Evening star., 1922-10-08
.HE other day a leading question
regarding women's dress was
propounded by a learned gentle

regarding women's dress was
nropounded by a learned gentle
man. one who was SO modest
.As 70 suppose his generous supply Oh
white hair would protect him against
any gay young fiapper who. to his mlnd'
would prefer newer vintage in mascu-
Unity. The question was: Does the
length of a girls dress influence the
style OF her shoes or does the change
Sn shoe styles influence the shortening
of dresses"
A, first glance this would seem to be
another of those inevitable hen-and egg
propositions but a lady we'll versed in
society and what is what in dress IN
sists that I, is very simple problem.
To her mind there is but one solution
dress styles come first and the shoe
styles follow.
This sounds very simple indeed and
quite logical. When the dresses began
TO shrink in their length. women al
first insisted on wearing abnormaliy
high boots to bridge the widening gulf
between the ankle and the edge of the
skirt. When warm weather came the
short skirts had become usual sight
and. women having become accustomed
by now to this length. demurred no
longer and put on their low shoes and
slippers.
but skirts kept on rising. The bobbed
hair fad was al its height. Girls looked
ridiculous with their short locks tucked
beneath childish hats when wearing
even moderately long dresses High
heels We're also an anachronlsm IN the
general schem OF things. So the almost
heelless oxford and pump resulted and
skirts went higher than ever to heighten
the childish. ingenuish Illusion. Women
in their twentieS and thirties looked.
like sweet siNteen-from the back
There didn't seem to be any mature
types of womanhood at all. except for
the very stout women who simply
couldn't get away with" this tiapper
stun.
Now. after three years of great
popularity in Paris. the long
skirt is being literally forced upon
The women in provinces such as
Washington. Even so, they are re-
. belling. Nearly every shop wae;e
these vampish. flowing and draped
garments are the only things avail
able has its filters working in des
perate effort to shorten practically
every dress that is sold. so that il
will swing well above the ankle
length originally intended by the de-
signers of the gowns.
Women and girls are compromising
on comfortable length dresses with
exaggeratedly long side or front pan
els to give the idea of fashionable
length. vet retain the comparative
comfort of previous styles. One sees
hundreds of these Tapping panels
careeninE up and down + street
every afternoon at tea hour.
The fappers are more truly Tapping
than ever before. Yet II is almost
ludicrous how much the really long
in her teens. It makes her look ex-
ceedingly demure and about twenty
five years old at least.
This suggestion of added dignity
a quality too long ignored by the
fapper tribe-is increased by the new
footgear. Just as every girl and
woman has gotten her fallen arches
and corns well adapted to the really
sensible styles OF the past two sea
sons. the graceful but very artificial
ts undoubtedly ore of the best STYLES
In shoes that women have ever had
10 show of the ankle and make the
foot look as small and slender as
possible. The buckles add a frivolous
feminine note-although il is remark
able how few buckles are seen actu-
ally worn, for the shops are full of
them. The slippers are worn in an
Unfinished, buckless condition that is
somewhat reminiscent Of the untidy
wear career as indulged in last win
ter and spring.
4: y X
THE secret of it is shown in the fol-
lowing tale. A certain girl saw in
the window of wellknown shoe shop
some brown suede slippers that were
all one could desire to add the finish
ing touch to harmonious brown
costume. The slippers were the usual
colonial style and were graced with a
pair of beautiful bronze buckles. The
girl, who felt she simply couldn't live
feeling: every girl gets Il some time
over either hats or shoesl. lost no
time entering the shop and inauiring
the price of the slippers. The bland
clerk glibly said:
The slippers are s12 and the
oh. thank you" stammered the
crushed young lady who coveted the
slippers. Then added. as the clerk
asked If she would like to try them
On, 'No-not today. thank you" There
really is reason why the f1appers are
wearing them plain this season.
To return to the original issue. any
one can understand after seconds
thought how impossible the fiat
neeled slipper would be with a long
skirt. either full in girth or draped in
G,inging lines. OF course. some indiv-
'euals offer the suggestion that shoe
Styles are not Influenced by dress
styles SO much as they are Influenced
by the amount of leather available
for shoes. Others add that dresses
are only made short and skimpy when
the silk and cotton goods factories are
limited to an unusual degree in their
supply and the output is small.
Undoubtedly these are factors that
ere taken into consideration by the
great costume designers, but they are
only a few of the many things that go
to make up the composite problems of
these artists. Nearly every one will
admit that the lady we'll versed in So
ciety was right in her instructive sur
mise that the dress Is the primary
consideration and the style of shoe to
be worn Is Of secondary Importance
and decided to add a harmonious note
emphasizing the style of the dress.