The Portland daily press., 1895-08-06
DESIGNER OF BICYCLE SUITS.
A Young Chicago Woman Who Finds a
New Business.

A Young Chicago Woman Who Finds a
New Business.
She Tells Fair Bicycle Riders the Kind of
Clothes They Ought to Wear and Says
Bloomers Will Soon Be the Street Cos
tune.
Chicago, Aug, IA clever little
i woman on the west side is proving her
SELF oenefactress of woman-kind and is,
at the same time, earning good living
Her name is Helen Waters. She designs
bicycle costumes for women.
Mrs. Waters is a young woman with big
brown eyes and a ''wide. kind smile. -
She is extremely brisk and energetic,
proper garb for women to ride. She is a
member of the Illinois Cycling Club and
is a skillful and rapid rider, although she
does not aspire to record breaking honors
When asked by a representative sof the
Times Herald how she happened to en-
gage in the business of designing cos
tunes, She smiled and said: 'I just
drifted into it. Last summer I wore skirts
and was constantly meeting with acci-
dents or finding myself in embarrassing
positions on account of them. I hesltated
about wearing bloomers, they were so
hldeous, but rather than give up riding
decided to purchase suit. Those
| fond in the shops did not suit me, SO I
pought some cloth and took it to my
dressmaker, explaining to her my idea of
| a costume. The result was far from salts
| factory, and in despair 1 took myself to a
| mans tailor and told him exactly what
l wanted. When the suit came home 1
was delighted with it, as in it were COM
bined comfort, beauty and modesty. You
notice that l put my comfort first. That
was the first requisite of my ideal COS
ume, but / was determined that it should
not be obtained at the expense of the
other two.
II received many compliments on the
| beauty of my new costume and of course,
felt highly fiattered One after another
| of my friends requested me to design cos
umes especially for them, and 1 did so
willingly. Finally man asked me how
much 1 would charge to design dress
| for his wife, saying that the costume she
was then wearing was an eyesore to him.
Joklngly named sum and thought no
more about it. The next day he brought
woman, and was wearing a coat that
come little below the waist line, full
sleeves and a pair of those bunched-up-in
the-b -bloOmers. took pity on her and
suggested one of two costumes. One was
a three-quarters length coat, single
breasted with the Norfolk jacket effect.
Know what 1 mean? But the plaits must
be narrow; say about one inch wide. This
was to be belted in at the waist and worn
with full bloomerS.
''The second suggested was straight
box back, three button, single breasted
cutaway coat with round corners and
medium sized sleeves, full boomers and
the costume She adopted the latter and
looked very well in the suit. Her hus-
band was greatly pleased and insisted on
my accepting a compensation. From
that time became designing woman
If you could only see some of the women
that came to me. "
AS if in answer to her WISH tall,
angular female of uncertain age came in.
You design bicycle costumes for
ladies?' (This with decided accent ON
the last word) "I do.'
'SNow can you get me up costume
that is really modest; something that I
could wear without making myself a
laughing stock.
"Certainly I can. How would some
thing like this do?" And she showed her
the sketch of costume. 1t consists of
a Tuxedo coat, double-breasted, full
sleeves, and boomers coming just below
the knees, met with leggings. This,
made up in dark brown broadcloth.
would be becoming. If you do not like
would do nicely.
80, could'n MT think of wearing any
thing of that sort 1t is positively bold
and immodest 1.-THE thin woman faltered
out. 'tNow, had an idea that I would
like my bloomers to come to the ankle.
Could mt you fix me something like
regular waist with, of course, ruff1e or
hips?"
90 I am sorry, madame, bnt could not
design anything of that sort that would
give you satisfaction, said Mrs. Waters,
decidedly. And the thin woman departed.
"Deliver me from these women with
ideas of their ownp' was Mrs. Waters ex-
PLANTATION, as she watched the vanishing
figure.
"Now do you understand why I say
that designing bicycle costumes is a
serious matter? That woman is an ex-
ception of course. The majority of them
place themselves absolutely in my hands,
/ study the figure, the hair and complex
ion and endeavor to make the costume
suit all three. I have been successful in
the business and this attribute solely to
the fact that each costume is designed
especially for the woman who is to wear
it. OF course there is little variety in
styles, but there are many little finish
ing touches which help to rmake cos
tune distinctive and -particually appro-
plate to different individuals
APPROPRIATE HEAD AND FOOT
GEAR.
"I am careful to impress on my patrons
the Importance Of appropriate head gear
and footwear In my estimation they are
nearly as important as the cut and color
of the costume itself. If I knew that
woman was going to wear much trim
med hat with one of my costumes would
never again design suit for her. 1t
seems to me that sensible woman would
see the incongruity existing between a
Dutch bonnet, and a bloomer suit. Who
would dream of appearing on horseback
in a tai1or-made habit tOpDed off with a