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Decollete Dress

Decollete Dress image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
August
Year
1890
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Elizabetli Stuart Phelps, writing in the August Forum on decollete dress, says: It is a fact, gloss it anyhow as we may, that decent romen Imve never dresaed so indecently In our country aml our century na they do in fashiouable life to-duy. Would tliat 8orae enterprising journal mlglit take the moral census of this sub ject as a substituto" for prize buby competitions or guesses on 'Nellie Bly. We should like to throw down ttie gauutlet to the women of America. "Defend these immoralities! Speak up for yoursel ves If you can ! " I do not believe that two reputable women in the land would dare publicly to defend the styles of undress which now disgrace our sex. The time has more than come for euch a protest against this abomination as will smite women to the dust of sliamo. What is to be said? Enter any fashionable drawing room and look for yourselves. What is sald? Think of it, you bfgthboru ladies - think of it. In the most decorous city iu our country, a lady representlnjr what may be deaervedly called one of the "best" families in the State, herself a middle-aged, queenly, homeloving matron, the wife of an aiïectionate husband, the mother of grown soos and daughtcrs, wears her dress - but my pen shrink'8 from writing what this h igh-bred lady does. This case, which represen ts scores of otbers, is of impoitauce, because the oflender berself is so unconclous of lier offense, and so f ar In other respect above it. There is no life of concealed dishonor, no intrigiie, no shoddy birthright, no fast-and-loose views of duty. The wonian is otherwise immaculate. llow explnin this etliical enit;uia? Are our la.lies morally insane, or mentally? Do they not know what they are doiiifji And if not, why not? Ilow shall wc characterize the toolow corsaííe with some nothing for a sleevi ? The lower bodice wlth no sleeve at all Nudity covered by transpiirencj? And what is known as the V-back? They are below excuse, as they are beyond explanation. What moral inania blunts the srasibilities tliat ought to ii the standards of a nation? What dementia deters the "ever-womanly" from "leadlng iií on," at least so f ar that the simples instinct of fuminine modesty - that which covers nake.dness - may keep stroke with the moral developnient of the age? Let it be sald tliat gay women always have dressed improperly. What of it ? Is that any reason why they always should?

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier