Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-03
BY Frederic ]. 'Haskln.

Washington, d. c.. Nov. 3o.-An in
tercsting struggle between the Amer
lean woman and the dictators of fash
proclaim that the leg is no longer FASH
ionable. Generally, the faintest whis-
per from the sanctums of fashion IS
heard from Maine to New Mexico. and
tho response is instantaneous.
But this time there is well defined
revolt against the edict. Much of fem
inine New York, lamblike. has taken to
ankle length skirts. But In cities and
way stations across the country tho
knee is still proudly shown by nap-
pcrs, debutantes and others who mako
up the fashion parade.
1t seems apparent that the feminine
leg. released after centuries OF bond
age. Is ioath to retire.
why should it?" asks a flappcr OF
our acquaintance. "a knee-lcngth skirt
attracts no attention at bathing
beach. No one looks moro than twice at
a girl In golf knicke>s. Why should a
knee be seen on tho beach but hidden
on the street,"
The answer seems to be that fashion
has always been tho worlds favoritc
topic for gossip. Court beauS and beau-
tics would have been bored to revolu-
tion had they nor had the latest styles
to defend and denouncc. Tho farthin-
gale kept Elizabeth's Court amused and
shocked. The shoes worn by the medie-
val courtier-which ended In points
foot or two beyond his natural feet
and had spurs at tho back like bird
clows-wcrc good for hours of absorb
ing conversation: Sir Gawain of Gawk
shire had just had a pair made. No
ono supposed he wound adopt the fash
ion. The Duke of Duckton had writ
ten a furious derunciation of the fash
ion in shoes. That would mean n new
1nnS In 1,a tfrI no
So. turnout European history. kings.
queens. and courts amused themselves
by invcntins new modes and then eS-
aggeratinE them until. like over
blown balloons, they exploded. A style
that was regarded as shocking saw
nothing terrible In it. but was all eS-
cited over the newest cxtravagant
mode
All this time court ladies wore long
dresses. sometimes with trains SO cum
hersome that the moralists raved bit
terly against the frivolities OF woman
hood. Women of rank kept the knee
and even the ankle carefully concealed
beneath skirts. The neck and arm ap-
pcarcd aud disappeared but tho leg re-
maincd n mysterious appeudagc.
COURT TRADITION DOMINATES
It is all these centuries of court tradi-
tion that make the feminine leg so un-,
conventional n display. II Is only in the
past few centuries that the people as a
mass have been following. the fash
ions And row that We do. we take
our precedents from court styles. not
from peasant clothirn n We look to
peasant garb. We FIND that a woman'e
ankle and even the calf and knee wcro
in many countries shown as a matter
Of course In the very days when
cour, damsci pretended that sho moved
on wheels.
According to book. on costume. tho
peasant women of s,hne parts of Hol-
land wore IAN exceedingly short
SKIRT A picture shows the skirt as
being about the length of the modern
skirt that shocks the passing genera
ton. A Swiss girl of Lucernc "a few
decades back is shown wearing n skirt
that the book frankly says revealed the
knee and sometimes tho garter. But
there. IL no background in these pic
lures showing a row OF lifted eye
brovs.
These women dressed IN short skirts
for farm work. And when they made
holiday clothes they used the same
pattern and made the costume beau
tiful by embroidery and better mate
rial.
The court lady's hardest work was
crossing the ballroom without tangling
her train. She could afford to be a
cripple for the sake of fashion. The
busy peasant could not.
Today the modern woman Is more