St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-18
AQUATICS IN UNDRESS
What to Wear and What Not
to Wear in the
Water.
Put Not Your Trust in But
tons Nor Yet in Safety
Pins.
Stockings Are Unreliable, and
Jersey Tights Give Better
Satisfaction.
COrsets Minus the SteelS Can
Be Worn to Good Ad-
vantage.

TO bathe, or not to bathe! This is the
question which is agitating the fashion
able feminine mind at present.
Not that there is any idea of dispens-
ing with the trait of cleanliness, which
puts them into at least speaking dis
tance of godiiness, for in this case the
reference is to surf or lake bathing.
The past winter. with its high-sleeved
and long-neeked evening gowns, is
bound to cause a reaction, and. judging
from Subdued mnrmurS which one Oe-
casionIy hears, it will come in the di
reciion of bathing. If the fashionable
embargo is removed. we may except to
see lovely woman diSporting herself in
some stunning creations in the line of
surf costumes. and it will be just as
well to give the subject little advance
consideration.
Bathing suits are not like poets; they
are made, but, unfortunately, their
manufacture is generally governed
by only one apparent mDfiVe-ecOnoIny
The most sensible, and at the same
time the most attractive suit, is III two
pieces, the tights and the skirts. Make
it point that your tights shall include
consists of blouse, trousers, skirt and
stockings, all separate, not even the
most Sanguine prophet can predict i'll
what condition you will emerge from
the water.
Put not your trust in buttons! Nor
even in safety pins! Be warned by tile
sad experience of others!
narrowing cases have been known
where altogether indispensable gar
ments have been uneeremoniously
whisked away by those resistless waves,
which truly leave not trace behind"
As for the stockings, they promptly
slip down about ones ankles, and finally
go TO join the fi0tsam and jetsam of the
sea. Your sleeveless blouse will soon
give you pair of permanent, shoulder
length, tan-eolered gloves, which fadcth
not away: no, not for two full years.
Therefore, be warned! Have your
tights of Jersey cloth or silk, woven
entire from top to toe. Do not get Jer-
sey cloth for the skirt. as it holds so
much water that it will be serious in
cumbrance, because Of its weight, be-
sides hanging wet and heavy when you
leave the water. Fine flannel or Jersey
silk should be the material of your
skirt.
Do not make it too scant, nor too long.
A skirt of the proper length will just
touch the bend of the knee, and should
be about two yards in width. although
a skirt of that width, made of Jersey
cloth. would. when wet. be entirely too
heavy. Lay few small piaits in front,
as the ready-made suits are generally
scant here. The belt should be two
inches wide.
Another caution which, if followed,
will fnS h-,ttQP
apee is this: Take the steels out of an
old corset, lace it loosely and wear it
under your bathing suit. 1t will not In
terfere with your pleasure, and will
considerably enhance the pleasure of
those who see you.
Now about the color. Always take
into consideration the change color
undergoes when the material is wet.
Red, for instance, loses Its brilliancY;
light blue tupnS darker. and pink be-
comes insupportable. Navy blue and
black are not materially changed. and
lavender takes wetting very we'll in
deed. Certain shades of green, too, are
far from amiss in the green, and white
waves. Although red invariably diSap-
points one after the first plunge, yet
bright red silk handkerchief knotted
about the head, and often quite safe
y
you wear an Oil skin cap, by all means
cover the yellow abomination with a
gay red silk headgear.
Do not imagine that bathing suit is
all evening dress and cut it square in
the neck. Have sailor collar. slightly
open in front, and with white or red
silk tie knotted loosely, la marine,
under it.
A pretty dark-blue bathing suit has
silk or Jersey tights and snort skirt of
lightweight flannel. The skirt has mar
row, white ribbon stitched in running
bowknot pattern around the bottom. A
similar, but narrower design, borders
the wide, square collar, and there is one
knot of the ribbon stitched on each
sleeve at the wrist. A white canvas belt
and white tie should be worn with this
suit.
Another striking costume is of pale
green silk with white trimmings. The
feet and halfway up to the knees of the
tights are woven of white. and also the
ribbed wrists of the sleeves. The collar
is of white, with green band around
it an inch from the edge. The skirt is
of green. with several white bands of
varying widths, and a white belt. red
tie and kerchief complete the costume.
A very satisfactory and attractive suit
is one with black tights and an uIl-
hemmed skirt of fine melton, which will
not ravel.
For these who cannot afford to buy
tights. a long pair of black stockings
may be firmly sewed to the edge of
short, close trousers, which are sewed
to the same band to which the waist is
fastened. Unnecessary weight must al
ways be guarded against, and for this
reason close-ftting waist is better than
a blouse. which, furthermore. always
slips down and derange5 the whole tout
ensemble.
The writer has found it agreeable to
have something to protect the sole of
the foot from chance pebbles or shells.
The shoes provided are tritle heavy,
and are always liable to be lost in the
water. She, therefore, bought pair of
insOIes, sewed them to the feet OF her
tights. and has found the expedient ell
tirelO successful.
One thing more. ESehew stripes!
Spare US penitentiary effects! Let
your suit be one of general color effect,
with trimmings of another color, or with
simply tie and kerchief as bit OF con-
traSt
TYvYTnr ATTN. TTarn