The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1917-06-21

selves into kind Of puttee from knee
to ankle.
On the stage, and in the restaurants
where women dance, there are more
extravagant trOusered effects in skirts,
such as full garments of crepe
de chine or satin which drop from a
high waistline and end In tight-fittlDg
legglngs of jet, crystal beading or gold
and silver lace. These leggings In.
close only the calf of the leg, the
knees being covered by full zouave dra-
perry of the skirt, and the ankles by
silk stockings, with high-heeled, bro
caded 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
1eweled 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, Jew
eled leggings that stop four inches
above the ankles, add jeweled brace
let 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 a
heavy roller to give the effect of being
ironed into the cloth, gives rise to
short, tight legglngs 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 leggings that one would
receive If the gown itself were full Of
bullion threads, as 1t was last winter.
None Of these trousered skirts Is
narrow. Every one that France has
sent over and that America has adopt
ed has its trousered effect arranged In
the Slavic or Oriental manner. The
insistence upon the silhouette Of the
zouave uniform is conspicuous every
where. This uniform is used by the
Algerian troops fighting for France,
and 1t is most picturesque, with the
full trousers like skirts, the cOlored
sash, the 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 be prehistoric, but we know that
the earliest garments of men were
wrapped about the legs with strings or
vines, to keep the material compact
against the flesh. Therefore, when we
revive this ancient and honorable Gus
tom we are going back to the cradle of
civilization, and 1t is only natural that
the Oriental races, where civilization
began, should have retained this idea
in the dress for both man and woman.
France sends us many afternoon
gowns as well as walking skirts
which hang full from q high waistllne
in either plaits or fine gathers and are
tucked in around the legs in some
! fashion, to suggest trousers. The BIZ
furcatlon Is often In front, not In back,
and some of the great dressmnkers In
| France drop plated panels of ornate
needlework in the Slavic fashion down
the front of the garment from bust to
hem of skirt in order to hide the bifur.
cation; but 1t Is there just the same.
This silhouette, which, keep In mind,
is patterned after the Oriental idea of
trousers, and not the Anglo-Saxon one,
gives rise to an artistic variety of
skirts that for the present seem to at
tract several classes Of women.
Possibly, in peace times or in an
era Of ceremonial social dignity, this
idea would not advance SO rapidly
among the women of two continents,
but with millions of women called to
take the places of men, with ceremo-
NAL society simply gone by the board
and with efficiency, utility and the
greater degree of comfort being the
things that women worship today, the
trousered skirt is gaining Roadway
every week.
Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa-
| per Syndicate)