The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-28
BIFURCATED SKIRTS.
Miss Martin, The sity Librarian, Appears In a
Reform Cos ume.

Upon invitation an EAGLE reporter
went to the library yesterday afternoon
to see Miss Blanche Martin, city librarian,
in her new reform costume-or, as she calls
it. her ideal costume" When the re-
porter arrived he found her gliding over
the carpet very nimbly, wearing a
peculiar looking dress that exposed
pair of slippers and from ten TO
twelve inches of black hose. She
seemed to be very proud of it, and
did not hesitate for moment
to tell the pencil pusher all
about it. II was made of dark brown stuff
of some kind, the waist being very loose
and the skirt being very short. Yes
indeed" she said, II feel fully as COM
Portable in this costume AS men do in
theirs. I think that in short
time fully forty of the best
known ladies in Wichita will wear
them. They are SO much more comfort
able and practical than the dresses of the
period that they are bound to become pop
ular You see now; said she as she stood
erect, "tbat everything hangs from the
shoulder and there is no weight whatever
on the hips. l wear no corsets nor under
garments of auy kind but this" and she
raised the lower part of her dress sufti-
cieutly for the reporter to see the bifurca-
ted skirt which was very ample IN its
dimensions and made of the same mater
ial that the overskirt was mnde OF. This
is just the thing for bicycle riding as it
Will neither catch on the wheel nor drag
n the mud. l am going to writs au arti-
Gle on this particular subject for the
bicycle world and | am sure that it will do
a great deal OF good for the advancement
of dress reform" The waist of Miss
Martins dress Is very loose and
there is an appearance of ease and
comfort about it that argued to some ex.
tent in its favor. although il by no means
looks as fascinating or tasty as the tight
waist of the present day fashions. The
skirt Is hitehed on to an underwaist,
something like that worn by little hoys,
thas hangs from the shoulder and in this
manner all the weight of the costume is
transferred from the hips to the shoulders.
Miss Martins ideal" will not he complete
until her leggins are made. She expecto to
wear leggins extending from the instep to
the knees, and they will be made
OF the same material as the overskirt.
The blouse is covered by u Souave jacket
and with a few ribbons, hat resem bling
q Scotch bonnet, and gloves 10 match her
costume is complete. She started for
Kansas City last night for the purpose of
investigating the msthod of keeping the
library at that place and she wore her new
suit. She said that over forty people have
seen the costume since she first donned it
and that only two men aud two women
disaproved of il.
With all due respect to Miss
Martins taste the suit Is Dy no means as
becoming as the present fashion OF dress;
nor is it half as becoming as the
style OF dress advocated by Mrs
Jenness-Miiier or the Grecian cos
tune advocated By Mrs. Flower of Bos-
ton The beauty OF woman's shape is
entirely los in it aud it is doubtful
whether il is either as becoming or as
com Portable as that good Old costume
hich has immortalized the mother OF The
Hubbard family There is one thing very
certain aud that is that no woman Can
afford 10 wear Que of them unless she has
an aukie molded in the most approved
pattern.