Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-13


for ambulatory PURPOSES
And undoubtedly women revei in the
new physical freedom
l have an idea that the mentality
which regrets the long skirts is the
same mentality which in China in
sisted on rendering women's feet quite
useless for arnbulatory purposes Are
short skirts suggestive7 / should say
that they are the very opposite TO
sniggeHive.
The other day I'm a West End street
saw young woman I'm an uncom~
promiSngly long skirt. Well, il
shocked me. l thought:
This young woman must be a pc
cuiiar and perycrse young woman
wonder what is the matter with herr"
There came into my mind the cele-
brated lines OF Sir John Sucking;
Her feet beneath her petticoat
Like little mice stole In and out
AS IL they feared the light
And the liner positively struck fuc.
as perverse and suggestivs. Why
should little feet have 70 peep In and
out. and why should they behave
themselves az II they feared the 1ight7
consider that the new fashions have
done well TO take us beyond the peep
ing stage and the coy stage and the
falsely prim stage. And / should like
10 have been able 10 say to the young
woman.
Please go home at once and dress
yourself decentiy."
Victorian Fashions.
As regards the upper portions OF the
modern frock. it may for period
have descended too far. but in es-
sentials il never. at its most audaci- |
GUS. went beyond the point demanded !
by Queen Victoria at her dinner par |
ties. IL Is on record that young women
guests sometimes had 10 have their |
evening dresses hastily altered within |
the royal dwelling because the ad- |
lnirable Victoria. beloved by the bour-
geosie, would not tolerate under-ex- |
posure of the female body at dinner or |
after dinner,
Probably she hated suggestiveness. |
III she did she would doubtless have |
objected TO the modern knitted. high. |
necked tight Jumper worn without a /
corset; and yet / have never heard /
the critics of modern costumes utter /
a word against the tight jumper. Nor
have | heard them assert that the
modern costume is ungraceful or
ugly. The faet-and the most import. |
ant fact of all--is that women have /
not been so becomingly and beautifully |
dressed for ages as they are today.
Naturally all the professional Jere-
miahs and Habbakuks, If silenced on |
their accusation OF immodesty or in
sufficiency in the modern frock, will |
fasten on to ''the exaggerated interest" !
which women, and especially girls now
show in dress, and will charge the sex |
not only with monetary extravagance /
IN clothes, but also with devotinr a /
great deal too much time TO clothes.
have already referred 10 the question
Of expense.
OF one thing / am certain, namely
that if the average modern girl spends
too much on her frocls. her predeees-
sor of the last generation did not spend
enough--was not indeed allowed 10
spend enough.
Even today am inclined to think
the average married woman. is some
what pinched in her dress allowance.
so that her career as wearer OF nice !
frocks is simply one long series of
tricks, devices dyeings. notifications
and bargain hunting.
In any case / have not the slightest
fear Of the modern woman running
herself or her family by dressing her
self too well. That profound spirit |
Df moderation which characterizes the
race and which again
and again brings the country safely
through enormous crises that in other
Countries would result in revolution-
hat same spirit is always at work
n the modern woman. even when she
1nds herself among a surging crowd
IF hypnotized and feverish companions
n one of those magical palaces which
We call shops.
Dressing as an Art.
Again as regards the amount OF |
attention and time bestowed on clothes.
am qGite certain that il the modern
sirl bestows too much of these precious
commodities on adornment. her prede-
,essor did not spend enough. A girl
an make herself descent and keep
herself warm by a quarter of an
lour's attention per day 10 the task.
But To dress well is an art, and an
extremely complicated and difficult /,
lrt; and the less money you have
Caspers Cure Has an Unexl