New-York tribune., 1918-02-17

straight or slightly bulging through the full
ness of the MATERIAL and the hem is exceed
ingly narrow and tucked under. A woman
wearing the most fashionable of these skirts
with high boots added thereunto, will look at
slight distance as though she wore baggv
trousers and army boots
10 the majority OF women this news NAV
not be welcome. They will fancy far more
sensational garment than what actually exists
That mild revolution against the sheath and
the hobble skirt may also crop up against this
Algerian skirt, but both the other features If
fashion were incorporated in our ordinary an
parel after a while, without creating dis.
turbance.
There is SO little fulness in this new skirt that
it does not seem to be even first cousin to the
skirt of Jenny with it's tucked-up hem. That
skirt, which pervaded the continent for two
years, had a tendency to flare out, to fling it,
self away from the ankles this skirt goes in
so rapidly from knees to hem that it does not
need to undergo the same treatment that was
accorded the other skirt
For instance, to be technical, the fulness at
its hem is not caught up and gathered to a
short, narrow lining. This is not considered
necessary. 1t is merely turned under and run
into the conventional hem, allowing its full
ness, slight as it is, to fall against the shoe
tops and accentuate the trousered effect.
This extreme skirt has brought about the
narrowest silhouette we have had in years.
When the hem is not tucked under it is onlv
wide enough to provide free movement in walk
ing. The skirts are necessarily short. for
their narrowness would greatly impede prog
ress if they were long
The Omnipresent
Spat
If the summer brings back the fashion for
pumps on the street without spats. there NAV
be room for criticism in these extra short
skirts, but at the moment it looks as though
women will not relinquish the high boot the
cloth spat or any ankle covering that gives
them a military appearance.
Spats are part Of the national costume
They are worn as constantly as the English
man has worn them for generations. Thew
stand higher in fashion than the boot with the
cloth or leather top, although there has come
about, through the activity of over a million
women IN war work, the fashion for an extra
high, Russian leather-laced boot with broad
curved sole and a stitched band.
The low-heeled shoe has gained rapidly in
fashion since women went to war in their own
way. 1T is made in tan and black leather and
has either high top of itself or an extra high
spat of cclored cloth. Black spats are worn
only by those in deep mourning, and beige
sand and several shades of gray satisfy all
women.
With such footwear the short, narrow skirt
has an undeniable smartness about it. The
long skirt the fiaring one and the very high
spat or boot were not graceful adjuncts of
each other
The Extra
Short Jackets
Coming along with these Short Algerian
trousered skirts are jackets that are zouave in
shape sometimes, again showing the straight,
short, boyish line of the other kind of Algerian
coat. Instead of the sash there is the belt,
but it does not measure out the waistline: il,
IS merely an ornament, narrow, coorful and
with buckle of metal or kid n1aced IN fro,+