Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-08-10
The Great Social Issue Is Ably
Discussed.
WHY The BLOONERS DON'T BLOOM
And Why Dress Reform Don't
Boom in the Capital.
lwntaen for TIE JOURNAL Uy clOthnde.l

el-AA DADDA--A1g aIA a A|A4 AiAAA a ~~------
possibly. for / had plums to can and blackberry |
Jelly and Jam to make, and besides blOOmers
are not blooming much in Salem either. He
looked disappointed and went away, but for
the life Of me / couldn't help but think Of
the subject aud 50 1 will just jot down few
things that know about bloOmers.
How shall Salem girls and women get into
bloomers? The irreverent will say, get into
them feet foremost But there's the sticking
place. They all want someone else to make
the start. As one thoughtful Salem woman
it, every girl has brother, sweet
heart or husband, or some other man whose
opinion she fears and who would not like to
see her come out in blooners. The
objector would be perfectly willing to see
some other girl or woman wear them, but
not his sister or loved one. The near ap-
proach of the bloomer in public to Salem,
geographically speaking, has terrified some OF
the good people Of this city of churches not a
little and they know not what moment the new
woman will burst upon their gaze, in full
bloomer costume, 50 to speak They are
being worn in smaller cities like Corvallis
Albany, Eugene and some have been seen as
near as Independence. If ladies will appear
on the streets Of those places with impunity,
no one can say when they can be looked for
in the capitol city Of the state. Eastern
Oregon fastened onto the new style some
months ago both for bicycling and horse back
riding, But in fashions as in vegetables the
season is earlier on the other side Of the Cas-
cades. OF course, knickerbockers have been
worn in Salem suneptitiously for some time.
More than one graceful cyclist has her
"knickers" pretty securely hidden away un-
derueath the many folds Of short wheeling
skirt But the bloomer costume has yet to
come to front. A solid mater-familias told me
this week that her daughters had the bloomer
fever and had very nice ones made ready to
wear and in fact had appeared in them at
home in the parlors and they looked ever so
much sweeter in them than they ever did
look in skirts. A Salem lady accompanied
her husband on the wheel to Wilhoit Springs
one day this week in bloomer costume. 1t
was hard ride and could never have been
made in skirts. A Salem lady who is a
member of the Presbyterian church wears
bloomers Of evenings and has been seen down
town on her wheel in them after eight O'Clock
at night. But the bloomer worn by we'll
authenticated Salem woman "on her native
heath so to speak, is not yet in evidence.
Quite number Of young girls and few
married women have bloomers made and
wear them at night in their own neighbor-
hood, sort Of trying them on, as it were.
feel like scolding the young girls and the
younger married ladies for not having got to
to the front in the bloomer race. 1t is their
duty to be social leaders and if we are ever to
get out Of those 'honid skirts" they must
make the break for liberty. ] know Of sew
eral Of our leading society young ladies who
tell me they will put on the bloomer costume
any time half dozen of the above named
privileged class will take the lead. Why
wont they do it? bear it whispered that a
very enterprising ladies aid society proposes
/ to give bloomer church soeial9 It would
draw both those in skirts and those out oi
them. We have read Of bicycle services
where the men appeared in knickerbockers
and the pulpit was decorated with wheels
and the minister preached on wheels. There
may be wheels and such like decorations al
the''bloomer" social, but there ought TO be
bloomers there and live girls in them,
Salem has the live girls, but how to get them
into the bloomeTl There is the sticking
point. have one criticism to make on all
the bloomers have seen. They are too full
about the knee and below the knee. They
keep the legs unnaturally far apart and
graceful walk is impossible. They aTS
like some gentleman's trousers-they bag toe
much at the knee and that is in bad form yoC
know even for the male deyotee Of the fash
ions. II women only knew il, they almoSI
invariably look charming in bloomers OF
kniekerbockers. l have seen Salem girls
that for the life Of them cannot walk grace
fully in skirts, and in the incest gowns present
fat and unintsresting appearance; the
moment you get them into bloomers, they are
attractive and really are charming in theil
every movement. The best judges say the
bloomer will do for wOmen's limbs what the
balloon sleeve has done for their arms-maks
slim ones appear graceful, the aeshy onel
in better physical proportion, and the we'll
shaped ones,-well they will be none the
less attractive.
The first real experience that had with
hloomers was in a gymnasium class, and what
struck me particularly was that number OF
the girls that had thOagh. quite plain before
looked exceedingly charming,
The thin girl. instead Of the slinky look she
had in her long skirts, looked Comfortably
plump.