The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01

Special Correspondence to the Globe.

NEW YORK, July 31.-The bicycle
has produced a brand-new fad. 1t looks
las If the man who said the bicycle was
the greatest fad producer that ever was
invented was right. This time it is
Dress. and hereafter the cyclist who
wishes to be thoroughly up to date
must have a costume for morning, an
other for afternoon and still another
for evening.
This is the decree of fashion and
fashions DEGREES are generally obeyed.
OF course, the people with money to
spend on bicycle clothes will have the
most costly wardrobeS, and turning to
the other extreme, the persons TO
whom the bicycle is a luxury, will be
apt now to turn their backs on fashion.
Think Of a bicycle rider in claw
hammer coat if to be a man, or with
a train wrapped around the frame
of her wheel if she be a woman. Can
anything seem more homogeneous?
However, that is exactly what is hap
pening today and what is going to hap
pen. Net only that, but people who
ride wheels are very apt to be
invited to full dress bicycle parties.
The first of the costumes is fairly
well adapted to the wheel and it con-
slsts largely of the same attire worn
by male and female riders everywhere
The striking change is apparent in the
afternoon and evening costumes. For
material in the morning the men wear
the same tWeeds and cheviots which
have been high in favor for so long.
while bicycle girls costumes for morn
ing are of serge, covert cloth and such
tPriOlG
mon for bicycle costumes. In the
afternoon, under the new regime, the
male bicycle rider should wear a cut
away coat of either three or four
buttons and a pair of light colored
trousers. y standing collar and
tour-in-hand tie must be worn whether
the rider is wearing a neglige or the
ordinary white shirt.
For the lady's afternoon costume,
Watered silk, crepe du chine, the ever
present poplin, and MORE velour are
desirable. There is no absolutely iron
clad regulation in regard to this. The
usual materials which would be utilized
by ladies for afternoon dresses are all
considered apropOS to the wheel The
sailor hat and the tOque will generally
be tabOOed. Every lady who rides a
wheel now should have a hat that is
not a flower garden, but more resem-
bles an aviaTy through the bird or
birds which it has been decreed should
perch upon it.
The evening costume is the strangest
OF the Whole. If one would be exceed
ingly proper, then the train should be
worn, or, rather, the demi-train. In
some instances it is decreed that the
costume should be decollette with
elbow sleeves, the hands and the lower
portions of the arms being covered
with gloves of channels skin. The dress
should be cut in any of the prevailing
modes. and as strict attention must
be paid to the general appearance as
If the Wearer We're merely to step from
her carriage TO the walk and thence
into the opera house. instead of having
to ride a wheel to her destination.
Imagine a bicycle girl in decollette
costume and white kid shoes scorchinS
along on her wheel. 1t is hard to think
of any method by which society and
athletics could be more thoroughly
mixed.
There is a decided something about
each of the costumes that impresses
one with the fact that it has been made
for a bicycle rider. To be sure the
fashions for ordinary social costumes
are followed in great measure, but there
Is just enough of the bicycle cut there
to to give the observer the impression
that is desired. 1t is hard, Of course,
to think Of bicycle rider wearing any
thing in the nature of conventional
society attire when riding on the wheel
but. at the same time, the combination
Is so cleVerly executed that one can
but admire the ingenuity which has
brought it all about.
The idea was originated in New York
city, by a member of one of the best
known bicycle clubs It came in his
ind 1cylo linn oh hn oh
tons made to persons appearing at
various places in ordinary bicycle at
tire. This clubman's wife is an expert
Wheelwonan, and the two thought the
matter over with exceeding care, the
result being the suggestion which later
on developed into what has become the
newest bicycle fad. The idea was first
spoken Of at a meeting of the club, to
which the cyclist and his wife be-
longed To them, therefore, is due the
credit Of the whole evolution. The club,
of which they are members. was the
first to eXemplify the idea. and it was
SO odd that it won popularity by it's
very novelty. .,
The trousers Of the men. were so con-
structed that they could be folded
about the leg and strapped without
in the le9S' spelling their set or
smoothnes hen the strap was re-
moved. The only difficulty was the
tdllS OF Inc - Wnan1QeF coat, DuL that
evil was renledied with a hook and
eye, the hook being attached at the
end OF each of the tails and the eye
fastened to the inside of the coat at
just about the point where the tail
joins the body. Thus the tails could be
hooked UP. A crush hat was worn
by the men that could be so elevate
that it resembled a half derby and
silk hat, odd enough in appearances
but not so odd as a full-sized silk
hat would be. The riders presented
a somewhat curious appearance. to be
sure, but strange bicycle rigs are sc
common nowadays that they attract
comparatively little notice.
The bicycle girl has the hardest time
of it all. for when her dress comes
below a certain length, there is always
trouble, through catching in the wheel
The pedals, or something of that sort
So the clever bicycle woman, who is
the wife of the originator of the idea
conceived the plan of strapping the
skirt to the frame of the wheel in sucI
z fashion that the petticOat was left
free 50 that If for any reason it was
necessary to alight there would be
nc exhibition of anatomy and it would
not be necessary to unstrap the dress
although the rider would be Obliged
to trundle her wheel along in a rather
Stilted manner.
The other evening a company, COM
posed of members of the club referred
to, were invited to a dress reception
at the home Of the president of the
club. All the men wore dress suits
and all the ladies were in full evening
attire, several Of @;--fe9 wearing dresses
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