Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-11-22
That Oscillating Pendulum

Apropos of sundry and divers hints
regarding coming styles in woman's
dress we are concerned lest a retro
grade movement has started IA
swing of the pendulum back toward
the acres Of crinoline: and the yards
voluminous trailing skirts. The
recent decisions from the powers
thai be- contain startling and fear
some possibilities.
There are no limits as to what it
may involve. There is a psychology
in dress intimately connected with
the psychology of mental attitudes.
For inStance-a woman canno feel
truly "emancipated" when forced to
waddlc about swathed in long and
cumbersome skirts. To be sure, they
will not start with nine or eleven
gores-that would be too shockingly
radical, ven for the most hopelessi1
servi'e of Dame Fashions blind de-
voices. We all know from past ex-
perience, however, hat u liberties
are easily and skillfully encroached
pom. sit will be but a short transit
from the increased length to the bill
lowing width-then (heaven help the
dear ladies) of what use will the bal
lot and all their newly acquired
powers be? The mopsy skirt, with
its obsolete fullncss, is of itself a
badge of serfdom. The short and alb
breviated skirt is L sign and symbol
of freedom-with all the newly &C
CURED powers and prerogatives that
go with it.
The logical and philosophical mind
sees in the spronouncement of doom
upon the short skirt a possible re-
version. Of type. Some Of the mer
will remember her-the Godey's
Ladies'. Book type! (The womer
will not be expected to. as it involves
a. delicate question of ageD She wa!
enmeshed in endless yards of Grind
line-this pale and ladylike creature
Of other days! In her. of course, wa!
the eternal feminine" but she hat
l~achrvmose tendencies and Away!
carried her smelling salts about will
her. Being greatly handicapped. will
her tightly laced bodice, her high
stiff collars. her hoop-skirts ant
bustles, she must perforce wear he;
yoke meekly. She was taught to d,
so from her cradle-and Dame Fash
ion helped her to preserve the tradi
lions. Naturally she became prin
and precise and sometimes lisped he
syllables with 'prunes and prisms
Fuckers to her Cup:d's bow lips.
Time, however-the great icono
NAoo( o"CNpH 10 oI Allu DSllou III
fair sisterRood of today! Chic an,
alert, tripping with graceful abando,
in her abbreviated skirt [note tn
singular nounD she is truly an evolU
ton! She may powder her nose o
Broadway in front of a. street miro
and use her lip stick with the bravad
of seasoned experienced, but sh
knows how to negotiate congeste
street crossings even where there ar
no automatic signals or traffic Off
ers. She has absolutely no use for
hartshorn vial or aromatic salt
When she travels she is not the de:
pair Of the train porters with hi
numerous band boxes and bundle
carpet bags and bird cages. ST
swings herself lightly along with III
dainty suit cas- and really has. b.
little need Of the Pullman porters' a
t%ention. She has learned somethin
too. Of the value of time. The real
efficient. modern deems
quite passe to always be late for g
appointment. The truly "up-to-da
est" execute their business prompt
and take their pleasures with defini
purpose. System is their keynot
Briefly, the women % today a
something more than ornamental a,
pendages to the lives Of men. TIL,
have learned to think with the ma
culine. posttiveness. with the logic a:
lucidity of the sterner sex. With II
initiative and efficiency which rende
them the peers of men, their cor
rades and pals instead OF playthin
or serfs. they have sacrificed none
their feminine qualities. We a
speaking, of course, Of the finer typ