The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22


tihe for some evidence OF the deadly m.
cbbe" to assert itself. Ever since the mr.
tch Of train found its way from the fash
jbn plates to the pavements. physicians
Aided and allotted by vigorously ssssriy
women. have been sermonixing about III
deadly diseases arising therefrom. DID eve
anybody read or hear tell Of q woman dyin,
or even being laid up from sklrt-b1ai,
microbes! Doctors can generally 6iagnos,
| patients case and find out Tow it all hap
pened, and the chances are that II In
blame could hEve ever one been laid Ct
the trained skirt, the world would hav'
been pretty sure to have heard about il
The complaints have been going on for &c
| Tong now that II 1eeems as IL the time had
come for them to stop. There is no coab'
labout the untidinees OF the train: the ex-
lpense Of il In the matter Of extra bra.ds:
its weight in the warm seasons OF the year,
and the manual labor it entails to keep II
clean, but the micro5e theory doesn't seem
70 work. The train skirt is all right when
It is worn as originally intended by thu
woman with q carriage. 1t only becomes
! ridiculous when it is seen on the lady who
hops II around for eight or ten hours day
- aCa OEiSC VA cAOp. Az 1OAhS sHAHAAiA b
minds it seems pity that the microb,
scare turned out to be a humbug--the kill
ing of such women would have been such
q sensible object lesson for the rest OF their
kind. Being only foolish, and NO. wicked
in their desire to prove themselves as
good as anybody" by wearing clothes not
adapted to their condition. they would In
all probability have gone to the good place.
and the example would have been such a
thing as we want 1t in this world, and the
work women, young and old, who drag
along in cheap trailing skirts must st II ex-
ist-as far IS microbes are concerned! 1T
often happens that really and truly sensi-
BILE woman falls into the error OF train,
but sooner or later-generally sooner-sees
the folly OF her ways. The first :,ing that
happens is frayed binding. Then comes
the wreck OF the facing. By and by the
dust cakes around the trailing inches.
Then she discovers that her petticoats te-
come grimy from contact with the dirty
facing every time she lifts her gown to
swish over puddle or an extra gathering
of dust. Then she gets mad. and the dress
maker has that skirt to make over and the
lesson is learned.
At recent visit to e certain store here
in this city the writer counted five girls
in the millinery department who had their
trained skirts pinned UP in ugly little
humps at their back. From early morning
until the closing hour they had to carry
their burdens of black, stuffy WOOL under
the impression, doubtless, that they were
strictly in style. Poor, foolish little
thingsi
1t is impossible to have the same moth
erly-like pity for the women who 60 to
the other extreme and wear such out
rageously short frocks on the street as
everybody sees every day. The middle
aged woman seems TO have the idea that
the shorter she wears her skirt the young
er she l0oks-and We all know how mis-
erably she is mistaken. The short SKIRT
is as dismal q failure in that respect as
the natty sailor. There is an unwritten
law that passe people should give wide
berth to the sailor-but how few women
have the sense to live up t.. it! In the
shops. on and Seventh Streets, down in
the market. and all over everywhere one
may come across the short-skirted. sailor
matted. middle-aged woman at any hour.
morning, noon, or night. Even the theatres
ana churches do not feaze her. And did
you ever. ever see her that she aid not
impress you with the conviction that she
considered herself the finest thing that
ever happened? There is one thing in her
justification. The freedom of her limbs
exhilarating-butd does not the woman who
simply wears skirts that clear the streets
enjoy the same effects? A certain woman
VINO succeeds to some extent in seeing her
sell as others see her wanted 10 buy q hat.
She wanted something simple for business
wear and the clerk brought out the ineyi-
table sailor. The buyer dismissed the
style with the explanation that she was
TOO old for 1t. There were two other |
women at the counter, both middle aged |
and both wearing sailors. The clerk was !
amazed at such reason. why. I've seen |
women old enough to be your mother 4
wearing sailors,' she insisted. IT have
seen them, too." remarked the business
woman, land that is the precise reason /
why 1 refuse
II was not nice thing to say before the I
'thers-brt what else could she do?
tram skirt is right in its place. and
50 is the short one-it is only she wearers
who are to blame
To skip from sermons to styles, the
Facnting costume seems to be of nara
nount Importance for "seas;ders'' Just
new. The blue and white fianneIs
With embroidered anchors are not the
eacing sensations this year as the
Attest lmportations are OF ocean green I'D
hi.h the skirt and natty little jacket. the
after embroidered in gold and opening
over blouse Of white tucked silk. rs
fo-n captivating little cap soft enough
o be fastened to the hair with a pi,.
me girl in a gale looks picturesque hold
ng her hat on. for posing purposes. but | {
here Is no use denying that she gets to
'e silly il her second trip at sea f,nds he,
10 better prepared than the first. II is
low considered amateurish to 20 YACHT I
ng In ribbons that flap and hats tina; bIou, a
the pillows, and the fashionable ,o;r, S
axes care not to be amateurish n She 7
an hep .sc-self-not she. \
Another seagoing little outfit is Of ivory t
annel. ankle long. trimmed with bands 1
gold braid The cutaway jacket shows I
oiouse OF the white arabesqued with 4
oau' anu tne small panama nat is banded i
'itn gold and fastened securely with a b
old bailed pin.
When guest is simply invited IN
inner on board she can wear the fullest
nd most beribboned sort OF dress he-
aney dictates. Instead of being a sailor Q
ne aims to look like naia6 One prettv 4
lorae al Narragansett wore Last week at
acn an entertainment ROBE of sea green h
lux null that fairly foamed over with
Thite chiffon
NOW and then dainty little nat IS seen q
n the deck of private steamer vh.sra
course. the most elaborate OF all yacht :
10 toiiets are displayed. The hat Is very
ossibly a white felt, trimmed with a blue
nd white scarf or Persian handkerchief
r it may be one of the smarter editions :
the trimmed sailor
Oxblood CinEharns.
There is taste for morning ginghams !.
J oxbleod and white fne checks this !.
immer. Sometimes you see the gor-
sous color combined with pale blue. Il :
extremely smart for morning dress !,