The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-16
DON'T LIKE The SHORT SKIRT
IT'S ONLI ron MANS. SAY THE
~ ROPEAN HOWEN.
sanitar! Advantages OF the Garment Dis.
Misunderstanding Garments and
Friliy Clothes preferred--DangerOus
Lack OF sanitary Caution Abroad.

Lack OF sanitary Caution Abroad.
Berlin has Just awakened to the dangers
of the trailing skirt worn in the streets
by women" said the girl who had been
abroad Elm Prague and Brunn they have
brought out circulars imploring the women
TO do away with trains. In the little town
Of Troppen there Ia Il municipal ordinance
imposing fine upon women who wear trail
Ing skirts.
THE fashion of the short skirt for walk
ing has not become popular abroad. Dress-
makers and talors fight 1t. for gown
takes ~ much less material when made
with the short skirt, and IN therefore
less costly Foreign artists deride the
short skirt of the travelling American
girl, who IL 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 clinging skirts.
1t is the fad TO trail the skirt In the famous
church parade in Hyde Park on Sundays
this feature OF the women's dress Ia likely
to strike the American woman as being
particularly untidy, just as the sagging
bodice looks like careless dressing.
But it in the fashion, and the English
woman thinks the trig American Is too stin
about the corsage and the limbs, and laughs
at her.
"Of course London il a city OF hansoms,
and very few persons walk, except In the
shopping districts, while going from one
place to another Going home woman
will always take cab or an omnibus II
she hasn't her own carriage.
we hear a great deal about the English
woman's love OF exercise, and In the coun-
try undoubtedly she does lot OF walk
ing. But in London you never see lady
walking. except during the Hyde Park
parade on Sunday and on Bond and Regent
streets during the shopping hours.
-Eyen the made up skirts that yon buy
are fashioned TO sweep the earth; There
lie a popular rejudice in favor Of this style.
and II you ask to have a skirt made to clear
the ground it is regarded as an American
eccentTicity.
aThey seem to think that We wear those
short skirts to dinner and the opera, as
we'll az in the street, and, Of course the
travelling American woman is not likely
to dress 80 much because she does not wish
to cumber herself with baggage.
"Jn Paris one sees few OF tho short
skirts but not on the fashionable women
The working girls wear the ankle length skirt
and, owing to the pretty feet that French
women have, the short skirts are very
becoming to them. But during the hours
when the women OF IASnOH dDEOhut az
the modiste's in the Rue de la Pai1 and in
the restaurants, the trailing skirts are
generally worn.
1.-THE Continental women are even worse:
They regard the short skirt as intended
for maids ONLY Just az they look upon the
shirt waist and the linen COLLAR. which
only the American girl wears abroad.
But when one sees an American girl
enter a dining room for breakfast wearing
one Of those familiar washable garments nt
bly, dressed than her foreign sister in the
fllmy and frilly blouses which are affected
30 much.
to affect more perishable clothes and gayer
colors than the American, who at home
| is usually obliged to ride in street cars
Such clothes would be trampled and tom
would certainly be soiled. This La Q serious
matter to an American, for our cleaners
! and Overs charge outrageous prices In
comparison with those abroad, where dry
cleaning is done as oheaply as hne laundry
work. :.
"There is one enterprisng concern N
London which does nothing else but valet
for both men and women. 1t has shop
in all the districts and sends It's wagons
Clothes which are cleaned, brushed. pressed.
repaired and returned by the next morning.
when other things are taken.
1The prices charged are less than one
third those asked IN New York ano tne
Every one who has this sort OF work done
by the Broadway cleaners Is used 70 the
week or ten days which usually stretches
out to two or three weeks before the things
| are sent back
sBut, beyond this, the American woman
Ia too practical and too clean naturally
to care to wear garments which Will at once
become eoiled and bedraggled. She keeps
her fy, lacy things Tor parties, ana IN o one
views, In a dark and plainly cut gown ann
coat, a shirtwaist and a skirt which does
not trail and which shows pretty boots.
THE English girl on the cont Esay ia
hat brim to her feet she flaps and catches
the breeze. She goes In for fchus: indoors
and out, and winds dlmy shawls about her
! head in preference to hat when shs
tray els at night.
more picturesque. hut II ought to be N.
,nembered In considering the frilly styles OF
London that there Is much contagious
disease in the trains, the cabs and even ene
Nothing on the other side Of the Atlantic.
20 NV mind Is built with our practical com
ron sense view of the deadly microbe
For instance. the habit of the tea and lunch
con asket which Is purchased ai a. s to tSs
net etation. These baskets seem to b.
more desirable than "quiok luncheons at
stations, but really they are not 30. Unless
In each case the dishes and glasses are sub.
ice ted to rigid cleansing, there Is great
danger Of disease being transmitted with
| them. . =,
in America We hardly realize tho great
blessings we enjoy in running water and
sanitary plumbing. plenteous baths and
tiled walls and floors. Everything IN
America tepds to the humiliation OF dis
ease germs. In London no one who reads
the newspapers can help noticing the fire.
ouency OF announcements OF persons SUI
feripR from cancer and blood poisoning.
H. is quite possible that We have great
deal of these diseases in America, but We
do not constantly come across mention Of
them in the society columns, anyway.
Americans in London Joke about the
matter and advise against the use OF dishes
and glasses in strange places without close
scrutiny. But the truth ia that they can
not help recognizing the conditions which
exist in even the very best hotels where
the old fashions prevail
There are few suites OF rooms to be had
with baths In the others the chamber
maids M up the wash pitchers each day.
This will leave residue Of unused water
in the bottom OF the pitcher which may
stny there for weeks and weeks. And Tor