The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-09
(New York Americanl

mems skirts are to be wider. Such is
the verdict of the Paris and London
modistes. And the Ladies' Tatlors and
Dressmakers' Association Of America
ters of a yard wider than the 'hobble"
will be the rule until further notice.
Naturally this means that the mass
of the worlds women will wear less
silk and moro cotton and that means
that the cotton growers of this u
try for nee in half a century, will
benefit by fashions decree.
In this article a we'll known export
on cotton production and consumption
estimates that. without material adj
vance in the market price of raw cot
ton. this increased demand will repre-
sent a gain to American producers Of
more than 500, OOO, 900 on one crop.
How this expert arrives at this con-
clusion makes interesting and timely
reading for everybody, especially those
whose fortunes are inseparable from
the soil where Cotton is King,
For many years h great mass of
civilized humanity has been clothed
mainly in cotton. Outside of the
orient-which consumes Its own pro-
ducts per cent of the total produce
ton Of cotton fabrics is from raw
material grown in the United States
of America.
Imagine then the feelings of the
cotton growers of the southern states
when that mere tube of cloth the
''hobble skirt" first came into FASH
ion. BY that cdict of the leading mo-
distes of Paris and London for the pc
Rod of at least two seasons the de-
mand for raw cotton to be manufac-
tured into dress fabrics was reduced
two thirds or possibly three-fourths.
For so years the amount of goods
required for a dress has steadily de-
creased. Paris is headquarters for wo-
mems fashions and the "hobblc" was
the supreme final effort of the French
designers IN behalf of the great
French manufacturers of silk dress
goods who arc their masters. For the
less material required to make u skirt
the greater number of women who
can and naturally will wear silk in
stead Of cotton.
Fortunately for is however where
Cotton is King" the 'hobble" was
the limit of possible reduction in the
amount of fabric necessary to cover
not serve the interests OF these des-
pots of fashion to permit any degree
of permanency to a given style ac-
cordingly there was only one thing for
them to do and that vas to create new
fashions more flowing more volumin-
Gus and requiring more material in
stead of less.
1t is estimated that the mode of
narrow dresses alone has meant a loss
to German manufacturers of ,10O,-
900, 600 meters of stuff, representing
the output of 10000 looms in a year
and French manufacturers some time
ago appealed to the French govern
ment to use its influence toward m
plifying female raiment.
Hence. the inevitable has happened.
h latest Paris n London neWspa-
pers report the modistes' edict that
women will return to fuller. more
least is doomed. n King Cotton"
can come back from exile, at least
so far as his dress goods department
Is concerned.
At first sight it seems absurd that
a fashion note from Paris" should
have any real bearing upon the cot
ton industry of the United States, but
1t is not difficult to demonstrate that.
In this instance. every cotton grower
in the south is enabled to foresee
practical benefits to himself. He can
read the reverse in the course FASH
ions have pursued from grandmoth-
er's hoop skirts to daughters hob
BILE skirts.
The superficial area of grandmoth-
er's gown was probably five times
that of daughters. In oaddition, her
invisible apparel-underskirts petit
coats. etc.-were generous in numbers
and in volume. while daughters hob
ble." fitting her as the corr husk fits
the ear of corn. virtually eliminates
undergarments from this comparison.
Now observe how the course of
three generations of feminine costum-
ing has stood in the way of the pro-
duction and manufacture of this coun-
try's most important staple-cotton.
In 1860-61 we produced 3.S5O,00O
bales of cotton. That was tho period
of grandmother's capacious skirt worn
over crinaline-the 100 per cent skirt.
In 1890 we produced s,675.O0O bales,
an increase of more than 100 per cent,
while mothers skirt. in comparison