Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-17

wo.nan's Contest WIN Muddy Pavomens
As Regulated by Fashions.

wonun's Contest WIN Muddy Pavcments
As Regulated by Fashions.
New York sun.
So apparently simple thing as hold
ing up the dress skirt in crossing
muddy pavement is regulated by
fashion. In the days of the great hoop
skirts, when every woman looked like
monster beehive walking about, the
proper way of avoiding the mud and
dust of the street was to raise the
skirt daintily about an inch, directly
in front, using both hands, and taking
the greatest care lest the space between
gown and pavement should be more
than an inch Our grandmothers tripped
daintily about in this way, with the
mincing gait that accompanied the
excessive modesty and fashions Of those
days.
When the long, heavily trimmed
princess gowns came into style new
way of keeping them out of the dust
was invented. 1t took women of great
physical strength to wear such clothes
rs were then in vogue, and lifting the
clumsy long trains was equal to an
ordinary days labor. The fashions OF
women's clothes 30 years ago have
probably never been equaled fol ugli-
ness and disregard of hygiene. Every
line Of grace in the figure was spoiled.
The waists were made short, the neck
was loaded with trimmings, and the
sleeves and bodices were covered with
ribbon or velvet bows, lace frills and
knife plaitings. The skirts and over.
skirts were simply masses of pulls and
plaitings, which extended also into the
trains, and the skirts were SO narrow
that it was a physical impossiblity to
take ,ull-sized step. The heavy
trains had to be lifted, however, and a
small apparatus called skirt litter
was invented to meet the emergency.
The skirt litter had two strong clasps,
and by hitching one end of 1t on the
dress skirt and the other to the train
the latter was raised from the ground
and the wearer could get along with
considerable decreased discomfort.
The skirt lifters were made in black
enamel, brass and silver. Silver ones
were thought very fine and Distinctive.
After few years this fashion was
modified, and when the skirts became
more rational the filters were aban-
doned. The skirts were then raised at
the side and brought toward the front.
In Ladies' Guide to Perfect De-
/
proper mode of procedure in the case
Of the lady and the muddy pavement;
"A lady," says the guide, should
| Then, carefully but lightly, she should
grasp q portion of her skirt we'll toward
| the back, elevate it modestly to a dis
lance of between one and one half
inches, draw it gracefully to the right
toward the front and trip daintily
across the street." 1t was altogether
grave and thoughtful occasion.
With the introduction of untrimmed
skirts, which were at first cut rather
long in the back, came the fashion
of holding them up directly in the
back, and the woman with the longest
and best developed arms was the most
/ successful in performing the feat. The
fashion was absurdly ungraceful. TIC
see woman clutching her skirts all in
a bunch and holding them up in the
peculiarly vicious manner of five years
ago created first impression that they
we're trying to get away from her and
she must hold them by main force.
The gay silk petticoats are no doubt
responsible for the present fashion Of
raising skirts. 1t is no longer ques.
tion of modesty or convenience. The
manner of getting your skirt out Of
the street depends entirely upon the
kind of petticoat you wear. If it is
new, bright colored and of silk, you
may prepare for stage turn in skirt
lifting, the object apparently being moi
TO let anybody say of your silk skirt
that it was born to blush unseen. The
usual method is to grasp both hand:
full of skirt from either side and Their
hold it laboriously. This has the effect
of making every woman look like &
washerwoman with her skirts tucked
around her waist wading about the
kitchen floor. If she wears jacket,
the effect is exaggerated.