The Louisiana populist., 1895-07-19
NOTHING BUT BOOMERS 90.
Womsn Physician OF New York Says
Skirts Must Give Way.

'Bkirts Must Give Way.
"As regards the matter of costume"
said woman doctor of New York to a
Tribune reporter, II think the long
skirt is bound to, go. 1t looks out of
place on a bicycle and is certainly
much In. the way. The truth Of the
matter is that no costume which can be
devised is going to make women ap-
pear at their best, on a bicycle. The
very position that they assume and the
constant movement of the limbs up and
down prohibits graceful appearance.
The delight of the exercise, however,
more than compensates for any draw
back of this kind, and most wheel
women are willing enough to look even
awkward in order to enjoy the sport.
The impression seems to prevail that
for a woman bicyclist to decry skirts
is to proclaim herself unfeminine,
somewhat more immodest than her
conventional sisters. l say that such
is not the case. In my opinion, for
woman to ride in boomers. with a
skirt over them, which is constantly
blowing up and showing the bloomers
beneath, is far more indelicate than for
the boomers to be in evidence from the
start. The wearing of the skirt sug-
gests that there is something to con-
ceal, and where the bloomers are worn
1t is frank intimation that this -sder
recognizes the nature of her undertake
ing and has dressed herself appropri-
ately. AS regards the display of a
woman's ankle, do not see why it is
dore vulgar than to show her arms
and part Of her spinal column in even
ing dress. There would be nothing
vulgar in a woman's sitting with her
foot up If she had on a divided skirt
gathered at the knee, or even bloomers,
but when she has an ordinary flowing
skirt and elevates her foot ever SO little
the aspect is entirely different.
"One can see an illustration of this
subtle difference at any time in view
ing sculpture. There is a calm nobil-
ity, dignity, about the simple pose of
the undraped Venus that the figure
which stands in conscious, shrinking
attitude lacks altogether. 1t is the ad
mission that there is anything to con-
ceal which suggests vulgarity when the
drapery is by accident disarranged.
At the costume show in Madison
Square garden there were lay figures
dressed in cycling costumes in order to
show the various styles. Passers-by
invariably turned up the short skirt of
one of these images in order to exam
inc the unique leather binding on the
bottom. That short skirt was only a
lay figure, but there was vulgar sug-
gestion in its being lifted, which did
not pertain at all to the bloomer suits,
or even to those with knickerbockers
think If this public difference could
be made clear to the people there would
be less hue and cry made about bicycle
costumes. / do not think that woman
will ever resign her flowing skirts for
the drawing-room or the ordinary vo-
cations Of life, but when she goes out
to take part in active sports she should
dress appropriately. fail to see where
s~S AS-o ohAAt WI II WACn lAun6 VI
cycle conveys the idea of modesty. In
the first place, the motion of the limbs,
which 1t is intended to conceal, it |
shows much more plainly than the
boomers or full trousers. AS woman |
sits on a bicycle the plain front |
breadths of the skirt fit smoothly over
the knees: no other skirt is usually |
worn beneath it, and the. padding up |
and down Of the limbs looks anything |
but graceful. There are few accidents |
from long skirts; one seldom hears of |
any, but it is because the wearers are
extremely careful. A woman wearing
long street skirt on a bicycle looks
to me as much out of place as a yacht
ing suit would appear at a ball or
cycling costume at O reception"