BLOOMER1SM-NEW COSTUME FOR LADIES.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 621, 27 March 1852, Page 4

BLOOMERISM-NEW COSTUME FOR LADIES.

[Fiom (lie " Illustintcd London News," Sept. 27.] This striking novelty originated with Mis. Amelia Bloomer, who is the editor of a monthly journal, entitled, '' The Lily ;" a Ladies' journal, devoted to Temperance and Lueiature, and published at Seneca Falls, N. Y. The Lily appeals to be ostensibly devoted to the advocacy of the new fa-hion- The present number contains a paper on the subject by a physician of Boston, who calmly discusses the innovation. He replies to the objection on the score of delicacy, by reference to the Swiss cobtume, remarkable for its brevity of skirts ; and the picturesque dress of the Polish lady, wi h high fur-trimmed boots (the very things for American sloug-bs and alosh) and short tunic. But, to come nearer home, the writer asks: — "If delicacy requires that the skiit should be long, why do our ladies a dozen times a day, commit the indelicacy of raising their dresses, which have already been sweeping the side walks, to prevent their draggling in the mud of the street. Surely a few spots of mud added to the refuse of the side waiks on the hem of the gairaent, are not lo be compared to the charge of indelicacy, to which the display they make might subject them." In reply to the objection of unseeing, it is maintained, that " the dress need have no mnsculme characteristics about it. The costume of the Polish Ladies, and the out-door dress of the Russians — winch, resembling each o'her very much, I should take as the proper types for our Indies to model theirs upon— has surely never been obnoxious to such a charge ; whilst the Tuikish women have always been considered, in physique and in cos* tume, as the embodiment of oil that is effeminate. The peculiarities of the new dress do not affect the clothing of the chest at all, and by no means require as essential to its pei fection a waistcoat, standing dickey, ciavat and sack, as many seem to think, at least such is not the costume we argue for. " Leaving the portion above tbe waist to the taste of the wearer, suggesting, however, that it should be much looser and less constraining to the motions of the arms and chest than it now 19, we would have a skirt reaching down to nearly half-way between the knee and the ankle, and not made quite so full as is the pieBent fashion. Underneath this skirt trowhers moderately full, in fair mild weather, coming down to the ankle —•not instep— and there gathered in with an elastic band. The shoes or slippeis to suit the occasion. For winter, or wet weather, the trowters also full, but coining down into a boot, which should rise some three or four inches at lea3t above the ankle. This boot should be gracefully sloped at the upper edge, and trimmed with fur, or fancifully embroidered, according to the taste of the wearer. The material might be cloth, morocco, j mooseskin, &c, and water-proof, if desirable." The writer then proceeds to the advantages of the new costume. It would be cheaper, there being less ma terial required in it, both for comfort and elegance ; and the wear would be much less, because this comes chiefly ' upon tbe lower part of the skirt. It would be more ] convenient, from changes, to suit the weather, not being so requisite as in the old dross; and the wardrobe need not be so bulky. It is then maintained that the change would be conducive to health, by the avoidance of damp skirts banging about the feet and ankles, since they would be clad in a boot : — " The material could be better adapted to the season. It could, theiefore, be made cooler in summer and waimer in winter, than at present. The trowsers would be the essential pait of the habitual dress; the skirt an addition for grace and propriety. Comfort, therefore, would not require so frequent a change of the latter as is now necessary, while, with the former, at little trouble (and therefore not so liable to be neglected as now), muslin might give way to merino, or this, to suit a momentary demand of out-door exersisc, or a change in the weather." Lastly, Jor those who aie about to become costume reformers, exemption is claimed from " the criticisms ot every male who wears the present stove-pipe section head-gear, and from those of every one of their own sex who persists in collecting the sweepings of the sidewalk upon the hem of hei dress, or who thinks it more delicate to display four-fifths of her slocking every time Bhe crosses a street than to adopt a New Drees." Of course there are alarmists upon this subject, as there were upon the safety