Women Dress

Women Dress Biogarphy

Source(google.com.pk)
Ellen White spoke out against the "American Costume" as well as the rebellious spirit of the women's rights advocates, which was incompatible with true Seventh-day Adventist Christian women.
"Those who feel called out to join the movement in favor of woman's rights and the so-called dress reform might as well sever all connection with the third angel's message. The spirit which attends the one cannot be in harmony with the other." {1T 457.3}
(Photo is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a women's rights leader and advocate of the American Costume)
The message was clear that this style of dress was not approved by the Lord:
"God would not have His people adopt the so-called reform dress [American Costume]. It is immodest apparel, wholly unfitted for the modest, humble followers of Christ." {1T 457.1}
"The Scriptures are plain upon the relations and rights of men and women. Spiritualists have, to quite an extent, adopted this singular mode of dress [American Costume]. Seventh-day Adventists, who believe in the restoration of the gifts, are often branded as spiritualists. Let them adopt this costume, and their influence is dead. The people would place them on a level with spiritualists and would refuse to listen to them." {1T 457.3}
(Pictures: Statue and cartoon of Amelia Bloomer)Ellen White spoke out against the prevailing fashions as well as against the American Costume, but it was not because she was against dress reform. She clearly declared, "My sisters, there is need of a dress reform among us. There are many errors in the present style of female dress." {2SM 473.1} The present style [1850s-1860s] of female dress included hoops, and dragging skirts. While there were some obvious health and practical advantages to the American Costume, there were also some negative features.
At its worst, the American Costume was too masculine. This prompted Ellen White to write: "There is an increasing tendency to have women in their dress and appearance as near like the other sex as possible and to fashion their dress very much like that of men, but God pronounces it abomination." {CG 427.2} She stated that this style disregarded God's special directions to have a "plain distinction between the dress of men and women," and those who promoted it advocated doing away with that distinction. The distinction between men and women was plainly that men wore pants and women wore dresses. When more than a few inches of pants were showing, the pants became a focal point of the outfit, and the distinction was blurred. Thus, the American Costume was masculine, not only in the style of the dress, but because of the amount of the pant leg that was revealed. The short dress [American Costume] that came about to the knee and above the knee was declared to be immodest.
When the first ladies put on the "short" dress over their bloomers, the dresses came approximately to the knee. Within a short while, the dresses got shorter, until finally some were about half way from the hips to the knee. Many of the pictures we have below show the knee length dress.
(The words of Ellen G. White are enclosed in quotation marks below.)
The Dress Reform Movement in America
The American Costume - pants under an approximately knee-length dres(Photo on right: Dr. Lydia Sayer Hasbrouck, hydropathist, lecturer, and editor of The Sibyl: A Review of the Tastes, Errors and Fashions of Society , the official newsletter of the National Dress Reform Association (NDRA) Hasbrouck adopted the short skirt [American Costume] worn over pantaloons, the "Bloomer" dress, in 1849.)
Now we will look at various styles of the American Costume, and see how it became increasingly masculine. The pictures were from the 1850s and 1860s.
"This is the style and influence of the "American Costume," taught and worn by many at "Our Home," Dansville N. Y." {RH, October 8, 1867 par. 7} ["Our Home-Danville" was a secular health sanitarium.]
They have all styles of dress here. (Our Home-Danville) Some are very becoming, if not so short. We shall get patterns from this place and I think we can get out a style of dress more healthful than we now wear and yet not be bloomer or the American costume. Our dresses according to my idea should be from four to six inches shorter than now worn [touching the ground] and should in no case reach lower than the top of the heel of the shoe and could be a little shorter even than this with all modesty. I am going to get up a style of dress on my own hook which will accord perfectly with that which has been shown me. Health demands it. Our feeble women must dispense with heavy skirts and tight waists if they value health. {5MR 380.2}"There is an increasing tendency to have women in their dress and appearance as near like the other sex as possible, and to fashion their dress very much like that of men, but God pronounces it abomination. . . . . The foregoing was given me as a reproof to those who are inclined to adopt a style of dress resembling that worn by men; {1T 457.2}
"I saw that God's order has been reversed, and His special directions disregarded, by those who adopt the American costume. I was referred to Deuteronomy 22:5: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.'" {1T 457.1}
"There is still another style of dress which is adopted by a class of so-called dress reformers [American Costume]. They imitate the opposite sex as nearly as possible. They wear the cap, pants, vest, coat, and boots, the last of which is the most sensible part of the costume. Those who adopt and advocate this style of dress carry the so-called dress reform to very objectionable lengths. Confusion will be the result." {1T 459.7}
"God would not have His people adopt the so-called reform dress [American Costume]. It is immodest apparel, wholly unfitted for the modest, humble followers of Christ." {1T 457.1}
"We shall never imitate Miss Dr. Austin or Mrs. Dr. York. They dress very much like men." {5MR 380.4}
(Photos: Dr. Harriet N. Austin in the American Costume of her own design, with straight trouser legs.)
The photos above are of Dr. Mary Walker. She started out wearing the regular American Costume, but became increasingly masculine in her attire. She was proud that she was arrested several times for ‘impersonating a man' – she had taken to fully wearing men's clothing, from the top hat, wing collar and bow tie to the pants and shoes."God designed that there should be a plain distinction between the dress of men and women, and has considered the matter of sufficient importance to give explicit directions in regard to it; for the same dress worn by both sexes would cause confusion and great increase of crime." {1T 460.1}
"In this style of dress God's order has been reversed and His special directions disregarded. Deuteronomy 22:5: "The woman shall not wear that whic

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress

Women Dress