Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-02-18
70 DON Short Skirts.
AZZANA.

March l will mark an epoch in wo-
mans dress in Baltimore. On that date
will go into effect resolution by the
members of the Rainy Day Club to wear
short skirts for walking in stormy
weather.
ITO shorten skirts and to spread the
gospel of cleanliness" is the motto of the
club, which had its inception in the
health committee of the United Women
of Maryland. When n definite work for
this committee was under discussion Mrs
John s. Cuttings suggested the Rainy
Day Club
Her suggestion instantly met with ia
vor, for although only one member Of
the committee was bicycle rider, the
other members of the committee had
been close observers of their sister who
rode. They thought the bicycle was only
an excuse for shortened skirts, and they
recognized the utility and cleanliness of
such costumes Us were worn awheel.
As a result of these influences a num-
Der of ladies responded yesterday to a
call for a general meeting at the home of
Mrs. III. J. Berkeley, 1903 Park avenue,
where the new organization was formally
instituted.
Miss Z. G. McIlvain explained to the
ladies the wisdom of wearing shortened
skirts. She said wet dresses were
known source of colds and other mala-
dies and dilated upon the comport of
escape from such discomforts by adopt
ing the short skirt.
Doctors agree" she said, that wet
and bedraggled skirts are prolific source
for microbes of disease and drag these
germs from the streets into houses.
When we go into our own homes we
may take of the wet skirts, but how diff
ferent it is when we go to friends
house and have to sit with the wet skirts
on and run the risk of taking cold.
Rainy days are stipulated in the
pledge as the days when short skirts are
to be worn, because those are the days
when we most feel the discomfort of long
dresses. We have no desire to appear
eccentric, bat adopt this wet-weather
costume merely as a sanitary measure
and with the hope that the example thus
set by the members of the club may be
followed generally by the women of Bal
timOre, who will readily recognize the
advantages and convenience of such a
costume.
THE pledge calls for the adoption of
the shortened skirts only for walking or
for shopping. If calls are to be made,
or but a short distance is to be travelled
to friends house, the members will not
be required to don the shortened skirts.
However, they will no doubt soon be
glad to wear the costume whenever they
do any walking, and in this way we hope
to stimulate interest in that exercise"
The members decided that the rainy
day skirt shall be not more than six
inches from the ground and not less than
i've inches from the ground. The details
of the costume are to be left to the in
dividual tastes of the wearers.
In order to give the members time to
arrange their costumes and also that ad
iitional members may be induced to join
the ranks the club decided not to sally
forth in shortened skirts until the first
rainy day after March first. Some of
the ladies were averse to first appearing
in public in shortened skirts until after
dark in order not to attract attention,
but it was determined that strength lay
in numbers, and the first rainy day in
March will witness in Baltimore the
adoption by a considerable number of
ladies of a sensible walking costume
San.