Page View
The mirror of the graces; or, the English lady's costume: combining and harmonizing taste and judgment, elegance and grace, modesty, simplicity and economy, with fashion in dress; and adapting the various articles of female embellishments to different ages, forms, and complexions; to the seasons of the year, rank, and situation in life: with useful advice on female accomplishments, politeness, and manners; the cultivation of the mind and the disposition and carriage of the body: offering also the most efficacious means of preserving beauty, health, and loveliness. The whole according with the general principles of nature and rules of propriety
(1811)
General thoughts on dress and personal decoration, pp. 59-84
Page 59
59
GENFRAL THIOUGIHS ON DRESS AND PERSONAL
DECORATION.
EVERY person of just observation, who looks
back on the fashions of our immediate ances-
tors, and compares their style of dress with
that of the present times, will not hesitate to
acknowledge the evident improvement in ease
and gracefulness. When I say this, I mean
to eulogize the taste which yet prevails with
persons of real judgment, to maintain the ease
end gracefulness of our assumed Grecian
mode, against a new race of stay-makers, cor-
set.inventors, &c. who have just armed them-
selves with whalebone, steel, and buckram, to
the utter destruction of all the naturally-ele-
gant shapes which fall into their hands.
Just before this attempted counter-revolu-
tion in the world of fashion, we found that
our Belles had gradually exploded the stiff-
ness and formality which distinguished the
brocaded dame of 1700, from the lawn-robed
fair of the nineteenth century. In former
ages it seemed requisite that every lady should
Top of Page
This material may be protected by copyright law (e.g., Title 17, US Code).| For information on re-use, see http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/Copyright