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Story
July 17, 1891
Idaho Semi Weekly World
Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho
What is this article about?
In 1891, Marion Harland satirizes dress reform advocates, arguing that implementing their suggestions—like divided skirts and heelless shoes—would eliminate topics for essayists and jobs for workers in the apparel industry.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
Dire Results of Dress Reform.
It would be curiously interesting to inquire what has modified the "evils" of our grandmothers' toilets into the tolerably sensible apparel worn by women in this year of 1891. Perhaps the interminable crusade of newspaper and science journal essayists. Imagination staggers at the effort to picture the direful dearth of topics that would afflict these wordy philanthropists were the whole race of American women to put into practical operation their suggested dress reforms.
If we were simultaneously and dutifully to adopt divided skirts, broad, heelless shoes combination garments of sanitary flannel, loose waists with never an artificial bone or brace beneath them, short skirts, few in number, hung from the shoulders, and wide brimmed hats, if were to eschew veils, gloves, jet trimmings and crepe, do all things which our censors enjoin, and leave undone all they condemn, the occupation of hundreds of excellent bread winners and paragraph makers would be gone.—Marion Harland in Philadelphia Times.
It would be curiously interesting to inquire what has modified the "evils" of our grandmothers' toilets into the tolerably sensible apparel worn by women in this year of 1891. Perhaps the interminable crusade of newspaper and science journal essayists. Imagination staggers at the effort to picture the direful dearth of topics that would afflict these wordy philanthropists were the whole race of American women to put into practical operation their suggested dress reforms.
If we were simultaneously and dutifully to adopt divided skirts, broad, heelless shoes combination garments of sanitary flannel, loose waists with never an artificial bone or brace beneath them, short skirts, few in number, hung from the shoulders, and wide brimmed hats, if were to eschew veils, gloves, jet trimmings and crepe, do all things which our censors enjoin, and leave undone all they condemn, the occupation of hundreds of excellent bread winners and paragraph makers would be gone.—Marion Harland in Philadelphia Times.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Dress Reform
Women Apparel
Fashion Critique
Satire
Philadelphia Times
What entities or persons were involved?
Marion Harland
Where did it happen?
America
Story Details
Key Persons
Marion Harland
Location
America
Event Date
1891
Story Details
Satirical commentary suggesting that full adoption of proposed dress reforms by American women would deprive newspaper essayists and workers of their occupations.