, 1889-12-12
JUST LIKE A MAN
A Woman Can Now Dress
Herself in
SKIRTS MADE LIKE TROUSERS.
The Divided Skirt Ia the Latest
and 1t Seems to Have Come
to Stay.

The New York Sun said in its Foreign
Notes the other day that the divided
skirt Is continually increasing in popu-
larity In London. In America II is be.
coming one of the requirements oi
| fashionable ladies. Particularly Is this
noticeable In the Western cities and
| towns, where the interest manifested in
the subject is phenomenal. Chicago,
Washington and Boston have hosts OF
wcll-known society women who wear
the bifurcatod garment under their
richest toilets, and Mrs. IIicks-Lord isn't
the only social leader in New York who
can not put on her petticont over hei
head. Men have ridiculcd and women
have been shocked ut the idea of the
divided skirt The invention seemed
rank heresy against all the tenets and
traditions Of womanly apparel its
adoption savored OF anarchy, riot, and
confusion. But 1t is an inoffensive and
unaggressive little garment after
all, and, when fashioned, is rs
dainty and attractive as any one could
desire. Three full straight widths of the
| finest white China silk are sewn into a
covering for one lower extremity, and a
corresponding lnvishness of material
conCc0ls the other. These two aiiinitics
| are welded ut the waist, where they are
gathered into II single yoke of white,
and fall In such graceful folds that the
division is not apparent The whole is
lined Tor winter with the softest, finest
wool OF n pale heliotrope. which lends \
! delicate tint To the silk, and every hem
and border is finished with fine bricr
( stitching OF silk corresponding in color
with the lining. There II nothing sug-
gcstiyo OF musclllinity or strongininued-
ness in the combination of that garment
and pretty woman.
For the street the "leglcttes," as this
anomalous little garment that Is sing,l-
lar where IL begins at the waist and
| plural where II ends at the ankles, has
been christcned. is fashioned of black
China silk, which, following a new and
striking fashion prevalent in the ordi-
nary petticoat, may have n lining oi
bright cardinal wool or surah, Wool
skirts Of the so.called natural colored
Jaeger iiannel, or exquisitcly fine soft
cloth of dun blue or ecru, are also fash.
ioned In tho same way and with the
same feather-stitched hens and borders
For summer the softest surahs $
and China silks in all the faint
bewitching shades of blue and
green and rose are used. and some. ladies
broidcrcd muslin nainSook houncings
and gather them into the yoke. For ~
or $50, according to her means. q lady
can be fitted out with skirt that is war
ranted not to wrap her up in its pcrverse
folds when the wind blows, TO sweep up
every crossing or mop UP all the car
steps, and one which will not need hold
ing up when she has an umbrella in one
hand and half n dozen parcels in the
| other. For regular street wear the skirts
are little shorter and more scant, and
instead Of being immodest when the
dress is lifted at muddy crossing. are
provokingiy the reverse. as they cling
closely to the ankles anu reveal no Hit
ting glimpscs of the sheen of silken
hose.
An additional advantage is claimed by
the votaries of the bisected garment, and
that is its warmth which does away
with the necessity for more than one
skirt, even in extreme cold weather. and
enables woman to he fully dressed in
three garments instead of six beneath
her gown. First there is a combination
OF two garments i'm one of closelN " woven
wool or silk webbing that fits the body
as closely as a wet bathing suit, and
covers II continuously from the neck to
the feet. Over IL two or three garments
sacred to the vocabulary of dressing
rooms have organized themselves
into syndicate OF useful,
ness under the name oil a ''Chemilette." +"
In summer it is fashioned OF the finest
Camhric, China, or pongee silk IL is
drawn mp with lace tucker threaded
with bright ribbons around the shoulders
and finished Lclow tue knee with broad
frills OF lace from which differences may
be drawn OF its origin and purpose. over
this the petticoat with its two compart-
mcnts. and that is all. In winter each
Of these garments is OF wool, in summer
Of muslin, silk, or cambric. according to
the WcHrer's fancy. and Ornameuteu
with more or less costly emheliisb bment
OF nccdlework or lace, the only condition
of the inventor, Mrs Jcnness. NJ iller, be-
Ing that the material, whether simple or
elaborate, shnll bc only OF the finest and
daintiest and best, and that the better is
feathcr-stitched hem with neatness of
finish than any luSuriousness OF frills
and ornate display of decoration in imi.
tativc laces and course cInbroiderles.