Wichita eagle., 1888-11-10
PLEA FOR THE POCKET.
A MATTER IN WHICH THE UNFAIR
SEX HAVE THE ADVANTAGE.

s. crying Need OF all Women~Ihe dandt-
cap Under Which They Run the Race
| of Life-A Problem for Dress Re-
formers.
In all the talk about dress reform no one
seems to make plea for pockets Nothing
! is more needed for feminine convenience,
not to say comfort, than an innovation in
this direction. In fact, so vexed question
is this one of pockets-or, rather, where to
put pockets-that many women have been
forced during the late tying back of skirts to
do without them altogether Now, if this
dress reform Is going to take the hold upon
! popular opinion that it threatens we should
consider the possibility OF convenient as well
as comfortable dress.
What can be more laughable than to see a
! charming, well dressed and generally grace
| full woman walking along laden with Der
/ pochetbook and package of letters and a
/ small bundle in one hand, an umbrella and
| book IN the other, which also is cutching
/ frantically with aching fingers at the back
I OF her skirts. Suppose she wishes to raise
/ her umbrella, what is she to do with the con
! tents of either hand while she uses the Others
! Generally she stops, drops her skirt, slips
| pocketbook, bundle and book under the left
J arm, letters go into the book or just as often
INTO the mouth, and the great feat of raising
an umbrella being thus with difficulty accom-
! plished the procession moves on-for there is
usually friend or two with her when milaiy
/ thus stops the way. Could anything be more
cumsly arrangeda
WHAT MAN DOES
| What does a man do under like cfrcum-
stanceSf In the first place his pocketboos
lies snugly ensconced in a pocket in his trous-
ers, either on the side or in the back where
the loose skirts of his coat conceal it wholly
from view, where he can reach it in a mo-
ment when occasion requires. 1t would
amuse him beyond telling to have it sug
gested that be should walk down the street
with his pochctbook in his hand moreover
. his need for 1t IS not ever recurring for he
has another little pocket right IN the outside
of his coat, where small change is handy,
and anything as uagainly as fifty cent pieces
and cartwheels are dropped into trousers
pocket. Then the package of letters for the
mail will slip into breast pocket of bis Goa,
and the book, if it is small enough for a wo-
man to carry, will also be small enough to
so into side overcoat pocket, while the
other will hold the small bundle Thus, since
lie has 10 skirts to carry, he SWINGS along
with his umbrella furled or unfurled as no
may DESIRE hands free to lift himself into
street cars, to open doors, or to pick up bun
dies for pOcketleSs women.
Men laugh and sneer at women for having
small packages delivered by the wagons the
shops employ for that purpose; but it is 10
laughing matter. With no pocket in which
to pat it, even SO small q bundle as one tiny
veil VIII make ofttimes becomes a decided
nuisance. hat can bo done about lit
Wei, until the dress reformers take hold of
the question aid make radical changes we
must insist upon dressmakers giving Us one
accessible where-yoU ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS but
well concealed pocket in the skirts OF tia
dress, and a small pocket for change in the
bodice as well as in the jacket; and they
must be compelled to have the skirt short
enough to need no lifting when its wearers
are walking. 4 short dress should clear the
ground by ct least two inches, no matter if it
cuts Off the appearance of height III the
figure and does show the feet ell round.
There is no comfort unless it does.
WHAT Is NEEDED.
Then we should cling with desperation to
a fashion Of two or three years ago reintro-
duced this season-the wearing of leather
and velvet bags, more or less enriched by
silver ornamentation. suspended from the
waist. These viii hold as much as two
pockets and should never again be relocated
TO closet shelves or packing trunks, but
should become as much q matter OF course
part of feminine attire as a hat or pair OF
shoes Nor need they always remain in ons
form. There is just as much possibility OF
variation in tho shape and style of bags as In
the aforesaid bopnefs and shoes
Let Us suppose a woman has such con-
veniences and starts down town with the
above mentioned packages She will put
pocketbook. letters and bundle into the bag,
thus stuffing it oct 50 fun that it becomes
quite as ugly as the bniging of a pocket in
mans coat. This is because she is not used
TO pockets enough and hes not learned how
to utilize them
She should start, having her dress short
enough 10 need no attention, her handker-
chief and pocketbook In the dress pocket,
her bundle and letters in her bag, and her
small change in little packet in her waist
coat or jacket, Then she has nothing in her
hand but parasol and book, and certainly she
can manage these without awkwarcness or
nishap
Stll she is pretty sure 10 leave the book on
some counter. and both time and temper ara
lost in recovering il, all which could be
avoided ii she could only co1tri-e TO have
some ono nice fat place in her dress. where /
she could have Just one large, wide nouthed |
pocket where book OF anything of that size +
could slip ms. S E NJ In CHICAGO /
ffs-a IA