The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-06-08
FORCE
CORSET REFORM
NARROW SKIRTS TABOOED
Queen Mary Will Not Allow Wo-
men in Narrow Skirts Attend
Coronation Ceremonies.

Paris, June "Details of Queen
Mary's war on tight skirts reach Paris
daily. Thus:
1.-THE leading London dressmakers
have been notified Of an official order
prohibiting any skirt in the royal en-
closure at Ascot that does not measure
two yards around the bottom"
And thus: .
"B By reason of the queens dislike of
eccentric fashions, and the kings order
that no hobbies are to be worn at court,
models of summer gowns in London
already average two yards hem.
Some gowns are being made three and
half yards in width round the feet
striking contrast with the ne-yard
extreme of Paris"
And so on.
Will Paris follow?
Can Queen Mary swing the styles?
Will the elegant women of Paris and
America bow and kiss the rod?
I FASTENED to the Rue Royale and
found the Klein herself just returned
from London. With her was young
beauty of the London annex. Both
were laughing all over their faces.
"Who will measure skirt bottoms at
Ascot?" | asked.
"a new Order of the Hem will be
created, answered madame, carrying
duties of trust and responsibility. Only
bald-headed men will be eligible. They
will be provided with silk tape meas
ures by the lord chancellor, with the
right to stop any lady and proceed to
verify ......'
"Who is launching the new mode?n
/ asked.
"The new society of the court, as it
is Called" said the fair specialist. alt
is of the same composition as the old
court of Queen Victoria--all elegant
women are excluded"
"Really?n
Absolutely. Queen Mary refuses
to receive divorced ladies, titled ladies
who were previously actresses, ladies
who have been near correspondents
and all ladies who are talked about.
This excludes nearly all the ultra-fash-
ionables. The society of King Ed
wards court is on the run, or, should
say, in hiding. 1t wants to forget that
it mixed with elegant and charming
figures like Lady de B, Lady B,
Mrs. w -, Mrs. V X, and all
the pleiad of delicious dresses who ac-
tually broke the record for elegance
during the last three years of good
King Edwards reign. Because of
them, elegance has become SIM"
"Who compose the society of the
new court ?" | asked.
"It is composed of femmes integrales |
or, / should say, Of femmes integres, of
whom the duchess of Portland is Gen.
sor. They are mostly women who can
not very well wear tight skirts-witness
Queen Mary herself, who has neither
the waist nor the lines to support the !
actual mode
"What are they going to wear?o |
asked. : "Who knows? They may
even get corset reform. That is all
right. They will spend all the more OH
dress when the elegance of simplicity |
no longer makes them despair !"
"Corset reform ?1
"Why not? 1t is convenient for wo-
men with bad figures
"And the elegantes are in hiding?"
l said.
Frightened by the queens decision
they are lying low. They hope TO slip
in later on, one by one, among the old |
aristocrats and military world compos-
ing the new court society. They will |
wear anything to attain it. London will
begin by wearing skirts three and q
half yards round the hem; and Paris
and NewYork will follow, by the force
of things. Take the Americans. They
all have the rage to be presented at
court. They will accept Queen Mary's
styles"
"One is not always at court," OBJ
jected.
Whether it be a ball or reception,
or what not, they must remain within |
the limits of the measure given. There
can not be two modes. IL goes by inn