The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-23
FOR THE WOMEN.
Latest Freak Of an American
Fashion Writer.
Refers to Costumes for Woman
Who Do Own Walking.
TAN SHOES ARE BACK.
They Are Made on a Wide Last
With Cuban Heel.
Sailor Hat is Also to Return to
Favor.
TAN SHOES ARE BACK.

"A syndicate fashion writer whose
articles appear in half the Sunday
newspapers in the United States de-
seribed, in a recent disserts ton on wo-
mans dress. a gown suitable for '-wo-
man who does her own walking This
is certainly the limit Who, pray, would
do her walking If she didn't? Who
walks for the women who don't walk
for themselves? Is it customary in
polite society now for women to walk
for one another OF to have maids. or
that later fad in the way of per-
sonal, attendant. valet, to walk for
them? The theory that a woman's mis-
sion Is purely ornamental has long
been accepted in the Best Society, and
no one expects a really fashionable
woman to be useful, but it would seem
that they might at least walk for them
selves. especially as it would puzzle an
ordinary intellect to decide just how
they could manage otherwise At first
you half wonder If it may not be
typographical error, and if the woman
who does her own washing is not in
tended. but as the writer in question
never condescends to speak of any wo-
man who has a fortune under the seven
figure limit, this explanation must be
abandoned It is almost as bourgeois
in these days of maids and Wallets, the
masseuse, the beauty doctor. and the
Turkish bath attendant, for a woman to
wash her own face as it would be for
her to wash her husbands shirts. the
only laundry work permissible in po-
lite society being the washing of dirty
family linen which occurs regularly in
the divorce courts at the breaking up of
fashionable happy homes.
For years society won en- have had
their household duties performed. their
babies nursed, their children trained
them, aud now are we to believe that
their walking Is also to be done by
third person while the generous hus-
bands and fathers pay the price? Well,
ne len
easy to see Just how it is to be done,
but the authority is irreproachable and
unquestionable, and she speaks unmis-
takably of women who do their own
walking as though they were quite in
a class by themselves. The fact that
she deigns to mention them at all proves
that they are not yet socially anathema.
but doubtless it is only a question of
time when woman who does her own
walking will be as hopelessly ostracized
as one who buttons her own boots or
leeds her own dog.
Late fashion returns from the east
state that the sailor hat has returned to
favor. Hurrah, There was never any
thing to beat the sailor for summer
wear. Nothing so cool, so light, so chic
and so appropriate with tub gowns and
shirt waists. Time was, only a few
years ago. when no summer girls ward
robe was complete without sailor and
a girl would as soon wear dress hat
with her night gown as with simple
morning toilet. but for the past few sea-
sons outing hats have been more and
more elaborate and the sailor disappear
ed entirely. The ducks, feIts and Pana-
mas have had the best of it but all this
summer the sailor has been making in
sidious advances and now, late in the
season, its prominence is established.
Men who paid from so up for pseudo
panamas or the real thing now find
them passe and the low crowned, broad
trimmed sailor with narrow band is en-
joying fashionable favor. The shape
for women are the Same-lOw, broad.
with bands to match the costume and
they are especially pretty and becoming
with the Eirlish couture en- has.
Leather. especially suede, as an ac-
cessory to the strictly tailor made gown
is promised unusual popularity by the
wise ones for this fall
The new street skirt while not as
short as the walking or outing skirts
clears the ground swings easily just
touching all around. The outing skirts
will be about the same length next win
ter as last clearing the ground by not
more than two inches.
For visiting and reception toilets vel
vet threatens to have the lead Miroir
velvet almost as fine and pliable as