Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-15
Mannish Girl Passing.

The most casual observer abroad this
past season on his. summer. outing must
have noticed the many signs indicative
of return of the feminine young woman,
says Harpers Bazaar. These signs are
scarcely to be misread. The mannish
girl,-mannish, that is, so far as he,
dress is concerned-is certainly passing
Severe tailor made costumes, entirely I'M
relieved, are no longer often in evidence,
and even the shirt waist which began on
very masculine lines is now, with its
blouse front and it's soft ribbon stock
with turn over hemstitched bands,
garment of such obvious concessions as
to remove it far from the male list. In
addition this has been distinctly fur
below year; f1ounces, frills and ribbons
have decorated gowns, and floating wells
and French heels have added to the
fashion plate effect of the summer girl.
More significant, however, than her
altered dress-which might be caprice
of the fashion merely-is woman's re-
vived interest in her appearance from a
truly traditional feminine standpoint. She
has discovered that going bareheaded in
the sun fades her hair and makes it
brittle, and this summer she has worn a
light tapping shade hat, not pretty or
artistic, indeed, but very useful. Her
bare brown arms, lean and muscular, i'll
which she has delighted in recent sum-
mers, rolling her bodice sleeves well up
above the elbow, that the arms could
be both displayed and kept in the proper
condition, have suddenly become an eye
sore to her. She has kept her sleeves snug
about the wrist, and has studied and
practised the alchemy of skin lotions
with skill and effect. Her care for her
complexion, too, has returned. One young
woman was actually seen on a horse
trotting along country road in the
dog days, her face shrouded in green
gauze veil, while, in further protection
she held with her free hand a small
carriage parasol over her face. 1t has
been noticed, too, that \ the manner OF
the summer girl has toned somewhat in
keeping with her revived feminine "trip
peries and ways. Ga
All of which is to besreceived with a
degree of satisfaction. Given a popular
trend, we Americans may be trusted to
develop it to the last stage of intolerance,
and it is this fate, towards which the
summer type girl has been hurryng.
The fine, strong, healthy, out door
young woman is delight to us all and to
herself. She is sane and normal, and has
an entirely rational care for the niceties
of her appearance and manners that is
lovely and admirable in all women. She
will stay without doubt and flourish. We
may well spare her unpleasant imita-
tion the girl of the tousled hair and
leathery skin, the strident voice and care
less speech, even if, to get rid Of her, we
must have another era of powder puffs
and Louis Quinze slippers. AZ
By the light of recent research, too,
the dancing girl, redivivus, may be glad
of her excursion into athletic fields
Some lately compiled statistics show that
an average dance, one 3of about IA to
16 waltzes, two steps and galops, takes
girl over fully Is miles Of, distance.
college prom with its 40 numbers and
dozen extras" can easily double this
stretch. N