the rational dress society began to work in the 18th century.
the rational dress society began to work in the 18th century.
when did the rational dress society begin to work?
the 18th century
the scheme failed, however, to secure financial backing. with the exception of a lecture in dublin in 1878 on equal suffrage, king appears to have withdrawn from public life between 1875 and 1881. for part of this time she was resident in dresden, germany with her daughters. while there she wrote to florence pomeroy, viscountess harberton in support of her views on dress reform and, on her return to england in 1882, they established the rational dress society with lady harberton as president and king as honorary secretary. king resumed her public role with addresses and publications on dress reform and announced that the rational dress society would stage an exhibition in 1883. as a consequence of dissension within the society, king established a rival organisation, the rational dress association, which staged a rational dress exhibition in princes hall at 190–196 piccadilly, the rational dress exhibition opened with a speech by king and ran from 18 may to 12 june 1883, before touring provincial cities.
e. m. king
"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. it protests against the wearing of tightly-fitting corsets; of high-heeled shoes; of heavily-weighted skirts, as rendering healthy exercise almost impossible; and of all tie down cloaks or other garments impeding on the movements of the arms. it protests against crinolines or crinolettes of any kind as ugly and deforming….[it] requires all to be dressed healthily, comfortably, and beautifully, to seek what conduces to birth, comfort and beauty in our dress as a duty to ourselves and each other."
rational dress society