South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-12-04


Rainy Day" band, but they met
with no success. They would length
en- the skirts by an inch or two one
season and the public would rebel.
Didn't Expect Modern Styles.
A skirt that just covers the knees
was the last thing in the world that
this club had i'm mind when il
marched forth as a group of pro-
testing women, women bent on
abolishing wet, bedraggled clothes,
soppy shoes and ankles and drip
ping petticOats. Never did they ex-
pect 10 see their modest protest so
frightfully exaggerated. They frank
T ~ acknowledge that the skirt move
ment has gotten away from them.
The four inches from the floor
skirt was not the only startling
change that the Rainy Daisies"
were responsible for. Their dress
rebellion was started at the psyche
logical moment for women were get
ting tired of their nipped-in at the
waist corsets, the diaphragm squeez-
ing bodices, the tight sleeves or the
enormous stiffened ones; in fact, the
harness that fashion had evolved for
one-half the human race.
/ It was three or four years later
] that the straight front corset made
| its debut and waists began to be let
/ out to something like their normal
! circumference. while diaphragms
and abdOmens came in for their
share of freedom. The hour glass
/ effect disappeared with the long
skirt. and then women started all
| sorts of freedom and comfort inno-
vations until they have developed d
! type of dress that is more comfort
able and free then mems ordinary
I clothes. Mems tweeds and soft
I shirts and collars are almost identi-
cal with the costume that the mod
ern woman wears for outdoor activ-
/ tiles.
10 was an easy and a logical step
from the straight front stay which
\ replaced the old whaleboned armor.
TO something even more pliable and
unconfning. BY rapid stages there
was developed the athletic corset,
then came the brassiere, and later
women OF slender figure abandoned
either or both OF these very trivial
garments and enjoyed an uncorseted
/ existence.
The modern corset Is so carefully
designed and so unobjectionable as
a garment that physicians have
/ ceased eXhorting woman TO discard
it. The corset for ordinary wear is
built on lines that in no way menace
health. while the affair Of hooks and
4 laces and a few bones TO stiffen ever
so little softly woven cloth. intend
ed for riding or driving an automo-
bile. for golf or tennis or hockey
really makes little difference in the
appearance of the wearer. II is US
ually put on for comfort instead OF
effect.
school and college girls track
meets are among the most pictur-
/ esque events OF the entire year. The
old blOOmeT costume has been ire
mendously improved upon and the
most fashionable gatherings OF this
kind bring out groups of girls in
washable colored one-piece suits
that combine bloomer and blouse in
artistic and attractive lines.
1t might he mentioned that bloom
ers. once scorned by the public and
once worn almost furtively in gym
nasiums, have gone the way of
skirts, and now they bIissfullv en-
circle the feminine leg several
inches above a perfectly bare knee.
! Freedom OF movement IS what the
style affords, and that's exactly what
a track suit should encourage.
The one-piece bathing suit IS fol-
lowing in the path Of the astride rid
ing habit If II has not already won
the right tc appear encasing the fig
ure at any and every beach then il
viii unless all signs fail. Shades Of
Ocean Grave and Father Bradley,
What strides have been made since
the days when the Puritan insisted
that the most pious looking ocean
going apparel be worn az a seashore
resort
How could any woman hope 70
learn 90 swim or actually propel her
self in the water. even II she had
mastered the strokes, wearing a
bathing suit such as was prescribed
by Puritans and dressmakers? The
old style surf costume bound every
muscle that should have had the Mt
most freedom. and that material was
so heavy when u became water
soaked that person could scarcely
drag herself 10 feet across the sand
without dropping in a faint.
Different From Old DAYS.
The mermaid OF today Is vastly
different in every way She swims
and she likes IL. And brother does
NOT have o. rCafuv,a - -