GERMAN WOMEN AND DRESS REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 44, 15 November 1907, Page 3

GERMAN WOMEN AND DRESS REFORM.

At the basis of the reform dress movement in Germany is tho aim 011 the part of the reformers to eradicate the corset as a featuro of women's clothing. The movement to introduce shoulder-strapped skirts was the natural outcome of this desiro. Some : German dress reformers state that many of the deaths from cancer of the stomach. occur in the case of women, and this is attributed dircctly to the evil effects of tho cpr'set. "Nerves," anaemia, general debility, internal diseases of all kinds, and even rheumatism are put down to the compression caused by the corset. ' Ninety per cent., of the women of the twentieth century.it is further argued, possess only a fractional proportion of their normal capacity for accomplishment in their various lines of activity owing to their "unreasoning worship of das Corsett." The well-known statue of tho Venus of Milo is brought forward by the anti-corset agitators as a convincing proof of the soundness of their arguments. The magnificent venus figure, as is well-known, shows 110 trace of anything in the nature of a waist. There is no suggestion in her case, it is pointed out, of "that fatal compression of the thorax and internal organs which spells the beginning of all disease." It is one of the cardinal beliefs in the doctrine-of the corset antagonists that the physical capacity of .the individual woman is in invorse proportion to the smallncss of her waist— this naturally leaving out of account those women whose figures are abnormally corpulent.

It is further pointed, out that tho .1 arrow waist phenomenon, due to a tapering thorax, is not infrequently obsorved in men, in whom it is an hereditary evil. The men afflicted with this particular physical defect usually, it is stated, prove to be those least oapablc of endurance when called upon to serve their term of military training in tho German systoin of universal conscription. Even the loosely-rnado "waistloss" corset is condemned by the German leaders of the anti-corset movement. The mere fact that it serves as an ■ excuse to wear clothing bound to the body at tho waist immediately establishes its harmful offect upon tho system, They also declare that the steol busks which form the forepart of the corset create continual irritation in the region of tho stomach. Many of tho reform-dress advocates havo abandoned their original claim that tho entire weight of the dress and of tho clothing in general must be borno by the shoulders. This proved to be impracticable, inasmuch as tho entire weight of, for instance, a winter costume of heavy material, with lining and accessories, proved to be a burden which tho shoulders wero incapable of bearing. The pressure on the shoulders, besides narrowing the chest, produced muscular pains in tho neck and arms ns well as in tho shoulders. It was found that, in order to make tho reform-dress a truly hygienic garment, its weight must bo equally imposed upon shoulders and hips. As a result, tho reform-dress has developed into tho now well-known garment consisting of two pieces—riss., loosely cut bodico, high', fitting skirt, as a rule with shoulder straps, with, for tiio street, a loose light jacket terminating just above the waist.