The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-16
FOR WOMEN RIDERS.

There is a habit that many wheel
women have which certainly does not
add to their grace, and is, perhaps, the
result of nervousness, and a con-
sciousness of short skirts. 1t is that
of seeming to arrange the skirts about
every one hundred feet. When a wo-
man is on a bicycle, and her skirts
properly made they will hang all right,
even though at times they may be
bl1wn a little out of plumb by the
wind. Most wheelwomen do this ar
ranging in an absent kind of way and
really do not help matters.
A leaning toward the short skirts
and golf stockings is characteristic of
the fair riders of the bicycle this sea-
son. While the bloomer costume seems
to be less in favor than in the early
part of last year it is still in sufficient
evidence to warrant the claim that it
is by no means dead. The skirt how
ever, has the call, and no matter
whether 1t be long or short, full or
narrow, in company with the golf
stockings it will constitute the up-to-
date and fashionable dress for lady
cyclists during the '97 season.
Ever since women took to cycling
the question of dress has been a trouble
some problem, and a couple of years
back most of the journals devoted to
fashions were filled with designs of
strange and wonderful garments said
to be particularly adapted to the pur-
poses of cycling. Why some of these
were never thought of it is hard to
guess. Why some of them were worn
more than once Is a problem that can
best be explained by those who owned
them. 1t was also predicted that
bloomers would be universally adopted,
and that diamond frame wheels were
likely to become popular. But the fair
sex soon settled the matter for them
selves. Boomers are stillworn, and so
are divided skirts, and some of the
other designs which were adopted in
the early days, but the great majority
stick to the short skirt, which has be-
come so popular and which seems de-
stined to remain. The invasion of the
territory of the skirt by cohorts of the
bloomers was one of the features of the
cycling record of 1895. The bloomer
has come to stay, and those conserva-
tive and sensible souls who fondly pre-
dict the utter route of the bloomers
squadrons next year are the victims
| of a fatuous delusion. There is ample
room for both sartorial devices. From a
| purely aesthetic standpoint the skirt
is beyond question preferable, and
there is a class of wheelwomen which
has no reasonable excuse for wearing
anything in the way of bifurcations.
This class is large one, and includes
| all of the wheelwomen whose moderate
| enthusiasm is fully satisfied with
| boulevard spins and short jaunts, and
never prompts them to extend trip or
| prolonged tour. With these triflers
within the possibilities of cycling the
| bloomer has no lot or part, So far,
| this class of wheelwomen is in the ma
| jority and the continual dominance of
the skirt is the natural consequence.
The neatest hat worn by the wheel
women is a lightweight felt of a
shade to match the dress. The shape
of the hat is on the sugarloaf pattern
| 1t Is natty and dressy, and 1t is not
| disturbed by a strong wind as some
hats and caps are.
The girl who would look neat on hel
bicycle had better purchase what IL
called face cloth for her suit. 1t is a