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Testimonies for the Church Volume 1
extremes of the short American costume or the ultra-long heavy dresses
as commonly worn
.
In 1867 Testimony No. 11 appeared with its first article, “Reform
[718]
in Dress.” See pages 456-466. In this the dress question was fully re-
viewed and further counsel given. A general pattern was recommended
as embodying the principles revealed to Mrs. White, and was referred
to as “worthy of the name of the reform short dress.” No particular
pattern was revealed to her in vision, and, when discussing the matter
at a later date, Mrs. White stated:
“Some have supposed that the very pattern given was the pattern
that all were to adopt. This is not so. But something as simple as this
would be the best we could adopt under the circumstances. No one
precise style has been given me as the exact rule to guide all in their
dress.”—E. G. White
Letter 19, 1897
. Quoted in
The Story of Our
Health Message, 442
.
As the years passed, the prevailing styles of women’s dress changed
for the better, becoming more sensible and healthful. The old health
reform dress in its exact pattern was no longer urged, but there was ever
a uniform testimony borne by Mrs. White regarding the fundamental
principles that should guide the Christian in this matter. Thus in 1897
she wrote:
“Let our sisters dress plainly, as many do, having the dress of good
material, durable, modest, appropriate for this age, and let not the dress
question fill the mind.”—
The Story of Our Health Message, 442
.
Page 525—For further explanation of the subject of dress the reader
is referred to
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, No. 30, article,
“Simplicity in Dress.”
Page 689—Since the organization of tract societies in many states,
the furnishing of books and tracts to the worthy poor has been assumed
by them. Some of the works here mentioned are now out of print
.
The Trustees of the
Ellen G. White Publications
.