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The Rational Dress Society was an organisation founded in 1881 in London, part of the movement for
The Rational Dress Society was an organisation founded in 1881 in London, part of the movement for Victorian dress reform
Victorian dress reform was an objective of the Victorian dress reform movement (also known as the rational dress movement) of the middle and late Victorian era, led by various reformers who proposed, designed, and wore clothing considered more ...
. It described its purpose thus:
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-fittingIn the catalogue of its inaugural exhibition, it listed the attributes of "perfect" dress as: Leading members of the Society were Lady Harberton (who created the divided skirt), Mary Eliza Haweis and Constance Wilde (Irish author).corset A corset /ˈkɔːrsɪt/ is a support garment worn to constrict the torso into the desired shape and Posture correction, posture. They are traditionally constructed out of fabric with boning made of Baleen, whalebone or steel, a stiff panel in th ...s; ofhigh-heeled shoe High-heeled shoes, also known as high heels (colloquially shortened to heels), are a type of shoe with an upward-angled sole. The heel in such shoes is raised above the ball of the foot. High heels cause the legs to appear longer, make the wea ...s; 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... trequires 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.
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
helped spread the word by publishing the essay " The Philosophy of Dress" in which he stressed the important relationship between clothing and one's soul. Woman cyclists, such as members of the Lady Cyclists' Association, were keen advocates of women's right to dress appropriately for the activity, as part of a belief that cycling offered women an opportunity to escape overly restrictive societal norms.
In 1889, a member of the Rational Dress Society, Charlotte Carmichael Stopes, stunned the proceedings of a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
The British Science Association (BSA) is a Charitable organization, charity and learned society founded in 1831 to aid in the promotion and development of science. Until 2009 it was known as the British Association for the Advancement of Scienc ...
in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...
by organizing an impromptu session where she introduced rational dress to a wide audience, her speech being noted in newspapers across Britain.
See also
* Artistic Dress movement * Bicycling and feminism * Corset controversy *National Dress Reform Association National Dress Reform Association (NDRA) was an American association in support of the Victorian dress reform, founded in 1856 and dissolved in 1865.
It was founded in February 1856 by the hydropathist James Caleb Jackson. Many of its members we ...
* Svenska drägtreformföreningen
References
{{reflist 19th-century fashion Clothing controversies Anti-fashion Women's rights in England Women's health organizations 1881 establishments in the United Kingdom 19th century in London