The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-05-09
WHEELWOMEN.
What They Wear in Riding-Wheel-
women From a WOman's
Point of View.

There are as many bicycle costumes in the
shops this spring as there are tea gowns. The
ready-made suits are in two pieCes-blazer and
blOOmers. The women who have their bicycle
outfits tailOrmade get them sometimes in two,
which means that there are always bloomers,
and that there may or may not be skirts also.
This discourse is mainly upon skirts, be-
cause knickers have no longer the fascination
of faddism. KniCkers have become so proper
that the fin de steele girl, who cares only for
the thing that is trile risque, doesn't have to
wear them. They will stand on their own
legs in future, to be worn or not to be worn, as
they prove or fail to prove themselves the most
practicable garments for cycling.
The woman who is able to pay a little money
for a thoroughly up.to-date and thoroughly
conventional wheeling dress is out this spring
in a pepper-and-salt melton skirt, made to open
on the sides instead of in the back, and COM
ing down to the top of the shoes This skirt
is scant or full, according to the riders figure
and is lind with very heavy silk or with
farmers satin. Under it she wears boomers
or, very possibly, equestrian tights, buttoniHg
just below the knees. A single button cuta.
way coat, with a shirt waist or silk blouse
gives her the smart look so necessary to her
peace of mind. Her headgear is Scottish
cap with two quills and on her feet she has
low russell shoes meeting leggings.
The woman who rides much has her sweater
This is white, with, of course, immense
sleeves. Sometimes it is striped with blue or
pink, or embroidered with club monogram
1t buttons at the shoulders, and is decidedly a
welcome innovation.
The "knickers" of '05 defy description. They
are too numerous and too varied. The full
knickers, like the divided skirts, are hideous
and not especially convenient. They're not
worth the cost of revolution in society
There are times when compromises won't
work. This is one of them. It's choice be-
tween the conventional and the radical
skirts and fairly close-ftting knickers. There's
no good foothOld on any middle ground
The best cycling blouses are of linen. Silk
is very well for amateurs Soft gray linen
stripped with pink or green or dark red, is the
prettiest possible contrast to relieve the monot.
onous pepper and salt of the received riding
costume.
1t seems that bloomers have come to stay
Now the question naturally arises-as they say
in debates, when no such question would ever
have thought of arising if it hadn't been fished
out of obscurity against it will-where are you
going to draw the liner
This question really does arise, don't you
know. | have heard of a landlady who had
boarder That is to say, particular boarder,
who had bicycle suit OF pattern bifurcate
And this landlady, moved to wrath by the
boarders habit of wearing her bicycle suit
about the house, was move TO this wise re.
mark; 81 won't have il. Its all right to
wear 'em bicycling, if the others do, spose,
but You can't wear 'em in my house. where
where"-
Where there's nobody to see" interrupted
the boarder.
But, after all, the landlady was right, and
the boarder wansn't just as soon as the
mysterious they" wear blOomers in ball
rooms or rings in their noses, it will be quite
right for one lone woman to do so, and not
much before. For there luck in odd numbers
only when the numbers are so large that they
have ceased to be odd
Still, a considerable extension of what we
may call the bloomer principle has proved
possible. Obviously bifnrcated unmaseuline
specimens Of the genus homo wers observed
skating last winter IN London. Boomers are
recognized as suitable for Walking trips, shoot