New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-27
The Gorb of Beauty
Shall 1t Be Divided or Enthusiastically Seers
and Wise Men Discuss the Question.


/ II women go into trousers they must
( improve upon, certainly not retrograde
/ from. the loneliness OF the present mode:
and believe from a consideration OF GER
/ tain pictures I have seen, that such es
thetic trousers are possible. II the health
| OF the soul no less than OF the body is
kept in mind, ] am sure that the poets will
I worship and sing OF the future trousered
woman no less than % her ancestresses in
, all garb from that OF Eve 70 that OF the
most modish miss on Fifth avenue to-day.
! The poet refused 20 state whether his
next volume is TO contain an ode 70 Ny
Lady in the Purple Trousers.
The painter-Robert Henri-leaned upon
! his mahlstiok and thus bespake:
A woman should wear the costume that
I best reveals and accentuates her graces,
/ and al the same time interferes as little as
/ possible with her physical action. As to
the question Of immodesty. dress is neither
/ modest nor immodest. Either one or the
( other rests with the individual"
( Herein we learn just why men encourage
| silly styles:
! Whatever the pretty girl wears IS
| right said John Butler Yeats painter
J father Of a poet son-William Butler
]
women in the preposterous crinolne looked
/ lovely 70 me. Taste has nothing 10 do with
/ it and good sense has nothing 70 do with
H. In fact, good sense may well prove
I ruinous TO a style recall when the Greek
mode came in. In the way Of good sense
and good taste il seemed everything de-
! sirable, but Il failed az once. II so hap
pened that the energetic pioneer woman
erfr1
would have nothing 70 do with il. This
| former type the world over is the least
attractive. because she is in the habit Of
relying on the power Of energy rather than
the power of pleasing The woman who
processes to be guided entirely by reason
| is modelling herself after a man and isn't
woman al all
NO, l shall wait 10 see what the pretty
girl is going to 90 before condemning or
! condoning any style And lust why the
pretty girl adopts this or that style will
never be solved until we come to under
! stand that mystery-a woman's mind. But
I don't believe this fashion OF trousers has
chance. It's a foolhardy kind Of thing
| though claiming 10 be so absolutely ra-
| tonal and scientific. I'm sure the pretty
girl, who is at heart gentle and pesceloving.
will revolt from IT, while the energetic
woman, with her straight brows and fierce
eyes and powerful mind will pugna ciously
take it up.
I'D hate 10 see the train 20. and hope
it won't. woman's dress is always half re-
vealing, half concealing-that is its charm.
Now. this trousers business. at one blow. is
rid Of all concealment. ones conception Of
woman is always that Of a creature in
fight. Man is the hunter Woman who
ia her dress is like the deer, seen now in
the open. now under cover inspires in the
hunter the energy Of pursuit That is the
part dress plays in the art of Irritation.
Why give it all up?"
Last OF all the dressmaker must have
her say.
What, Trousers" exclaimed the high
/. priestess OF the trailing skirt as IL is pro-
dCced by Louise & co. Fifth avenue.
Trousers" She was Mortified Il know
Of nothing more ugly, Why go back sew
eral hundred years and even the men didn't
wear them. No indeed Women will not
wear what makes them ugly. They might
do for women who 20 in for women's rights
and don't care how they look But most
women like TO be pretty and want the
Z lngs that make them look so. The harem
skirt failed because it didn't do that Be
sides, IL had all the disadvantages OF a
skirt and none Of the virtues OF trousers
OF course. for business the costume must
be more simple, modified"
Here for the first time a possibility was
glImpsed 'Knickerbockers," she nro-
nounced Eyes, that could be done. and
might be rather cute-for some. But.
hygienic! economical. sensible! Bah, When
does woman think OF these things?
And the skirt-1o you know OF ANYTHING
more charming in all its phases of tender
frilliness or brocaded pomp? Look at
these" Madame exhibited some photos Of
lovely dead ladies. enormously panniered.
as they hung on the walls Of the palace Of
Versailles. How. l ask you, would these
grandes danes have looked-in trousers?
No I'm afraid not" Madame now had
her mind quite firmly made up ASK any
woman under seventy and she will say
No."