The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-21
WOMEN IN TROUSERS.
DRESS REFORM COMING SLOWLY
BUT COMING SURELY.

From the Nei1 York World.
Do you wear knickerbockersl
Thousands Of women dol
Dress reform, like every other revolution
comes slow. yet women are nearer success
in achieving it than ever before. A World
reporter finds that it is meeting with greater
favor than ever before. 1t has been agi-
tated for the last twenty years, from the
ugly Bloomer costume and DIR. Mary
Walkers unmanly pantaloons to Mime.
Jenness-Miller's divided skirt, yet none Of
these styles have become popular.
While the divided skirt has been more
favored than the others, still it is practi-
cable and only suitable for the professional
dancer who initiates the famous gaiety
actress, Lefty Lind.
There it is indispensable, but for the
house it is cumbersome and upon the street
simply a nuisance, for it clings about the
limbs aud makes walking a burden, while
on windy day pedestrianism becomes an
impOssibility. But no such complaint can
be lodged against knickerbockers. First
clothe the body IN silken undergarments,
which are not only luxurious but warm
| then put on stockings of the same texture
and you are ready for the knickerbockers,
which are made exactly like those worn by
men.
Many discard the corset altogether in the
house and fasten the cute little trousers
with suspenders Just like the lords of crea-
ton" do theirs. Then, to finish the pictur-
esQue get-up, a blouse waist fashioned
sailorwise is added, which is comfortable to
| IA degree and decidedly taking, and you are
| dressed in a twinkling and ready to write,
sew or read with infinitely more comfort
than you ever experienced in skirts.
Have near at hand stylish tea gown TO
jump into when callers are announced who
are too conservative to digest your knick>
| erbockers, and there you are, presentable at
once.
The costume is pretty and practical, and
| moreover the first of the kind that does not
unsex the wearer.
Men object to the change in dress becauee
it detracts. they argue, from the charm Of
modesty, which is the scepter by which
women rule. but in reality it is the dainty
white linen and frills Of filmy lace, which
are so suggestive and cater to their senses,
that they miss.
1t is said that the fastidious Fifth avenue
belle now comes down to her late breakfast
in knickerbockers, and in the homes Of
millionaires it is no unusual thing to find
every member Of the family in trousers in
preference to the former neglige gown.
which occupied such an important place in
the wardrobe, and it is becoming serious
question whether the knickerbocker shall be
worn when men are present or not.
The suit is so becoming to the average
woman that it is only matter of time when
1t will be the exception not to see our women
in trousers and the men will soon fall into
the idae, for beautiful face and figure are
set Off to the very best advantage in this
unique dress.
Only very stout and painfully thin women
look out of place in knickerbockers, but you
see both extremes in their silken trousers
blissfully ignorant Of the grotesque figure
they cut
1t is the funniest sight in the world to see
a. woman in her knickerbockers for the first
time. You can compare her to nothing
save boy who has just shed his skirts and
is not quite used to his legs.
She unconsclouSly tries to cover her
lower extremities, and gingerly crosses her
feet as if afraid Of breaking something, but
after two or three trials she becomes accus-
toned to the freedom that the lack of petit
coats gives her, and in an Incredibly short
time forgets all about herself III the perfect
degree of comfort she enjoys.
The getting into knickerbockers is prob
lem not easily solved by the fair sex, for to
encase ones self in trousers and go about it
like man is what not one woman out of
ten can do even after weeks of practice
She will try to balance herself on one leg,
partially
crowned her effort, she will be too tired to
proceed further without resting, and when
the second attempt is made she invariably
gets into the wrong side Of them. Finally,
however, after repeated failures, the de-
voice of the knickerbocker sits down and
resignedly puts on her trousers in the most
unmanly sort Of q way, registering a silent
vow never to initiate her husband again in
the method OF donning his attire.
H.
an invitation to friend to lunch with her
a few days ago. She came forward to greet
her company la an exquisite suit of knick
erbockers, and she was more irresistible in
trousers than in any role she ever assumed
behind the fo)tlights, and she said that she
was so much in love with the costume that
her manager was arranging a play where
| the New York public how well she looks in
knickerbockers. And if she wears the
gray velvet trousers. little zouave
| jacket and loose pink shirt, to say moth
| ing about the dainty shoes and the
mite of a cap heavy with gold thread that
| crowned her auburn curls, there is a treat
in store for the theatre-goers of this city.
| A woman in knicke ROCKERS can go out in
the most severe weather. and return without
any fear of pneumonia or bronchitis, be-
cause she will not be weighted down by wet
and oedraggled skirts.
| Her gown, which she wears over her
| trousers, she can readily manage, and she
comes back from her walk in the snow or
rain not only clean but dry, which no
| woman ever does who is burdened with
| petticoats.
| Then, from an economical standpoint,
the laundry bill. for instance, is something
| to be considered.
The trousers and waists being made of
| velvet, silk, or, for that matter, cloth, are
not included in the wash list, and the silk
tights and stockings, even if changed three
| or four times day, would scarcely make
such an inroad upon the pocketbook as the
multitude of skirts are duty-bound to do if
| one wishes to be immaculate
So there is a strong argument in favor of
knickerbockers, to say nothing more.
OF course, the wealthy women have no
cause to think of dollars and cents, but it is
| the working woman and those in moderate
circumstances who are obliged to curtail
| expenses to make ends meet to whom this
| will appeal. Those who cannot afford to
indulge in silken underwear can buy fine
wooden garments at any dry goods store in
the city that will answer the same purpose
and are Tar more durable, and equally com
Portable and healthy. SO, if one is disposed,
they can dress in knickerbockers, and dam
| tily, too, for one-fourth of what it costs to
make decent appeara u &c in gowns.
At the same time there is plenty of op-
portunity to be extravagant in the choice of
| trOuSers for they can ha mazda oF tho 6paSt