The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-15

things that have evolved since Eve first
 donned the tiny leaf covering. We've had the ''hobbe slxirt and the
 '.harem skirt" and the tight" skirt and
 the "slit' skirt, and the ripple caused
 by the latter has developed into a
 mighty wave, and on the crest of 1t lo.
 pair of trousers has come to light!
 The ''slit skirt was a mere subter-
 fuge.
 Cause and effect are of the spirit. 2 We little know, We little know! Women who have been walking around
 the streets in one trousers leg all sea-
 son, and walked patiently now are com
 ing into their reward.
 True
 They were aided in locomotion by the
 slit at the front, the side, or the
 back--but now having been faithful over
 a few things, she is to be ruler over
 many.
 The tailor-an ingenious tailor be it
 known, vibrating with the spirit of the
 times, and seeing how difficult it has
 been for women, especially fat women.
 to navigate even in the "slit' skirts-has
 spliced. a slit opposite the much dis cussed slit, and placed a row of corre- spending buttons and buttonholes where they may be useful, as well as ornamen- tal and joined them round each leg, a
 longed for pedestrian's costume is ac- quired.
 We have trousers We have them at last. We have trousers for her! She has them at last! All this is just the natural order of things, sought. It had to come The rainy day skirt came in on the wave with the bicycle Previous to that, women held up their
 dainty skirts and tripped across damp
 places-nay ever mooern Sir Walter
 Raleigh might have been found who would throw his cloak down for the Queen to walk over the muddy places but alas. from this proceeding it might have been suspected that there were such things as ankles and that couldn't be, shouldn't be. because they aroused furtive glances and were a temptation to the masculine order. Windy days were outrageously condu- cive to men neglecting their work and even the blind man could see when a
 pair of shapely ankles weer exposed to view.
 The bicycle brought the rainy day
 skirt, however. and did away with all
 this old-fashioned feeling about ankles. They were brought into full view, if you please. and owners of ankles flew by on wheels wish the swiftness of a
 movie
 Before man had time to inspect, She was gone, ! But the skirt is an improvement every
 body agrees. over the old germ collecting. trailing things that were outrageously uncomfortable and unsuited for street wear
 The short skirt though. like every other innovation, had hard time arriving" The narrow skirt had equally as hard time, but who will dare to say that even the narrowest skirt isn't an improvement over the ample, gored trimmed, plaited,
 accordioned. crinolined, rustlng, swish ing skirts all along the line of years? | Even though draperies and bouffante ef- ions dernier cri, the narrow, short skirt is still the rage and perhaps always
 will be- The skirt having the companion slit is
 the extreme of femininity. Have you seen any of them? Oh, dear! Likewise, 'piffles' My word! Do sayi For heavens sake take look during "Fashion Week. and see four yourself, the present-day skirt is the manifesto tion of enfranchised thought! Even
 With no ballot in view, the thought is enfranchised, just the same Dr. Mary Walker has carried the ban ner for many years--a couple of genera tions. in fact-and now at last she be- holds her ideas ratified.
 And 1t all came about so simply.