Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

Chap. 88 - The Reform DressIn answer to letters of inquiry from many sisters relative to the proper length of thereform dress, I would say that in our part of the State of Michigan we have adopted theuniform length of about nine inches from the floor. I take this opportunity to answerthese inquiries in order to save the time required to answer so many letters. I shouldhave spoken before, but have waited to see something definite on this point in theHealth Reformer. I would earnestly recommend uniformity in length, and would saythat nine inches as nearly accords with my views of the matter as I am able to expressit in inches.As I travel from place to place I find that the reform dress is not rightly represented,and am made to feel that something more definite should be said that there may beuniform action in this matter. This style of dress is unpopular, and for this reasonneatness and taste should be exercised by those who adopt it. I have spoken once uponthis point, yet some fail to follow the advice given. There should be uniformity as tothe length of the reform dress among Sabbathkeepers. Those who make themselvespeculiar by adopting this dress should not think for a moment that it is unnecessary toshow order, taste, and neatness. Before putting on the reform dress, our sisters shouldobtain patterns of the pants and sack worn with it. It is a great injury to the dressreform to have persons introduce into a community a style which in every particularneeds reforming before it can rightly represent the reform dress. Wait, sisters, till youcan put the dress on right.In some places there is great opposition to the short dress. But when I see somedresses worn by the sisters, I do not wonder that people are disgusted and condemn thedress. Where the dress is represented as it should be, all candid persons are constrainedto admit that it is modest and convenient. In some of our churches I have seen all kindsof reform dresses,521