The San Francisco call., 1909-02-23
HOUR GLASS FIGURE
AGAIN TO RULE
IN FAJfHION
San FranciseoWomen Express
Themselves AS Favoring
Moderation in
Styles

n RING forth the cod liver oil and
! the matted milk and suppress the
report that the potato crop is a
failure. 1t is time for fashionable
women to be plump again. 1t seems
almost too bad that the efforts of the
last year or two-the fasting and roll
ing and running and kicking and all
the other means of losing flesh-pro-
! duced effects Of such brief benefit
However. costumers in Paris and Lon
| don, according to the latest reports.
! have decided that the feminine form
must have curves once more. Smaller
waists and therefore increased proper
| tions elsewhere are to be the correct
| thing. No more directoire modes are
to come across the seas and we are to
have the "hourglass" figure among us.
Almost Immediately, the wires say, We
are to have general fuffing out of
skirts. So frilly petticoats and all the
lacy embroidered lingerie that has been
sternly denied the directoire girl-and
still more strenly the directoire ma
tron-will appear again.
Full skirts will be seen in the sum-
mer gowns-perhaps with ruffies on
the hem; and what do you suppose are
threatened? Panniers punched around
the hips Speaking of hips, their evo-
luton will be interesting. At present
| the corsets of the smartly gowned
woman bring her hipline from four to
oil
and flatten out any superauous flesh
there; but how quickly could one raise
these lines? Rome, we are told, was
not built in day, and it is probably
the same with hips San Franciscans
know. however, that temporary struc-
lures are possible and feather weight
aids to the hipless will be seen, doubt
| less, in shop windows before the end of
the year.
San Francisco women have expressed
themselves in a variety of ways re-
garding the proposed change-some are
frankly delighted while other regret
the departure of the straight up and
down type of costume, and these opin-
ions, it may be said. seem to depend
not at all upon the avoirdupois of the
speaker.
A few of the interviews gained
follow:
Mrs. John McMullin said IT think
the styles now are very graceful il
not carried to an extreme, but 1 must
say that 1 think some OF the gowns
worn at the present time are really
very indelicate.
They make all the women look Just
alike. too, and the new fashions will
give opportunities for more individu-
ality in the matter of dress than exist
now. L do like the decided simplicity
for young girls and 1 think the dresses
now are beautiful for them if they
are not extreme. Very elaborate
dresses are more suitable for matrons
and 1 shall be glad when the change
comes, although I don't think 1 could
ever like panniers."
Mrs. Clinton E. Worden said: II do
not care at all for the fashion of dress
now, although do not mind modified
form of it. 1t is becoming to the few
est number of people-in fact, think
1t is most unbecoming, and almost any
change would be for the better. 1 like
smaller waists much better. 1 hope the
new fashions will not be carried too
far, however, as 1 do not think any ex-
tremes are pretty
Mrs. Eleanor Martin thinks things
will right themselves and expressed
ions are beginning to moderate now,
and nothing is so.~extreme as it was
early in the winter. 1 do not see any
use for any radical changes myself. and
believe that we are in danger, from
these reports of getting back to ruffies
and hoops and long pointed waists.
Those are ridiculous and exaggerated
and I do not think they are pretty at
all. I like the plain skirts, which pre-
vail now, only I think they would look
better if there was more fullness in the
back. This is just my personal opinion
1t is too bad when any style becomes
exaggerated, because it creates change
of course. My last Paris gowns are
very pretty and not at all ultra in any
way. like the long sleeves they wear
now. although I liked the elbow sleeves
quite as we'll. l think these things will
all right themselves, however,
Mrs. Joseph A. Chanslor said: "The
present styles I like very much If they
are not carried to extremes. I am very
fond OF. long, soft, clinging lines and
that sort of thing; they are so graceful
The gowns that some people have been
wearing recently, however. are not very
pleasing. Every one is trying to look
too slim. and they. are wearing their
clothes too awfully tight. think they
will fix it all on the other side. how
ever, and there is nothing for us out
here to do but to follow. All they seem
to think of over there is charging the
clothes so that more money has to be
spent, but we always do it,"
Mrs. Charles krauthoff had this TO
say: Personally 1 do not care much
for the directoire style, but although
am not fond of it T think the extremes
of any other would be as bad. PAN
nfers? Oh. dreadful Perhaps I'm hard
to please. but am thankful that I will
be in the Philippines before we COVE