Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-08-11
WAR ON STOCKINGS
Russian Prima Donna Would
Have Women Go Barefoot.
Woman Is Greatly Hampered In Her
Physical development by Many
Unnecessary Articles Of
Clothing She Wears.

Boston.-Lydia Lipkowska, the Rus
sian songbird of the Boston opera
house has amplified her declaration
that stockings as an article OF con-
slant wear should be relegated to the
scrap heap. The fair prima donna de
clares woman is greatly hampered in
her physical development by the many
unnecessary articles of clothing she
Is called upon to use in her toilette.
Relaxation is known to be the
great cure-all for many human Ills"
she Says, but woman has still to learn
that her body and her muscles need
relaxation II she herself is to be physE
cally At.
Il do not know how you look upon
1t In America, but we in Russia are
rather more outspoken in such mat
tiers, and the discussion Of woman's
apparel is not considered an exclusive
matter for star chamber sessions.
Now stockings are necessity when
one is out walking, or visiting, or on
the stage, but worn constantly through
the day they are to my mind source
Of evil Give the legs a chance!
Don't hem them in as If they were
prisoners that are to be punished. Let
the blood circulate freely through the
veins! Put the stocking in the same
class with the corset-a necessity that
the sooner rid of the better for the
wearer.
when at home l confess that most
of the time I am stockingless. l have
high boots for the winter, trimmed
with fur, that offer real comfort and
which do not exact the penalty the
stockings do
Talk about ease and pleasure!
Women whose legs are encased in
stockings the whole day long know
not what real ease is. In the summer
let women 60 about barefooted!
"Oh, l do not mean when visitors
are around. That would be somewhat
shocking. But. as much as one posi-
bly, can without breaking any Of the
conventions, woman should go about
stockingless.
Just imagine 4 woman wearing her
gloves constantly! II mankind insists
that bare feet do not occupy the same
plane as bare hands, good and well,
but in the quietude and solitude Of
ones own boudoir woman wearing
stockings simply infiicts a punishment
upon herself, and the pity Of 1t is that
the punishment may be wholly unde.
served
81 do not pose as physical culture
expert, but common sense would teach
every woman that stockings may be
looked upon as an article of wear that,
constantly used. may become source
of harm.
Women, generally, wear too many
clothes Some Russian writer once
said that the average woman may be
likened to a huge volume with skirts
instead Of leaves. Is not that so in
many cases? Why do women wear
them? This must be classed among
the worlds unanswerable questions. A
womans ACKNOWLEDGEMENT be
the best answer.
81 am not an advocate of mannish-
ness in dress; quite the contrary. I
admire pretty gowns and would like
to see every woman dressed in exqui-
site style. But why should superfu-
Gus clothes be considered an essential
of womanliness?"
Nine. Lipkowska is an ardent sui.
fragist, and her ideas on the subject
of woman's equal rights are as strik.
ing as her own personality.
Woman is mans successful COM
potitor in nearly every walk Of life:
49, 49, I'VE her of any rights
$1,000 enjoys?" she queries.