Evening star., 1919-11-16
by ANNE RITTENMOUsE.

~~ NE Is apt to speculate on what
Paris thinks of the American
rejection of the pannier, the
hoopskirt and the crinoline.
@ Paris was not in the least
complacent in her attitude or in the ex-
preston Of her opinion concerning the
American refusal to wear the extra
short skirt and the three-inch sleeve
on the street.
The struggle as you know, was one
that involved more Franco-American
arguments than the war. A young en-
gineer just returned fran France said
that he was astounded to see the battle
between the short and the long skirt
going on as far into America as our
southern states; that it had followed
him from Serbia in Europe to Georgia
in America.
That the American skirt is growing
shorter every one is quite aware. One
would like to cay, with the voice of IL
prophet, that it will never become knee
length, but prophecies are vain these
days and prophets are without honor,
even out of their own country. No
one knows the facts about anything, is
the pessimistic attitude of half the
world nothing that any one propheses
comes true, and one has to grasp in
the blue air for optimism and cling to
It as to stick Of wood in stormy
ocean.
The long American skirt that curved
in at the legs and was kicked up by
the heels as the wearer walked, is
garment of other days. 1t served it's
turn. It gave full value. 1t created
war of words, which. as the young en-
gineer said, was echoed from the Bal
kans to the southern states of America
This is publicity enough for any one
person, garment or fashion. It's day Is
done; let it go in peace.
Women who own such skirts are
having them cut eight and half
inches from the floor which is the ac-
cepted length by the vast majority.
Narrowness has not departed from
the American skirt. 1t Is still slim.
and smart and trim. 1t glides in and
out of the American streets, avoiding
tie dirt, the mud and the dust of traf-~
fic 1t displays rather long swing
of ankle or it. shows pair OF smartly
fitted uppers that are military In ap-
pearance and give the wearer some
thing of the swagger air of a dough-
boy on the march
America is simply running true to
the line that she insists upon In
clothes, but she has changed the meth
DDS of accomplishing it. When she
abandoned the long skirt she did not
abandon the narrow hem. She regarded
with interest the painters and hoops
and crinolines that Paris exploited IN
August to catch the coin of the Amer
leans, then she swept them all aside
with hand of authority and said she
would have none of them.
Her tunics and coats have a straight
line from shoulder to hem. She accepts
a few pleatings on the hips. she ties
an enormous sash at one side and she
pulls out the tops of her skirt in a
braggadocio manner. which. II she Is
young, gives her the appearance OF
boy holding out the sides of his trous-
ers with his hands in his pockets. One
almost expects her to whistle.
4 Her choice in evening gowns has be-
come apparent as the season opens.
Before this she has been wearing hap
hazard evening clothes, things that
were left from last spring rearranged
frocks from last winter. anything and
everything to carry her through her
two arduous and tremendous months
October and November.
From the first day Of October until
Thanksgiving we all rush about as
thought we were quite mad and eter-
nity had been shorter to q haff hour.
No other nation brings to bear such
terrific pressure on It's women for these
two months in the year. Much of 1t Is
due to our insistent and healthy habit
of living in one place in the summer
and another in the winter. sending our
k0fdes Of children to school and col
a3ke,' eleaning our houses as though
they were prison camps and needed to
abe.oVerhanled and cleaned from base
fnent 10 cellar. .-e
But, now with the house somewhat
in order, with the children at school.
with the young brides having finished
their trousseaux and with the early
autumn marriages either over or ready
to 60 through, society takes deep
breath and gets into new harness
And by society" one no longer
means that particular and peculiar set
of human beings who give their lives
up to amusement, who have their
o,,L ,t,N' IN.