Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-06-10

TT is an oft-repeated assertion that
L the French never give up the idea
OF trousers for women, and the world
that Is opposed to such an idea al
ways comes back with the statement
mat France. who adores the feminine
In woman more than any other ma
tior in the world, insists upon her
weering costume that is entirely
msnnish.
1t was France who opposed the
Anglo-SaNon coat and skirt of wor-
sted material on the ground that it
TOOK away from women that alluring
femininity which is their chief charm.
1t was the Paris designers who said
that they never cared to perfect
themselves in the making of costum-
cry that was mot befitting to the soft
curves and coquetry of woman's
figure and face.
And yet. II Is Paris who, for at least
six years has insistently struck the
note of trousers for women thruout
the seasons. She points to the trous-
ers of the orient. however as the ones
TO be initiated. The bifuricated gar
ments that she designs are full OF
feminine touches. They are not the
square. rigorous pants of the male
attire of this generation. And yet one
of the most coquettish things the lit
tie girls of Montmartre do in Paris is
to swagger about the restaurants in
boyish attire-the large trousers of
the quarter. the short jacket the soft
shirt with its rolling collar and the
flowing students tie.
IT was these little French girls who
first bobbed the hair off a la Buster
Brown and wore the slouch hat
pulled down over the forehead When
of
was introduced here by Mrs. Vernon
Castle and taken up by a thousand
and one other women in and out of
society. Ii was thot to be something
quite outrageous. France had ac-
cepted 1t for ten years without
quiver. Her people asserted that the
bobbed hair of a boy was excessively
coquettsh against the allurement OF
young girls face. However, in this
country, especially In New York,
there are now women of so with gray
hair who have II bObbed to the ears
and freshly curled every day; so the
antagonism has evidently died down.
Coqucttish Ways With Trousers.
America-does not seem to be averse
to trousers; now that the first shock
is over. she looks upon them. with
calm acceptance. providing they are
cut according to the coquettish man.
ner which France insists upon. They
are usually part of a skirt, they do
not indicate the shape of the leg
above the knee and they are man
aged in some fashion that gives at
tractiveness to the entire garment.
Erte, the young French designer,
who was with Paul Poiret. invented
the white cloth skirt that shaped it
self at the hem into tlght-fitting
CATERS with a strap under the shoe.
This was the very first indication of
the now famous zouave skirt.
There are always several patterns
of walking skirts, and also those used
for sports in the open country, which
are made of shadow plaid or vague
striped worsteds that resolve them
selves into a kind of puttee from knee
to ankle.
on the stage, and in the restaur-
ants where women dance. there are
more eXtravagant trousered effects in
skirts. such as full garments of crepe
de chine or satin, which drop from
high waistline and end in tight-fitting
leggins of jet, crystal beading or gold
and silver lace. These leggngs in
close only the calf Of the leg, the
knees covered by the full Zouave
drapery of the skirt, and the ankles
covered by silk stockings, with high
heeled brocaded slippers as a finish
Everyone knows that the new eve
ming slippers designed after the
French pattern, are often carried to
the calf of the leg by means of wide
straps of jeweled leather or gold or
silver lace. These strings are folded
and interlaced about the ankles and
finished at the top without bow
Some of the smart women who
wear the zouave skirt with the short
jeweled leggings that stop four inches
above the ankles, add a jeweled
bracelet or a ribbon of black velvet at
each ankle in the oriental manner.
The fashionable demand for gold
and silver lace done in the pattern
known as lame. which means that the
bullion threads are flattened out by
heavy roller to give the effect OF be-
ing ironed into the cloth. gives rise to
short, tight leggings made Of either
lace.
The metal tissues are not revived
for summer, and only chiffons, crepes
de chine and thin satins are used for
evening gowns: therefore, one does
not get the impressive oriental effect
from the jeweled lcggings that one
would receive II the gown itself were
full of bullion threads. as II was last
winter.
None of these trousered skirts is
narrow. Every one that France has
sent over and that America has
adopted has its trousered effect ar
ranged in the Slavic or oriental man
ner The insistence upon the sill
houette OF the zouave uniform Is con-
spicuous everywhere. This uniform
is used by the Algerian troops fight
ing for France, and 1t Is most pic
turcsque. with the full trousers like
skirts the colored sash, the-s short.
tight jacket and the wrapped leggings
from knee to ankle.
This idea OF inclosing the leg with
wrappings of any kind goes back to
the earliest history of the race. 1t
may he prehistoric. but we know the
earliest garments of men were wrap
ped about the legs with strings or
vines to keep the material compact