of the Crystal Palace ; and an old lady thus addressed Mrs. Bloornor :—": — " 1 must 6ay that I have fears, that should tbe ladies of fifty or sixty years old adopt the new costume, it might operate as a damper Hpon the good cause which you so ably advocate, and so fearlessly adopt ; and yet it does seem rather hard, that we, who have so long and so faithfully swept the streets and side-walks, must still continued to do so; still I feel perfectly submissive, and shall wait patiently for your advice, which please give thought the columns of your beautiful Lily." Mrs. Bloomer replies : — "Do just as your impulses move you to do. What you find a burden in belief or apparel, cast off. Woman has always sacrificed her comfort to fashion. You old women of sixty have been slaves to the tyrant long enough ; and as you have but a few years to life, be as free and as happy as you can what time remains. Fit yourselves for a higher sphere, and cease grovelling in the dirt. Let there be no stain of earth upon your soul or apparel." The agitation has already reached our metropolis. On the 15th and 22nd Mrs. C. 11. Dexter delivered a lecture upon Bloomerism, at the Literary Institution, John-stieet, Fitzroy-square ; the lecturer of course, wearing the new attire, of black satin, consisting of a jacket, a sKnt scarcely reaching to the knee, and a pair of very wide trowsers, tied at the ankles. The illustrations were smart, and the advocacy ingenious ; at last Monday's lecture a kw incidental examples were dropped in. For instance, Lord Shaftesbury, who, at Mrs. Chisbolin's groupjmeetmg of colonists, unfortunately introduced the topic of Bloomerism, in pursuit of a new figure of speech, wns copiously quoted ; and, in a pa1 enthesis, female emigrants were especially recommended not lo import the error of drapery into tho countries they intended to colonise.

Lecture on Bloomerism.— On Monday evening, Miss Kellys theatre, in Dean-street, Soho, was crowded by an eager auditory, assembled in cousequence of an announcement, emanating from the " London Bloomer Committee," that a lecture on the new costume would be delivered by a lady appropriately Httired. A crowd was assembled in the street long before the doors were opened, and when admission was obtained tbe theatre was immediately filled — bo rapidly, indeed, that a gentleman from tbe stage announced that the lecture would not be delayed until the time named in tbe bills, as the edifice could contain no more. In a few minutes after this notification, about 20 ladies attired in the Bloomer costume, appeared upon the stage, and took their seats in a semicircle. Every variety of the new attire was now to be seen, from the strictly legitimate Bloomer skirt, " two inches below the knee," to the lesa daring and less attractive di apery which came down almost to the ankles. Nor were varieties of colour wanting. Young ladies attired in whit© with pink sashes contrasted strangely with elderly ladies clad in brown and black, some preferring the hair unadorned, others wearing a few ornaments, and two ! wearing a huge broad-biimmed black hat. The audience — the great majority of which was composed of gentlemen — received the Bloomer cortege with cheers and laughter, the latter demonstiation so far predominating as to en use some of the ladies to waver in their approach, and one or two retired behind the slips toregain their presence of mind, somewhat shaken by their first reception. Order having been restored, a lady attired in a daik blown costume came forward and addressed the audience. Tbe lecturer's name wag not announced, it being merely stated that she was a citizen of the United States. She stated tbat in consequence of the great interest with which the Bloomer question was received by the public, a certain number of ladies had been formed into a committee, in order to give it (he necessary attention and publicity, and invited tbe motheis and daughters of England to give tbeir attention to the new costume as contrasted with the present injurious form of attire. The introductory part of the lecture udverted (amidst tbe laughter of the audience) to Uip first institution of clothing by our primeval parents. The lecturer, Jmwerer, /brebore to inquire whether tbe leases formed a tunic or a simple petticoat. She then proceeded to trace tbe custom of nations from timo immemorial of marking the different grades of hunuii rank by varying apparel, and urged that the present inconvenient dress of ladies was not only unfit for iheir situation ai the helpmates of man, but opposed to the laws of nature as regarded their physical conformation. Tljkj übject led to a consideration of the moral and social conduct of American ladioo, and thence by some strange transition to tbe slave trade and the claims of the "citizuiiessea 0 of the United States to ft represenliUioj. in the Legislature. This discursive matter having been concluded, the lecturer took into consideration the injurious effect of the present style of dress, and the obsiiuc*ions caused by it to tbe highest functions of the human frame, She demonstrated soiiaiim th > eflects of impeded action of tbe heart and lungs, and traced to this cause a long train of diseases. r lhe filth collected by the long trams of ladies sweeping the dirt

