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AnnaAntonowicz
Althoughmanycommentatorscriticizedthecorsetedfigure,fewacceptable
alternativesexistedforwomen.Thosewhochosenottowearacorsetwere
typicallyassociatedwithtwomovements,Rationaldress(alsocalledHygienic
orReformDress),orArtisticDress(includingPre-RaphaeliteandAesthetic
dresses).Withrootsinthe1840sand1850s,atapeakofindustrialisationand
of‘unnatural’and‘distortive’fashion,thetwomovementsaimedtoreform
women’sdresstoreflectphilosophical,artisticandmedicalagendas,spreading
9
thecryoftruthtothenaturalindress.10
Rationaldresswasdesignedagainsttherestrictivenessandimpracticalityof
women’scorsetedoutfits.ThemovementlaunchedfirstinAmericawhereinthe
1850sfeministssuchasAmeliaBloomer,MaryWalkerandElizabethStanton
criticizedtheuseofcorsetsandthenumerouspetticoatsnecessarytoachievethe
thinwaistandbroadhemlineofthetime.Instead,theydonnedaloosenedcorset
andshortenedskirtoverwide-leggedtrousers,called‘bloomers’.InBritain,very
fewwomenacceptedandadoptedtheBloomercostume,whichwasusedfor
athleticsonly.Infactmajorstepstowardrationaldressreformbeganinthe
1880swiththefoundationoftheRationalDressSociety,theRationalDress
AssociationandtheHealthyandArtisticDressUnion.Theirrecommendations
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concerningwomen’sdressarebestseeninspecificcriteriacalled“Requirements
ofaPerfectDress”:
1.Freedomofmovement
2.Absenceofanypressureoveranypartsofthebody
3.Nomoreweightthanisnecessaryforwarmth,andbothweightandwarmth
evenlydistributed.
4.Graceandbeautycombinedwithcomfortandconvenience.
5.Notdepartingtooconspicuouslyfromordinarydressatthetime.
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9
Themostpopularandacknowledgedoftheproponentsare(chronologically):Alexander
Walker.Beauty:IllustratedChieflybyanAnalysisandClassificationofBeautyin
Women.London1836;DavidRamsayHay.TheGeometricBeautyoftheHumanFigure
Defined.EdinburghandLondon1851;H.R.Haweis.TheArtofDress.London1879;
MrsE.M.King.RationalDress,ortheDressofWomenandSavages.London1882;
EdwardW.Godwin.“DressandItsRelationtoHealthandClimate”inHandbookfor
theInternationalHealthExhibition.London1884;AdaS.Balin.TheScienceofDress
inTheoryandPractice.London1885;alsothewritingsofOscarandLucyWilde,Walter
Crane,G.F.Watts,andthejournalAglaia:TheJournaloftheHealthyandArtistic
DressUnion(1893).
10
StellaMaryNewton,op.cit.,p.6.
11
PatriciaA.Cunningham.Politics,Health,andArt.ReformingWomen’sFashion,1850-
1920.Kent2003,p.33.
12
TheRationalDressAssociation,ExhibitionCatalogue,Prince’sHall,Piccadilly,May
1883.QuotedinPatriciaA.Cunnigham,op.cit.,p.69.
