The Republican journal., 1904-04-07
Copyright. 1904, by Christine Terhune Herrick

The American woman has evolved
an outing costume that is far ahead OF
that worn by the women of any other
nation.
The Englishwoman is devoted to
sport, but in the joy of this she is SO
needless Of her appearance that her
dress is usually synonym for dowdl-
ness, The Frenchwoman cares COM
paratively little for outdoor sports,
but she INDUCES in them because one
must keep up with the times. Useful
ness of costume for such occasions she
sacrifices to beauty and sets out to
play golf and tennis in high heeled
shoes and unsuitable garb. But the
American girl goes at her outdoor pur-
suits in a business like manner which
makes sensible dress necessary and to
this adds touch of charm that gives
her costume style of its own.
There are very few lines of athletic
exercise and wholesome sport that are
closed to the girl and woman of today.
She cannot afford a suit for each one
of these and she must generally COM
premise on something that will serve
for all or nearly all of them. The main
was when fitted waist had to be
made to go with this, but even in
horse back riding now it is permissible
to wear a shirt waist and the chief
attention can be expended upon the
skirt.
If the girl is rational she will econ
omise in some other ways and 60 to
good tailor in search of the SKIRT. The
perfection of this will make or mar
her appearance and it is mistake to
save here in order to spend somewhere
else.
Let us consider, in the first place,
what kind of sports the girl is likely
to follow. She will bicycle, of course.
Some other outdoor occupations she
might not have the opportunity to at
tempt, but her wheel is something she
can find a chance to use almost any
where. So the first thing to consider
about the skirt is how it will answer
in bicycling. There was a story going
the rounds in the days when outdoor
life and roughing for young women
were just becoming popular OF girl
who went to her dresSmaker to give
her summer orders and insisted upon
having at least one costume that would
look we'll against rock. The girl OF
today, when getting up her outing
garments, must choose a skirt that
will look we'll on wheel.
Such skirt is made, unlined, of one
of the heavy materials that will hang
properly without the aid of stiffening
of any sort. There are several such
fabrics. Not so many double faced
goods are used as there were a season
or so ago, but the stuffs are no less at
tractive The length of the skirt is an
important item, especially If it is to be
used for something besides cycling. AS
general rule it is cut to come about
four inches from the ground. The round
skirt which was worn a good deal few
years ago has given way to the seven
gored skirt with an inverted plat at the
back, and special attention must be
paid to the fit over the hips. In fact
the cut of the skirt must be most care
tulIy upenntended. y blunder III this
Will make the skirt hang aWry and a
droop iii one part more than another will
spoil the Whole effect of the garment.
Such skirt as this, If properly made,
will serve for variety Of other uses
besides wheeling. 1t can be worn at
golf or at tennis or at basketball. 1t is
little short for ordinary street wear,
except i'll very rainy weather, but 1t is
just what one wants for long rough
walks or for boating. 1t is really very
llttiN 4V90 tlleoHililoulllS, eLdIi tiic Ulooui-
els OF knickerbockers in which the
French women take their spins in the
Bots and far less trouble than the over
long English skirts. Even the Ameri-
cans wear their outing skirts longer
than they used to do, but they are still
short enough to be comfortable on a
wheel or the links or the tennis court.
With the short skirt is worn the uni
yersal shirt waist. The material of this
is generally a matter of choice, but for
active sports there is nothing better
than light flannel, which permits of
ventilation and is yet warm. The close
ly woven linen waists are not the best,
although the cotton cheviots, which are
loose and still thick, answer almost as
we'll as the flannel. With either one of
these it is necessary to have some warm I,
outer garment to throw on when one is
overheated, and for this there is moth
ing better than the sweater.
Concerning the sweater one could say
many things and all of them laudatory.
Gone are the days when it meant an
ugly sort of shirt that a woman could
only put on by pulling it over her head,
thereby running her coiffure and max
ing it necessary for her to do her hair
over again. Now the sweater goes on like /
a jacket and the only ugly thing about |
1t is its name. 1t comes in both light |