Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-14
TRoUSERETTE SKIRTS.
Looks Like They Will Supplant the
HobbIe In New York.

HobbIe In New York.
It's coming, definitely and finally. 1t
may not be as sweet and girlish as the
hoops and pantalettes our mothers
used to wear, nor as demure as the
much -maligned hobble; it may not
permit all figures to look like the pic
lures in the book, it may not be modest
though nobody knows why; it may
set men smiling and women weeping
and dressmakers crazy; clubs and as
sociations may rave against it, preach
ers may preach against it-but still
it's coming.
This may be taken as the first Off
cial and definite announcement of the
impending reign Of the harem skirt.
Modistes, seamstresses and other
fashion authorities have been discuss
ing it now for several months, almost
every one Of them afraid to give an
opinion about the coming sway Of the
new garment for fear of losing hard
earned reputation should the guess be
wrong. So the American public has
been living in q sort Of suspense,
waiting for the verdict. Femininity
has been interested because 1t wants to
know what it is going to look like in
a mirror for the next year or so. The
male proportion Of the population has
been impelled by ordinary curiosity
and by the mere mercenary motive OF
wondering how much 1t would cost
to clothe it's womenfolk in brand new
outfit of a brand new type.
But now the whole question is set
tied and civilized humanity might
Just as we'll sit back and figure on q
new order of things. Because, al
though no man may venture as to how
long 1t will stay when 1t gets here,
the harem skirt Is coming, and in
force. This conclusion Is reached only
after a careful study of all the various
arguments advanced during the battles
of the past months by the several
schools of fashion experts.
Why the new skirt-that- isn't-a-
skirt? Several reasons. The first Is
that 1t Is interesting, and in spite of all
things-homeliness, clumsiness, ques-
tions of morality, practicability, oppo-
sition Of the clergy and the ultimate
common sense Of women in general
there has never been an interesting
fashion which, once begun, has not
been carried through to some end or
other. One doesn't have to go very far
back through the annals of feminine
getup to realize that trouser skirts
aren't in a class with some Of the
things which woman has first scorned
and later welcomed with open arms.
So the merits Of the case don't mat
ter q bit. Let everybody rail; that's
the way to give the thing a firmer
start. Human nature Is always the
same, and freak fashions have the
same effect on most women as novels
of the sort one shouldn't read aloud.
The next reason is the fact that
Paris has begun to take the new form
of feminine neither garment pretty Sc
riously. And when Paris does thing
like that it's practically challenge to
the world, and If there Is any one thing
that New York will not stand for 1t is
to have some other place go 1t one bet
ter.
There's another consideration here,
too; that the only reason for the
French peoples frowning on the new
style Is that it makes the feet too
prominent. And French women-in
the American papers-have a reputa-
ton for homely feet. So one of the
first thoughts of the New York wo-
man is, well, they may not be able to
show their feet over in Paris, but
Then she buys a fashion magazine and
reads all she can about the new style.
One more reason is the fact that
despite what has been said about 1t
the harem skirt isn't always so homely
as it's painted. Over in the French
capital-there are plenty Of them there
now-the first outburst Of protest was
followed by a desire to take another
look. Now, nobody tries to pretend
that a clumsy looking pair Of hornpipe
trousers appear dainty on a woman
who would weigh in at an unmention-
able number of pounds. But there
have lately appeared in the streets OF
Paris some more hopeful examples Of
the new skirts possibilities. On a
slim, well set up, pretty girl-well, the
people of New York who happened to
be at the right places on Fifth avenue
and Broadway at the right times last
week had several opportunities to
Judge for themselves at first hand
There will undoubtedly be more op-
portunities, too, as March wears on.
And pretty soon there are going to be
two or three plays where one can go
and see the harem skirt in actual
operation. No matter how good they
are they'll be popular-till the novelty
is a novelty no more.
One thing, however, is certain, and
that is that the harem skirt would
never get popular unless there was
good name in store for it all ready to
be uncorked when the public gets edu-
Gated up to it. The title Of harem skirt
would never go in New England or
Ohio; it sounds too wicked and polyg-
amous and Oriental. Trouser- skirt
is another suggested name; but no
American woman likes the idea Of
trousers, as such, as an article Of femi-
nine attire. They are such crude,
clumsy things, and one sees 80 many Of
them on men.
that means what it says, but still
doesn't say what it means. And that
Is to come from the French. When
see the newspapers and fashion jour-
new jupe-culotte. That's just an idio-
Of the Objectionable English word
combination; but somehow it sounds
dainty and alluring. So jupe-culotte 1t
is going to be-only when you order
one you'll have to ask for a loop
culotty" in all probability, to make
yourself understood.
If you are a woman and have been
reading this you'll probably feel hurt
that no mention has been made Of
which Of the several forms Of the
last. Now isn't that just like one Of
York Sun.