South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-20

az yes4srdEy1s books Will catch but
which a-s 60 frankly revealed today
New York - az last accepting the
seoauss 7 have only recently return
women Dot long ego emphatically d
she Old cat -Uo1ne back again" ia
cep<tons. are long Ekfrted females
almost flnnnodest lack OF rouge and
appear, one might say who has not
esen them but 90 ma. Broadway and
f1fth av.. look this year infested with
eay groups OF masqueraders.
Naturally. being used to the seen
Cry OF long skirts, coming back 10
South Bend with its generous dis
play Of silken hose and bare knees.
vas Ike witnessing a review OF an
tnctent fashiOn-shOw. Poor women,
q is going 10 be awfuIly hard TO
gruggle in the snares OF a long skirt
ef,er so long freedom with barely
o. skirt 70 hamper one at all. which
3aises the questiOn-will women uni
Sersally adopt the new French style
o. will they. bent on independence.
tEnore fashion and wear tLeir gowns
o. a shorter length than has been
tely decreed7
- And the happer-the girl who has
depended on the extreme short skirt.
De- little girl sandal the bobbeS
tair. 20 make herself the grotesque
bgure OF neither child nor woman
vii she take kindly 10 the long skirt
which 30 many dressmakers declare
fill add years to her appearance?
u she be not pretty OF face. what
chance has she in such raiment TO
ettract the attention OF the male
bursuer2 Take heart, girls, the
slappers OF New York in their long
ekirts 1sye lost none Of the earmarks
or the siren. The men still know,
admire and bestow all their spare
fime upon Thorn. Rather. they look
ike babes in long bib and tucker.
Just learning 10 walk, and play-and
5lirt How in the world could men
1nd them otherwise than adorable
T. such a quaint role!
Our flapperized South Bend girls
tave always amused me-they seem
euch harmless creatures over which
there has been such unnecessary
edo There Is something so mischie-
sous about them, as If they were
secretly enjoying the fuss they are
forever stirring in the hearts of their
elders But the New York flapper
brand OF 1922 even though she does
rot show silkem hose 70 any start
ling degree-yoU instinctively knows
that she wears them, and there IS
Something quite sinister about the
Slim. graceful walking creature
whose black garb. severely plain but
draped IN a manner which suggests
that it's folds might accidently drop
. from slender shoulders II the wind
3blew too strongly. Pale-faced. wise
decidedly ailuring. she Is likely
60 prove a more dangerous creature
shan the short-skirted flapper which
s. still much among US here IN the
west
Why this sudden change in the
trend OF fashion. Is a question fire.
cuently heard where women gather.
1s the feminine mind at last revolt
sng against too much display of phys
seal charm or have women become
convinced that perhaps the men are
tired OF stretching their necks three
hundred aud sixty five days in the
scar. ana need an interval OF rest
trom such strenuous activity?
without attempting to account for
ahs vagaries Of modesty-a s4bject
Gpon which so much has already
been written-let US consider the eff
Gect OF a single convention upon the
SbeaIth OF women. Throughout the
past century. TO appear two-legged
was 20 be immOdest The Chinese
woman, as feminine a creature as
she is. has had the use of her legs II
not her feet FOR thor-ands OF years,
whereas the American woman had 10
pretend until lately that she possess
I'D no such things. The peasant wo-
man OF Europe though heavily petit
coated had some freedom because OF
her labor. but the free" woman OF
the new democracy has been com
PEELED in the past to conceal az far
Is possible. even her ankles.
This convention restricted activity !
and was without doubt. one OF the
Important factors IN the deterioration
OF the health OF American women |
and children. For three hundred |
years women rode horseback side !
wise with feet envslCped in skirts. /
Tor no better reason than because a /
French princess OF long ago set the /
fashion to conceal her own deformed /
Anime. Because the roues OF a de-
cadent society attached an unname-
able significance 10 ankles. the Amer |
tcan girl for years has walked en- /
cased IN heavy drapery which neces- !
Stated narrow. uncertain gait and /
D faulty posture.
For health alone, the early advo-
Gates OF women's rights wisely as
sociated a moderate short skirted /
costume Wit equality and freedom. /
hut convention has is peculiarly for /
no sooner does Il establish mode /
than Il tends TO eUaggerate Il. Wo-
man. given the privilege OF the mod /
crete sxirt-nne. which provided am
ple room for comfortable walking. 1
sought a shorter and shorter skirt
nntll the time has come when wo-
men as q whole. welcome the other
extreme-ths beiow-the-snkle skirt.
e. a rehef 10 the daring styles which I
Paris thrust upon them
The short -skirted model. abused
as u q. has its ardent advocates. a
csrta1n magazine devoted 10 the
chys,oai and beauty culture OF wo-
tnsu has upheld IL because OF the &c
rnarkable effect on the changing
standards OF mod esty as regarded by
men. stressing the point that men
having at last become ACOUSTIC ed
60 the short skirt. are no longer
shoclsd or curious or even especial
q notice the immoderate display
wondsrl