Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-26
ON SHIRT WAIST SUNDAY.
Great Was the Sailor Hat and silk
Waist Parade TIL threatening
Skies Dispersed II.
Prom the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
Thrice a year the East side arrays and
| adOrns itself with great particularly and
goes forth upon promenade 10 snow its
| style. New Years day is one of these oc-
casions. The second is Easter. when Grand
| street and Second avenue, the main prom
| enades, are two bowers of spring bOnnets
and new fnery. The third day is without
specific date. 1t is the display of summer
| styles, and might be fifty termed shirt
waist day." Usually it comes on the last
Sunday in May or, If weather forblds, on
common consent II was celebrated yester-
day, and mighty was the parade during the
entire afternoon of shirt wasted and sailor
In anticipation of the event the big
stores on Grand street have been Tor TWO
weeks advertising bargains in summer
waists and straw hats, and the intending
purchasers have been spending their even
ings comparing the exhibits of the show
windows and their earnings in the selection
of that outfit which most appealed 10 them.
Once bought, the hat and waist are put
away with the secrecy, characteristic OF
Christmas gifts, and, though the Whole
| tenement knows that Ellen Mcclure, OF the
third floor front, has a new silk waist, said
to be of an amazingly beautiful plaid, and
TO have cost no less than $40, none of Miss
McGuire's ~neighbOrs or friends would ven
ture to ask to see ii or even inquire as 10
pattern or price, for etiquette provides that
the new apparel shall come forth to the
light of the day of parade in all the SPLEEN
dor of novelty. Hence there rs a WdEHDy
when the exhibition opens.
1t was fairly under way by 3 O'Clock IN
the lower part of Second avenue. Grand
street is all very well for a winter or
spring promenade, but when II comes sum
mer the wider thoroughfare, with its
hedgy, open air cafes. is more suitable.
Therefore Grand street was quite deserted
and Second avenue crowded At every cor
ner there were little groups of girls chat
tering of clothes-always Of clOthes-and
taking stock of other girls passing by. One
heard from these groups bits of converse
ton something in this order:
That's a swell sailor OF yours, Ceha-
Did it come from Milliner's ow?
Indeed it didn't. 1 went all through
the uptown stores for this"
"Cely's gittin' awful swell; but she got
that shirt waist for 70 cents at the bar
gain counter"
We'll, if 1 did. Miss smarty: it fits me,
an that's more'n yours does"
"Oh, girls, look at this comm In green
and white. Did you ever!"
That's one of them bargain things, too"
sadie Rosenthals got a dead elegant
silk shirt waist" said the girl with the up
town sailor hat. and it didn't cost her
much either. She saw one in a Twenty
third street window and they wanted Si
for II. Sadie got some silk like 1t and
had one made up and it didn't cost her only
eight dollars and a half. She's smart"
There's a style about them uptown shirt
waists" sighed a little girl whose hat was
obviously a last years resurrection. and
contrasted sharply with the exceeding
starchy newnesS of her waist and necktie.
You can get 'em made up quite as
swell"
Mamie Sweeney got some awful tasty
stocks for 81 cents apiece the other day.
remarked a third. She wouldn't tell where
she got EN-. either"
Let's not stand here any longer, girls.
I'm going up to the square. C'mon."
Then the group would move on and
presently merge with another group on the
next corner. There seemed to be a small
proportion of the male element in the
promenade. perhaps due to the fact that
men never rush the season In the mat
ter Of dress as women do. Two or three
pioneers appeared in straw hats, but they
were made the objects of comment on all
sides and suffered occasional guying One
youth actually had the temerity to appear
in white duck trousers. to the glee Of the
bicyclists. who hailed him enthusiastically.
"Ah, there, White Wings!"
Where's your badger"
Does Colonel waring know you're out?"
Give 'em a chase. Gully. This amt the
Fourth o. July"
After fifteen minutes of this the youth
gave up the fight and retired. All the side |
walk cafes were filed with spectators, who
sat and slipped coffee or other drinks, while
they watched the parade. Late in the aft
ernoon the sky clouded over and a chill
wind blew up.
It's kind OF c-c-cold yet for s-s-summer
d-d-d-dresses," was the generally expressed
opinion. and the parade soon thinned out,
for the shirt waist and straw hat bloom
only in the warm sunlight On the whole,
however, II was a good Shirt Waist day
and the East side girl having seen In the
forecast what styles will be most effective
this summer Is now in a position to go
ahead and make her collection OF apparel
intelligently.