ABSTRACT
The word ‘dress’ is an ambiguous term, that presents very different ideas to different people. In sub-tropical countries, among savage tribes, the only idea of ‘dress,’ is ‘decoration.’ The finer kinds of fur are sought after, a certain amount of dressing and shaping appears in the rough coats; teeth, shells, feathers, horns make ornaments to brighten the sombre wear. The Rational Dress Society protests against the introduction of any fashion in dress that either deforms the figure, impedes the movements of the body, or in any way tends to injure the health. The style of the well-dressed Englishwoman is a thing apart from that of the elegante of France. Dress reformers are apt to underrate this potent charm of novelty of effects in costume.
