The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-18
ON THE PARIS PR0MENADES
Scenes on the Pavements That Make the
Concert Garden ~Spectacles Tame.
Not in Gown or Bonnet Lies the Effect Of the
Partisan Womsn's Toilet; Her Master Stroke
Is in the Art Of Carrying Her Skirt

New York Sun.
Any person OF all familiar with life as it
is lived in cities. gong TO Paris with the
expectation of having his sense of decency
shocked will be most agreeably dissppoint-
ed. He will discover what common sense
might have taught him without the jour-
ney, that the vices of all metropolitan
cities are much alike, and vicious tastes.
however depraved, may be induiged in one
place as in another. IL may be that Paris
has taught the rest of the world the old
vices which it had forgot, especially the
new world, which had put . sea between it
and them. But the world has learned the
lessons. snd has copied Paris as speedily in
vice as in fashion.
Paris differs In vice from other cities
rather in the manner of its manifestation
things as q matter of course. which would
be stopped BY the polics here. or in London
even, although what would be a real vio-
htion of decency here would be in London
merely q violation of the bypercrrtical En-
glish sense Of proprlety. But IN Paris there
are certain things which are held TO be in
no sense matters of morality or decency,
which we, so far behind that we will never
catch mp. regard as distinctly. necessarily,
and absolutely scandalous.
The Anglo Saxon woman. whether she be
respectable or not, holds firmly to the idea
that the proper place for the bottom OF the
The top of she shoe is tho absolute pu blio
limit, with perhaps an accidental hasty
slip on y rainy day, or at a muddy crossing.
Neither In New York nor in London does
one see this order of things violated. a vi
olat!0n IL inc0nceivable. Every girl old
enough to be called q young woman wears
q long skirt, and the sight Of, o bit OF her
stockings is as rare as q day in June. But
In they change all that
AN ~EFFECTIvE CHANGE.
And in the changing they produce the
great distinguishing characteristic of the
Paris highways. One may see the street
scenes of Paris reproduced in parts in many
cities of this country and in nearly all the
cities of Europe. The trees. the people eat
Ing and drinking at b~eer-tsbles OIL the side
walk, the gayety and general good humor,
all these things other cities have copied.
But the way the Partisan women hold their
gowns, especially the way the women of
the town hold them. no city has repro
duced. 1t Is q sight unique. French, sur
prising and shocking to the Puritanic An
glo-Saxon or Anglo-American.
Perhaps in no city in the world are the
women so particular about their boots and
stockings. about their silk skirts and the
lace edges of their underwear. OF course,
women. the world over. pay regard TO these
things, but not so much regard because
they have not so much reason for care.
The street appearance of q Partisan woman
does not end with hat, gown, gloves, boots
and the silk skirt that may show q bit
when the train is in hand. The chief effect
of the Partisan woman's toilet 10 not in
cluded in these. not at all These details
mentioned must be attended to, and. In the
Partisan wOman's opinion. these details are
always correct as q matter of course. To
be ~presenfable thus Tar is no credit. al
though not TO be is q Distinct discredir.
One might as readily boast of not eating
with the knife.
1t has been said, although there 10 room
for difference of opinion. that the Partisan
women have the most sbapely legs in the
world. They are generally thin. but ex-
ceedingly graceful in their curves, taper
ing to q small ankle and q high instep. The
great problem of the toilet 10 the French
women who promenade 10 how to present
the Partisan feminine characteristic beauty
to the best advantage. The stocking must
lit perfectly and the boot also. and the two
graceful curves above mentioned shall
stand out most clearly. This done, there
remains q last and final touch.
The leg and foot are not looked to so care
fully to be thus concealed. 90 q New York
woman p-romenadinG would do. They are
to be shown in the street Just as the bust or
the bonnet and the bang are to be shown.
And the last final touch is to carry and
swing the skirt SO that they may be shown
to the very best advantage. Herein lies q
great art-a greater art in the opinion OF
the Paris promenader than in being well
gowned or well shod.
Now, it is not hard to imagine the effect
of this unique feminine rivalry in dress
upon the foreign and unaccustomed be-
holder. Instead of seeing skirts for pur-
poses Of cOncealment with the foot and
ankle occasionally and demurely showing,
IL il the garter that occasionally and de-
murely shows. while the skirt hangs clear
and the silk skirt also. The calf of the leg.
full foot are all constantly in view. The
skirt and silk skirt and perhaps an edge OF
lace on some undergarment. suspected
rather than seen, form the frame in which
the symmetry of the foot ana leg are set OF.
AS the upper-class women Of Paris do not
walk abroad, they are not to be included in
the description. But the lower middle
class. the shop girls, the grisettes. the
women OF the town. who maket the female
part OF the ~promenaders, all indulge in this
| display of what we are accustomed TO coll
| hidden charms. These sights are not rare,
but are as frequent as the sight Of q we'll
| dressed woman on Broadway. 1t IL not
even regarded as q daring or questionable
thihR w uOs ~ Al0StOA Va NOulb
that a pretty leg. being the most charming
of charms, should not be hidden when W.
| go abroad to show bow much more attract
i've one is than ones neighbor.
SCENES IN WET WEATHER.
On q rainy day In Paris. and rainy days
are as frequent there as are clear, brigh,
days in New York. this novel parade takeI
on an aver more pronounced character
The chaste eyes OF q New Yorker grow
round as saucers and he looks around to SCI
where the policeman or the Paris equiva
lent for COmstOck, or somebody or any body
of that sort is. He sees the policeman
~lounging unconcernedlv, perhaps glancinf
ton. He sees that the Partisan men do no,
usually graceful and tasteful. Yet the
gown of the woman and her skirts also arr
kigh above her knees. Her garters art
showing and perhaps the lace of her under
garments. If she were going to wade .
strram that would reach TO her hips and
were trying TO hold up all she could ont Of
the water she could not do much better OF
worse, according to the way Of looking
at IL.
This is no doubt the reason why the cafes
cnantants of Paris are disappointing unles.
one understands not only French but thu
French of the b~oulevarGs. Roster a. Bal
the Eden Musee even. are moro interesting
from q merely spectacular stand point
There is more life aud movement TO ths
programme In the American places. NOR,
gesture, more dancing. more activity gen
orally. In the Paris concert gardens Their,