The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-03-14

1Ers. Grannis' idea Of the Proper Costuun'
For Stormy Weather

the platform In what she considers the
proper costume for stormy weather 1t
was simple black dress the striking
feature of which was the extreme short
ness Of the skirt. 81 reaching only part
way down the calf of the leg. Per
haps, said Mrs. Grannls Is She turned
about to give every one good view.
ssyou think 1T doesn need raising. Wen
it doesn't In describing the outfit She
said she wore first a union suit of all
silk. over this one Of silk and wool as
she needed warmth, then 8 pair Of black
silk tourists trousers coming just below
the knee, and over all the short skirt
The feet and legs look comfortable and
trim in leggings oil Polish boots reaching
above the knee, made of fine cloth
"a Yoiee-Lf woman has pretty feet
and legs, All right.
II believe q great many women think
that replied Mrs. CFrannis. III wear
No. 4B. ana I can 60 to sleep in my
shoes as wei as in my bonnet. and in
my bonnet as we'll as in my stockings.
Fleshy women look well in the dress
Another Voice. don't believe it,
Mrs C4rannis-There is Miss I3a1es OF
Michigan. who is large and stylish. She
looks remarkably Wen in the dress. It
is only the poor little snlppety women
who suffer.
Miss H. Marguerite Lindley. the chair
man. who was also on the platform, said
that. according to her experience which
had been gained in the gymnasium, it
was the trinalningof the waist THAI made
the suit becoming or unbecOming.
Fleshy women always demurred when
the gynnastic suit was suggested. and
when they donned it they felt uncom-
Portable. But she discovered that when
they could make the waist IS their fancy
dictated. with pretty trimmings and
pretty sleeves, they We're ait ease and the
effect was good.
Mrs Grannis added: some one once
said TO me, But are you with your dress
reform going to take away ali the sweet
womanliness Of laces and rufiesf Ruff
fes and 1aces are not for rainy days,
where they are bedraggled and bespat-
tered until there as no sweetness or dain-
illness about them.
Mrs. Grannis does not wear the short
skirt in public without a long cloal1made
with a cape She has pocket in the
cape and one on the side Of her skirt
within easy reach for ! won't, She
says, get up and twist myself and my
clothes all ou5 of shape ia public to find
my pocket.
W hide Mrs. Grannis went to put on
the summer rainy day dress, Miss Lind
cate of short dresses on the street. It is
q great strain on y woman nervous svs-
tenn to carry bundles, purse, umbrella
and at the same time try to gather up q
voluminous skirt. I am the only woman
who has ever climbed Mount Mansfield
in q gymnasium suit. and when we
reached the top / was the only woman
in the party who was not breathless
When the fashionable women of New (
H. Il
Y 0rk viii take it up, and It VIII never
sink into disuse We have been for 20
years preparing fob the short skirt. and
when it comes ST comes to stay. Some
object that it is nnnodest. II IS n0lnora (
immodest to show the leg to the knee (
than to bare the shoulders and arms 1T
is only custom My idea IS not of radi- +
cal reformation, but of evolution.
Mrs Grannis then appeared ia klick- T
erb0cker trousers of black silk. These (
she wears over short linen skirt and 7
she pron0unces it the coolest costume q \
woman can have. TIA place of the leuv.
heavy cloth cloak she has one made w
thin silk for summer wear. The trout
sers are as full as an ordinary ssirt-fve
widths Of silk-only divided. Black silk I
she considers the most seTviceable and /
economical material a woman can use, I
for it always looks well and is suitable +
for almost any occasion. Ia q black silk /
Dress she said, q woman can dc aer du- +
ties ia the morning, SO to business for 4
half a day, a reception or literary club I
meeting i'm the afternoon, a dinner and 7
reception ia the evening, never being \
terribly out 0f order. She finished her
tallz by saying that woman has mo no.
ton of freedom Of body if she has always /
worn long skirts Women are like race I
horses If you put ever So thin cover I
ing over horse, he loses the race and /
women have lost many races on account I
of having their knees bound.
Some one asked why trousers were pre- (
ferred % the short skirt. Miss Lindley. (
answering the question from d hygien5c \
standpoint, said That ST was because with 4
the divided skirt the LEGS were evenly (
clothed, and this is most desirable for I
health and warmth
Miss Lindley introduced Mrs. Board /
man, the cyclst, who appeared in the T
full cycling costume, bloomers leather +
legglngs, box coat and cap. She spoke /
of the favor with which cycling was
viewed in England and read extracts (
from q letter written BIZ Lady Henry (
Somerset indorsing cycling and giving \
an account of a club of which She IS
president that had been formed for wom- \
en- cyclists in England.-New York Let I
ter.
Would like to see Her President
f. p. Mcclellan offered the IS oman suf- 7
frage resolution at the first Peoples Party +
stare convention in Colorado Nav 500 T