SHALL LADIES WEAR- ?

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1482, 3 January 1882, Page 4

SHALL LAD lES WE AR- ?

■jjjtv oi i ,( From tha World -) revolution is at hund. The lady BPof fashion miiUout to introduce, tq Sjftjjpty, B»f'pn her own jjersoh, a change of attin*gso Hp§whioh she was onco the most resolutely But the lady of* fa«hiou is, in pff reality, not a leader,, but -arslafYP. or^thirt ||| to'which "ShfeT Consecrates, Jje'r existence. §| When the ruling modistd offers her ao<ne**jf thing new and perhaps sW^ft'she dares f|f not refuse it • tjjfthprribtarwuifrmight be ; jt that she tfo^drul'BfeKjl^'llie fashion of ||[. the hour. Sjjjj! otavn. who live in what is «q called tbevWorlfl I ,' constantly submit to di^omfo^^iii order that they <£, may keep to'the front ; dress is to them a ■ "- matter of. ayqh Vital importance, that to be successful they will saorifice personal ease. They are now going to do more — they I|ro „ going to sacrifice a most cherj»hed T -prejudice. The Bloomer costuaje.waa a thing which they recarded altogether, -or thought of with horror. ,""■' Yet now that the Parisian modistes have, i in}sheJtr own subtle style, set to work to Utilise .the idea which formed the basis of «this costume, women of fashion yield £\ without a word. And so the most imU£< mo vabli opponents to feminine trousers ]f are beaten with their own weapons. Fashion having gone Over to the enemy, the ' votaries of fashion must follow. But the men, the outside public of male humanity whioh gives the final and most valued opinion on woman's dress, are as yet unaware that so extraordinary a change is being inaugurated. Doubtless they may notice that the front view of a lady's Hlkirt has a new aspect ; that it seems to form something dimly resmbling a wide flounced trouser over ouch foot, united by a fold of material which fall*, between and stretches as bhe walks. But man's own unaided intelligence will never toll him that the women he admires lnvc literally put on the breeches. Theii d.iriug conduct is darkly concealed by all iho skill of the dreHHtnaker, and many an unsuspecting male may live in ignorance that the wife of his bosom has actually donned the most important article of masculine attire. Women has through all time conducted her greatest triumphs of warfare by the aid of subtlety and what, if she were not so charming a creature, wo might be tempted to call deceit. With those weapons ak.no does sho win any extraordinary success. She sometimes tries entering upon the arena, and fighting out some question dear to her heart ; but as in the case of the Bhrieking sisterhood and the women who would be voters, sho is well beaten. Probably the beating is richly deserved, for surely women should know her own weapons and how to wield them. Dress has been made a subject of pore battle in its time, and certain sections of the sex havo fought hard and well for the privilege of wearing breeches.' But public opinion has been bead against the^e reformers, and after a fieri c and courageous struggle, the pluckj little would-be men have succumbed. Alter all, they cannot stand up against the pcr—sistent lack of admiration from those malo friends whom they desno to rival. They return, beaten at last, into the tirnc-hon-oured petticoats, The Bloomer costumo lias vanished, and is as though it had never been. The refoiin was too complete, the effort too openly acknowledged. But only men who have never observed the other sex supposed that the decision against Blocmerism could bo accepted as final. Not so. AVhcn women onco desire a thing they get it in the end. This surely is a truism in every household in the land. But they do not get it by openly dornnnding it, nor yet by opouly taking it. They appioaoh the object of ~ ~thfir desires by a course .so circuitous that only a student of womankind would siis- ;, peot whoro it was likely to lead. Orjfe 1 dinary malo intelligence is baffled by this f [ mode of woiking, and succumbs nns I awares. In the legitimate feminine is tnfcthod, women are beginning to light ¥/, upon an old and well-woin ground. DoKktermined to put on homers sooner or Tester, they are now .about to wm over p "public opinion and do battle with social : 1 prejudices in bo cunning a fashion, that |j;the.y will hardly bo suspected until they B|ve got what v they desire The uowot frjMe of making a lady's skirt i«'a notable kSfanceoftho ingenuity of tho French nwinine mind. In reality tho is very like a pair of trouseis, Substantially built and well wadded, because the form mnken petticoats an im- ] [possibility. Upon this gentlemanly ,'! scaffolding material is di.ipod with such i*!j»kill that it produces all the outward tajv^lepanoe of an ordinary lady 's dress. Only HnMsMjubl\e^wearer walks about, it is just posHnuiwVtp perceive that she w.-lks in two gar■|mpj} to instead of in one. It is probable that H@6Kl*lttdiea who promenade in these stranerly Pli designed dupes will quickly attract nttcn11"1 1" tion, from the fact that the shape allows 111 1 of real freedom and case of movement. I * The tied back dresses which made a \ woman stop as if she were in chains, are now really succeeded by a form of gar- ' ment which allows of grace and elegance. / In her wonderfully w^ll-difeguised r trousers, tho lady of fashion can step into her carriage without distress, can eit down naturally, can indeed use her limbs with the same freedom as the wearer I of the true breeches. All this is very I nice ; but what will come of it ? It looks I terribly like the first sign of a great revoI lution. Gradually the draperies will A diminish and the double shape of the become more pronounced. Day by Hday we shall become more used to the ■ delicate differences in cut and style which ■ the cuNtumiers will intioJuce. As B custom compelled us to accept and grow I used to crinoline and other enormities of H feminine attire, so wo shall slowly and B almost unconsciously accept this change B From the ladies' point of view the new is, however, cLartning indeed. Hft has all the advantage of appearing very Blike a tied-back dress ; while it is so com- ■ forfcabte, Ihat it bears no real resemblance 1-to that terrible construction. Women I will be better walkers and better dancers I now that the genius of tho modiste has I given them freedom, while preserving ■ appearances, by means of these pantalons I dresses. And no one will dare to cry out I against leaders of fashion, as those ladies B themselves cried out against the enthuI siastic advocates of the Bloomer costume. ■ Who would have the courage to declare ■ that anything fashionable was indelicate, I degrading,' or ugly ; Or, if persons suffi■fiiently courageous were found, who HU^^^M% to their criticisms ? No one. MBm^mllftlentless, and purspes-if s o\yiv 6 a^ opposition from those MHio are not in the great worlcir n 'S u priests, the dwellers in BlF^B^W^lies, are listened to. If they Bfltttt^w gradually lessen the draperies' BlfflpEywr tfce actual garment, until at Mppfjhe^trb4tBei-a are' openly , worn and none can hinder them. ■The prejudiced fair "o^iea who cling to Hpetticoats will then no iongor be voted Hnpdest, but simply old-fashioned.

6y&tiQnqt Servia to a kingdgq^f; 3?tbe, T inonfch of August thi«t*y<j^r| left Liverpool: '~{psf m^liintended to settle in Britisl^.