Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-11-09
WOMEN and
The TIGHT
SKIRT FAD
OUR FASHIONS MAKE HUMOR
Interesting Facts Told in
Story
CBy Mararet H. Ayer.)

/ leTndpS II was the SuQQenneSS Oh
being taken out of the brilliant atmos-
phere of the Bernard Shaw play, or
perhaps it was the steepness Of the
stairs leading to her dressing room,
I but at all events when 1 saw Miss
Blaney, who plays the part of Ann in
Man and Superman," / made two
very bad breaks in rapid succession.
First, l thought she was an Ameri-
can, because we claim all pretty
. actresses with strong English accent,
and because she is so well known to
American audiences.
And then l thought her eyes were
blue, because she makes them up with
blue paint, and they look blue.
But l was soon set right on both
points.
Pm not American; I'm English,
with strong streak of Irish" cor
rected Miss Blaney And, moreover,
my eyes are brown and not blue" BY
this time | had completely wilted and
| threw the interview on her mercy,
with faint murmur that it be about
Beauty" and her methods of preserv-
/ ing her health, and quite unusual
amount of good looks.
You can say that l like gardening
and that | breed bulldogs" said Miss
Blaney.
But alas This is not what I want
ed, and | found that the readers of
this paper would not all be able to
achieve fame, as well as beauty, by
such means. My mind was still full
of the delightful play that was going
on downstairs, for Ann" was prepar-
ing for the last act. After you have
listened for an hour or so to Bernard
Shaw, it is almost impossible to get
back to the commonplaces of physical
culture, diet and the other means by
which our famous beauties enhance
their appearance and kindle the light
of envy in the breast Of all others.
So l asked Miss Blaney to talk
about Ann" the superwoman, she OF
the life force and the delightful catty
ways, which Miss Blaney acts with
such charm and skill.
One of the most interesting things
about this play is the change in the
HrC+ CiVnO
people did not know whether they
ought to laugh, and women resented
the character of Ann" though they
all knew in their heart of hearts that
she is the woman who can bend even
the strongest man to her will. Now
| they never miss a point.
1T does seem curious" continued
Miss Blaney, that men will be COM
pletely taken in by a character like
Ann, but when they see a sincere,
frank, straightforward woman, they
at once believe that she is a deep
character planning all kinds of pit
falls. Indeed, that she is a woman
to beware of.
MY sympathy is, of course, with the
sincere, straightforward woman, but
l must admit that the Ann type
gets on better, and | believe that ev-
cry woman in the audience realizes it
and has a certain sympathy with
Ann" and is glad that she always
gets her way. Perhaps there is lit
tie of Ann" in every one of us"
laughed Miss Blaney. The redeeming
Feature about her is that she has
sense of humor.
Miss Blaney had taken off the pretty
yellow automobile coat, the little hood
with it's big crimson rose, and was
now wearing the frock of the last act,
a tight-fitting affair of light blue satin,
hobbled and so tight in the skirt that
the slit introduced in front was abso-
lutely necessary to make walking d
possibility.
How I do dislike these tight
skirts" said Miss BIaney. Il think that
women would get more courtesy shown
them, more respect and more polite
ness, if they would go back to petit
coats and all the frilly, lacy things
which are so essentially feminine.
These present fashions are certain
ly abdominable. For myself l would
like a full wire petticoat and skirt, al
most a crinoline, in fact; something
that essentially expressed the really
feminine l love lace and all beauti
full materials, and lots of them. These
ridiculous, skimp skirts are ugly and
unbecoming, as well as immodest.
You will notice that since women
began to discard one petticoat after
another and appear finally in the scan
test of skirts, they have lost a great
deal of the outward respect and con-
sideration which used to be shown
them in the days of fuller petticoats.
so ! say let us get back to petit
coats and gain once more the consid-
GRAFTON and respect which are no lon