Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-08-04

all the time The trouble is that the old op-
eratives have gone into other pursuits, and it
is impossible to get hands enough. Atpresent
we are turning out about 100 dozen day.
"How do you account for the change
"Well, you know when fashion runs to ex-
tremes, there is likely to be violent reac.
ton. Hoop skirts were driven out of fash.
ion because the style was pushed to such All
extreme. Hoops got to be four and FIVE
yards around in the style known as "tilters." "
A lady could hardly get into church pew.
When she sat down her dressed ballooned and
took up the whole side of street car. The
papers all got to making fun of the fashion,
and there was a reaction against hoop skirts.
Another thing that had to do with it, sup
pose, was the hard times. 1t took a great
deal of fabric to cover those big skeleton
tents, and there was a saving in adopting mar.
row skirts Now tight dresses have been
pushed to an extreme, and reaction toward
fuller dresses and the hoop is natural2'
"How does the new style compare with the
old ?" asked the reporter.
Look at that" said Mr.. Bradley, point.
ing to a hoop skirt hanging from the ceiling.
1t was great circular wire cage yards around.
"Now look at this p said he and he held
up slim, graceful skirt, with hoops secured
by broad tapes, and running about half way
up The old hoops ran up to $50 inches in
circumference. The present style runs from
55 to IS inches. Now, if the modistes do not
push the style to excess and will keep the
hoop skirt down to two yards in circumter-
ence, it will remain in use"
HAS there been much change in the man
ufacture of hoop skirts ?"
Call the change in the world 1t was in
1857 that hoop skirts first came into use. l
remember the first article, of the kind which
were imported from Europe. They were
cumbrous affairs. the hoops made of bamboo,
cane or rattan. Iron was considered too
heavy material. Steel hoops were introduced
by American makers. 1t was long process
to get the right quality of steel. If made too
hard the steel would snap, and if too soft the
hoop would bend in wear and lose its shape.
Now the steel is so well tempered that the hoop
skirt retains its shape and at the same time
conforms to changes of attitude in the wear
er like woven fabric The weight of a skirt
like that now coming into fashion is less than
one fourth of that of the old style of skirt,
and the new skirt will wear four times as
long as the old
At Macy's, the sale of hoop skirts was re.
ported to be increasing. "About year ago."
said the reporters informant, "hoop skirts
came into some demand in connection with
style of sailor waist apd gathered skirts for
young girls. But the ladies did not adopt it,
and the demand proved transient. The indi.
cations now are that the hoop skirt will be.
come fashionable again. The hustle seems to
have paved the way for it. The hustle was
gradually heightened out from a hip piece
until it extended the length of the skirt, and
was like a hoop skirt bisected longitudinally.
1t was small change to make some of the
lower hoops of the hustle complete circles
about the form. Soon the garment became
half hoop and hustle, about ten steels going
completely around, while the remainder were
short half hoops, ending ct the side tapes.
The hoops keep the folds of the dress from
falling if ungraceful, straight lines from the
hips, where the dress is spread out by the
bustle At present the article in use is only
half hoop skirt, for the steels run only half
way up in 'front.' but the tendency is toward
complete skirts again. The demand comes
1TOu the UeSG GLASS; VI CuSLOulcIS, duu Ill tuC
last month or six weeks our sales have greatly
increased"
At Arnold, Constable & Co.'S, the lady in
charge of that department also reported an
increasing demand for hoop skirts by fash
ionable ladies. The skirt is called for as an
adjunct to the hustle, and is arranged with
lateral partition of tapes. SO as to throw out
the rear half circle of hoops and support the
drapings and ornaments Of the back Of the