The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-01
NOT YET.

The craze Of crinoline is by some good
people believed to be looming ahead as
dsfgurng ecceDtrcity Of costume. Any
violent change of costume is apt TO be con-
sidered eccentric until the leaders OF society
are adorned with il. and their imitators
adopt H. and then the feeling of disfavor is
modified by habit. and everybody declares
that never was anything so appropriate and
becoming. This chorus of approval lasts
! until the next fashion in the whirligig OF the
seasons comes round. II may be urged that
there is little ra'ionality in these periodical
oscillations. Fashion is empire, but 1t is
absolute for women who would keep in the
mode Up TO the commencement Of this
century fashion. was almost as rigid for
men, and when in full feather they were
uumstakable dandies. We still see them
on the stage in the old plays, and can est-
mate that the prevailing style must have
cost some of our male arlstocrats great waste
of time and money.
Thirty years ago crnoline was in vogue.
and the caricaturists had a radiant JOY in
depicting the yagaries OF the huge balloons
in which ladies then went shopping The
fashion, however. persisted until it died the
natural death to which all fashions are des-
| tined. The fnancier seeks stability of value
| IN coinage, the artist In the standards OF
| color, the builder in the materials of con-
| structiOD, but change Is the law which gov
ems fashion, rendering the incoming one
| lovely and the one outgoing tres0me, Some
or the costumes Of the middle ages were
| peculiarly ample, but the farthlngale Of
! Queen EliZabeth's day was the nearest APP
Proclamation to that r0tuud, h0oped dress
! of generation ago. Are we TO have vafi-
alton of the same design again? Charles
! Frederick Worth of Paris. costumer who
| is well known all over the world, says
mol" American ladies' will pay great re-
spect to his opinion, for besides flocking to
him for artistic dresses while n Paris. large
numbers hablually send him orders from
| this country. Worth dresses are quite IA
miliar in San Francisco.
a Paris correspondent recently inter
/ viewed VI. Worth at MS establishment in
| the Rue de a PAX. where the latest fashions
may always be studied TO perfection. He
| frankly declared that they knew nothing of
| the new craze in Paris, but that he had
| heard something about it from London.
| But not one Of the ladies in his establish
ment had yet donned the expansive eos
| tune. He added, however. that he not only
! launches and directs fashions, but accepts
! them when they rise TO the society surface.
| That is what would have to be done If there
were a growing lady suffrage IN favor OF
| hoops Naturally NJ. Worth foresees pros
perity to business should hoops be adopted,
| for silks and other materials are Of his own
| manufacture, and crinoline demands more
material Tor dress. But he is opposed to
the change. "a crinoIine." he says. may
be made to squeeze into sedan chair. but
there is no room for it in a three-horse omni-
| bus, or in the box or dress circle of Paris
/ theater Whatever women may decide
upon, hoops would be voted dire nuisance
! by the husbands or fathers who have TO pay
for them and put up with them" One
thing is certain. The crinOline is not suit
able for San Francisco weather. When the
| summer breezes are blowing sti1ly lady
would find it hard 10 walk to windward.
and nearly as awkward TO avoid running
! before the wind.
AS to the origin Of this change. Worth
has formed this theory: The tendency to
sheath women like arrows In their quivers
and umbrellas in their cases was stretched to
such a point that reaction was inevitable.
| Then came the really comfortable bouffante
sleeves aud rebound in the direction OF
ampler dimensions. The jump from this to
the crinoline is non sequitur" And so
may 1t remain. But it is for women TO de-
| eide