure from an unhealthy and inartistic custom. — Sydney Morning Herald.