did not escape notice, nnd the lecture concluded by an exposition of the advantages of the Bloomer costume, and a compliment paid to Mrs. Bloomer, quoted from one of the Ameiican papers. It was also stated ns a piece of supplementary information that the real originatress of the Bloomer costume was a daughter of Mr. Garrett Smith, of the United States. During the course of this lecture several outbreaks of laughter and discordant noises took place, and the admissions of the lady were rather more freely and audibly interpieted than was intended. Her evident sincerity, however, made some impression, and upon the whole the address was favourably received. The lady, however, did not seem to think that sufficient courtesy had been extended to her, after she had claimed '' the courtesy due to a stranger," and after her lecture mentioned her misgivings in plain terms, attributing the outbreaks paitly to the disappointment of many present at a recent Bloomer manifestation. The Bloomer ladies joined in the National Anthem at the close of the proceedings, and the lecture was announced for repetition. — Tunes, Bloom erism at the Crystal Palace. — On Thursday afternoon the visitors to the Great National Exhibition in Hyde park had an opportunity of judging of the merits of the new American costume, of which Mrs. Bloomer is the reputed inventor. Shortly before two o'clock, three ladies, attired according to the Bloomer fashion, and accompanied by two gentlemen wearing the habiliments of the new sect, made their appearance in the large open space to the west of the Crystal l'olace. They appeared to be persons of some station in society, and bore with considerable good humour the taunts which were freely directed against them. They walked round the building followed by a large number of persons, who had bpen attracted towards them by the novelty of their dress, but did not enter tbe Exhibition. They carried with them a quantity of printed bills, announcing a lecture by one of their oider, in Finsbury, on Monday evening next, and these they politely distributed among such persons as were willing to accept them. After remaining on the ground about an hour and a half, they rode away in a pbaHon, which was in waiting for them. It was stated that two of the ladies belonged to a family of great respectability, residing in Torrington Square. — Ciobe. Who is Mns. Bloomer I—Mrs.1 — Mrs. Bloomer is the wife of a young lawyer of fine talenta, now the postmaster ot the village, and a probable member of Congress in future. Her dress is quite like that which embellishes the " Bloomer Polka ;" she is seen in public generally in a rich black brocade, the pants of ;he same material, gathered in at the ankles, though in private they are sometimes worn loose, and her appearance is much admired by the advocates of the new tostume. In stature she is of about the medium height ; her small features are lighted up with intelligence, and their expression is pleasing. It is here a question much agitated, whether the new o dress is justly named, as not Mrs. Bloomer, but a daughter of Garrett Smith (Mrs. Miller) first assumed the unmentionables ; and however the point be determined, an editorial argument in the "Lily," I that Mrs. Bloomer was the first to introduce it to the public through her paper, has had some weight, ' Doubtless this is a case similar to the naming by Americus Vespucius of a new world which was discovered by Columbus. Bloomerism. — At the present crisie in female costume the following extract from the Kirk session register of Perth, showing the consequence in former times of '' putting on tbe breeks," may amuse our readers. " April 16, 1632. Confirm to citation, compeared Jane Gibson, a tervant lass, and is accused of indecent wantonness in putting on men's clothes upon her. She answered that she simply drew upon her a pair of breeks, and cast them immediately, and she promised never to do the like hereafter. She is committed to ward, therein to remain the space of three hours."