What to Wear?

"What to Wear?" by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps is a bold and eloquent feminist essay that challenges the restrictive fashion norms of the 19th century. With sharp wit and moral clarity, Phelps questions the physical and symbolic constraints of women’s clothing—especially the corset—and urges for dress reform rooted in comfort, health, and autonomy. This compelling text is not just about fashion, but about freedom: a call for women to literally and figuratively breathe more easily.
"What to Wear?" is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1873.