The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-25
GET A SHORT SKIRT
WOMEN ARE ADVISED TO WEAR
THE RAINY-DAY COSTUME
A Man Was Shocked When He Saw
Women Drag Their Skirts Through
Mud and Water LII Is No Longer
Fashionable to Wear Long Skirts on
the Street.


This is the sort of weather when
every woman who has not short skirt
should sally forth IN quest of one. II
this is not possible, by all means take
an old skirt and. cut it off around the
bottom for the street. The sights one
sees these muddy days make one Won
der whether women are as sensible as
we want to think them. Look out OF
your window almost any day and you
will see some woman wtping up the
muddy walks with a yard or two OF
cloth and silk and if she picks up her
skirt she will still trail long petit
coat Of course there has been an I'M
rnense Improvement in this matter
during the last ten years, brought
about mainly by the bicycle craze, for
which women had to wear short skirts,
and ever since it has been the correct
thing to wear skirts that do not touch
on the street; but there is room for
Improvement yet A man who is OBJ
serving gave the writer the text Tor
this preachment. He said the other
day, when the mud was so bad that
even the street car steps were In
dreadful condition, he came down in
Selby avenue car and watched the
women getting out. At one corner fif-
teen women descended and he counted
but two out of that fifteen who lifted
their skirts when going down the mud
dy steps. Thirteen of them swept their
skirts over the wet and muddy steps,
wiping them clean Of the dirt, and this
man sat and wondered. He said there
was no excuse for them; it was I'M
possible for them not to, see the condi-
ton of the steps, and yet they did not
raise their skirts over the mud. The
condition of such woman's skirt after
returning home from a shopping expe-
dition in this weather is not pleasant
to think about
Once in a while something that is
sensible becomes a fad and all women
who follow it get the credit for wisdom
when they are merely in fashion. Now,
happily, it is the fashion of the day to
wear short skirts on the street; by
short is meant not touching, for the
short skirt worn few years ago for
bicycle riding are now considered vul-
gar and are seldom seen. 1t is no
longer considered good form to wear
sweeping trains down town. Indeed,
long dresses are now used for carriage
wear and calling, for teas and dress
occasions, but street dresses are made
short Some very elegant costumes,
good enough for any occasion, come
now with short skirts.
Some women will say that they can
not afford to have several kinds of
skirts. some for the street and others
for calling; but there are few women
who, if they do not want to buy new
one, cannot make over an old skirt for
the street But, as for that, with So
one can buy an odd skirt, ready made,
that is short and just the proper thing
for down town wear.
The writer felt a personal mortifl-
cation when the man mentioned above
spoke of his surprise at the lack Of de-
cency-for that is what it is-shown
by the women who dragged their skirts
through the mud of the car steps. One
would suppose that for the comfort
of the thing itself women would like
to be relieved of the burden of carrying
their skirts in their hands, When the
rainy weather comes, which we must
expect now, it is hard on women If
the wind blows and they have on a
long skirt, two hands are quite made
Quate for holding an umbrella, lifting
the skirt and carrying parcels and
handbag. Men have none of these
troubles, but then they have but few
troubles Of any kind.
Get out your short skirts, girls, and
show the masculine contingent that
you can be sensible.