The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-03

activity Of her life. The short A.
therefore, suits her. The H.
who sails down the avenue II ~
is a shop or office worker ~
will, it is true, go to extreme linz
to make herself Fashionable ~
she still iounts the short -
and dares the horrible fate Of ~
ing perhaps regarded as old-fasE
Toned. The short skirt. We bss
been told, is comfortable. ana w.
not carried to extremes is far ~
to be decried than the hobbIe sFis
sheath gown, the Transparent y
ray skirt, the germ-Catchinr trsi-
and other Whims OF recent years
The knee is getting more atfss
ton than it has had for eenturiss
There is even a sentiment in faTs.
of a return to knee exposure h
men. While women are so inns
uously pursuing freedom and tbs.
rights, men, it seems, have bsss
entrapped by fashion into forget
ting their long held right OF fFea
dom of the knees.
While his lady went weighs
down by a ton Of silk train, tbs
courtier of a few centuries baes
proudly strobe about in doublet sBi
hose or brooches and boots. A goo5
calf and a trim ankle were asssis
of manly beauty. a man might los3
himself down with a velvet cans
He would wear sleeves that IA
sembIed giant sausages. He womb
even appear in trunk hose whicb
made him look as il he had q pumb.
kin about his waist, and forced
him to go through doors sidewavs
But his leg remained pretty con.
sistently in evidence. And amons
all the gossip and TRADES sgaind
extraYagant fashions there Is 10
record, that we can find, to shog
that the world ever objected to the
masculine knee.
The Pest Of PantaloOns,
Yet at the beginning of the 1874
century. statesmen and tradesmeH
alike allowed themselves to be en-
cased in trousers. Even Thomas
Jefferson. whose shapely calf vas
so widely admired. SURRENDERED to
the demands of style. This step
taken by Mr.. jefferson called forth
signs of regret. 1t was admitted
however, that he could do no dit.
ferently, considering that he was
of the progressive school OF polls
tics. For politics were the means
by which trousers were railrOada
into the fashion in this country.
The Republicans. being the pro
gressive element. took to wearing
full length pantaloons as a Symbol
of their. courage to abandon the
conventional. The F~ederalists, On
the other hand, chung to the knee
breeches and buckled shoes as 8
badge of gentlemanly conserve
tism.
It is interesting TO note that The
society of the early 18th century
regarded trousers as uncouth. An.
official refused the duke OF Vel
lington admittance to an assembly
in London because he appeared at
the door in trousers Mistress Mon
roe at the White house made it .
rule that gentlemen were to a.
tend the presidents receptions 10
the conventional small clothes
But at last trousers took the place
of knee breaches ven at society
functions.
That the modern mans clothes
are unbeautifuI. insauitary and IN
comfortable has been pointed oul
by Irwin Cobb in an impassiones
plea for the return Of shoa
breeches such as are worn in Lac
army and for golfnE. He feels tha
the stovepipes in which modern
man stalks around hide a feature
of his anatomy about which he can
i'll afford to be over-mOdest lie
points out that a man generally re-
tains the shapeliness Of his cali long
after he has lost the slender waist
and wavy pompadouF OF youth
But it is the comfort OF the
army breeches which COBB beWaiB
most. He predicts that knee breecA.
es will eventually be 0ne OF us
fruits of the war since so man
men had the chance to test 4eH
advantages.
1t would be a rash prophet Fha
wouId dare predict that the fem
mime leg is TO DE out or IN heg
month. But it may be forecasts
with certainty that the leg Will DO,
retire TO its old status Of continual
secIusiOu. Now that it has beea
i0t0 The limeliEht il FlA