Arena magazine - Volume 04 . s the servant ofsestheticism has been reiteratedoften that thousands haveaccepted it as truth. In order to expose itsfalsity, I have repro-duced in this paper platestaken from leadingAmerican and Englishfashion monthlies duringthe past three decades, ineach of which it is notice-able that ex-tremes have been reached. In 1860-65, the hoop-skirtheld sway, and the wasp waist was typical ofbeauty. Then no lady was correctlyattired according to the prevailing ideawho did not present a spectacle cu-riously suggestive of a moving circustent. During this era four or fivefa
Arena magazine - Volume 04 . s the servant ofsestheticism has been reiteratedoften that thousands haveaccepted it as truth. In order to expose itsfalsity, I have repro-duced in this paper platestaken from leadingAmerican and Englishfashion monthlies duringthe past three decades, ineach of which it is notice-able that ex-tremes have been reached. In 1860-65, the hoop-skirtheld sway, and the wasp waist was typical ofbeauty. Then no lady was correctlyattired according to the prevailing ideawho did not present a spectacle cu-riously suggestive of a moving circustent. During this era four or fivefashionably dressed women completelyfilled an ordinary drawing-room; whilethe sidewalk was often practically mo-nopolized by moving monstrosities,save when in front or behindthe formidable swinging cagesmoved escorts, who withno less servility thanAmerican womanhoodbowed to the frivolousand criminal caprice of 1870 to 1875. The era of the enormous bustle and ~ mAJorn Rolwlrmtrain of sweeping dimensions. tne lOOem 1870 to 1876. The era of the enormous bustle andtrain of sweeping dimensions. Digitized by VjOOQIC fashions slaves. 407 But fashion is nothing if not changeable; fancy not artguides her mind. What to-day types beauty, is by herown voice to-morrow voted indecent and absurd. Thus wefind in the period extending from 1870 to 1875 an entirelynew but none the less ridiculous or injurious extreme pre-vails. The wonderful swinging cage, the diameter ofwhich at the base often equaled the height of the encasedfigure, has disappeared, being no longer considered desira-ble or aesthetic, and in its place we have prodigious bus-tles and immense trains, by which an astonishing quantityof material is thrown behind the body, suggesting in someinstances a toboggan slide, in others the unseemly humpon the back of a camel. This is the era of the enormousbustle and the train of sweeping dimensions.* When we examine the prevailing styles which marked thisperiod, we are struck w
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