The Washington times., 1904-11-20

Berlin has just awakened 10 the
dangers of the trailing skirt worn in
the streets BY women" said the girl
who had been abroad. In Prague and
Brunn they have brought out circulars
imploring the women to do away with
trains. In the little town Of Troppen
there is a municipal ordinance imposing
fine upon women who wear trailing
skirts.
THE fashion Of the short skirt for
walking has not become popular abroad
DTessmakeTs and tailOrs fight 1t, for a
gown takes SO much less material when
made with the short skirt. and is there
fore less costly. Foreign artists deride
the short skirt Of the travelling Ameri-
can girl. who IS at once picked out BY
this special style Of costume.
In London the short-skirted woman
looks odd because the prevailing fashion
Is for the longest and most elinging
skirts. II is the fad 10 trail the skirt
IN the famous church parade in Hyd.
Park on Sundays this feature Of the
women's dress is likely 10 strike the
American woman as being particularly
like careless dressing.
Trains Fashionable.
But ii is the fashion. and the English
woman thinks the trig American is too
stih about the corsage and limbs, and
laughs at her.
'Ot course. London is a city Of han
SONS. and very few persons walk ex-
cept In the shopping districts. while
going from one place 10 another. Going
home. a woman will always take a cab
nf an he hae IA
carriage.
We hear a great deal about the Eng
hsh woman love Of exercise. and Ia
the country undoubtedly she does a lot
OF walking. But IN London YOU never
see a lady walking. except during tn
Hyde Park parade on Sunday and on
Bond and Regent Streets during the
shopping hours.
buy are fashioned 70 sweep the earth
There IS popular prejudice in favor
or this style, ana II you ask 70 have
skirt made 10 clear the ground it IS re-
gaTded as an American eccentricity.
They seem 10 think that we wear
those short skirts 10 dinner and opera,
well as In the street. and Of course
the travelling American woman Is not
likely 10 dress so much because she
does not wish 20 cumber herself with
baggage.
Ankle Lengths in Paris.
"In Paris one sees a few OF the short
skirts. but not on the fashionable wO-
men. The working girls wear the ankle
length skirt. and. owing 10 the pretty
feet that French women have, the short
skirts are very. becoming 10 them. Bat
during the hours when the women Of
fashion are abroad. at the mOdiste's Ia
the Rue de la Paix and in the restau-
rants. the trailing skirts are generally
worn.
THE Continental women are even
worse. They regard the short skirt as
intended Tor maids only. just as they
look upon the shirt waist and the linen
collar, which only the American girls
wear abroad.
But when one sees an American girl
enter a dining room for breakfast wear
Ing one Of those familiar washable gar
meuts she looks far more sensibly and
suitably dressed than her foreign sister
In the hlmy and frilly blOuses which are
affected so much.
''It Is true that the cheap cabs in Paris
and IN London make IL possible for
woman 70 AFFECT more perishabIe clothes
and gayer colors than the American
who at home Is usually Obliged 10 ride
IN street cars. Such clothes would be
trampled and torn badly IN one Of our
crowded cars and would certainly be
soiled. This Is a serious matter 20 an
American, for our cleaners and Overs
charge OUTRAGEOUS prices In comparison
with those abroad. where dr. cleaning
Il done as cheaply as fue laundry work
Cheap Dyeing and Cleaning.
There IS one enterprising concern In
London which does nothing else bur
valet for both men and women. II has
shops In All the districts and sends its
wagons about daily, collecting its Gus
toners clothes. which are cleaned.
brushed, pressed, repaired and returned