Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-28

Washington. Feb. zS.--Knickerbock-
ers for women seem to be here 70 stay
for a while at least. Women could
not b1>conyerted to boomers when they
were introduced by intellectual fern
inists az reform In dress back in
1851. But now few young happcrs
stroll on the golf course In knickers
and go down Main Street TO get
soda and the youth Of the nation nc
claims the new style for street wear.
For half dozen decades there
have been prophets who saw. or
thought they saw. trousers for women
on the horizon. A few times indeed
some daring feminine souls did break
away from the tyranny OF hoops and
dust trailing skirts TO appear In bloom
ers or even trousers But the expert
ments Generally fzzled out speedily
There is an old letter written to the
Lowell Courier by o ST. Louis woman
regarding four young women VINO
passed through Missouri on their way
West wearing mems apparel. Theii
father and brother accompanied then
and approved OF the style.
"They were from Philadelphia, an'
highly respectable" wrote the CORES
pondent, reporting on this startlini
news item Their suits on the boa
were fashionable and fine black dres
coats. black pants, buff vests, ant
hats Of glossy black. Their hair wa
cut short"
She also added that their conduc
on the boat was perfectly ladylike.
This was about the middle OF tn
nineteenth century, when bloomer
were raising such furore. Short hal
was also being advocated by highbro'
women as being more confortabi
and sensible. The idea was that IN
short hair and boomers would alrnos
entirely relieve a woman from the car
Of personal adornment. IL was thi
angle Of approach and not the un
attractiveness OF boomers and shor
hair which left the women OF Ameri
ca cold. Introduced as reform
short hair and bloorners were laughe
out Of existence in short order.
BIoomcrs We're Misnamed.
A napper who could claim to be III
pioneer wearer OF knickers woul
doubtless be proud Of the title. BS
back in 1851. Amelia Bloomer Is
mented the fact that the famor
, bloomer garment should ever haS
been associated with her name. ST
spent endless time explaining III,
! she was not the first person 10 wes
boomers: that they should really
/ "milIers." as Miss Miller was II
first wearer, and that she had bet
; connected with the project in its ear
: days only by her articles favoring tn
: dress reform which appeared in q
! Seneca Lily, a paper which she edi
/, cd. Later, she explained, she did a
!, pear I'm boomers, but only becau
; she believed it right to practise VIII
she preached. However. in spite
Mrs. Bloomer's protests the mar
i. stuck.
n is Interesting to note that tn
garment which aroused so much e,
citement had about the same relatic
to the skirts Of the day that knicke
bockers have to the skirts OF 1922.
women's dresses in 1851 wei
widely denounced on the ground
!, being unhealthy. They. were Ion
: heavy, and fun. They traiied In II
. dust to catch germs. They gathers
? mud from wet streets in rainy weati
er, and then tapped about the wea
ers ankles TO give them colds al
pneumonia Yet no lady" dared Il
her voluminous skirts high enough
clear the streets.
Referring 70 this fashion one &c
tor declared that "a false modes
: has caused many a young girl TO
:" OF consumption"
The first boomers were long III
81 these skirts. Short boomers woy
as have been hoOted off the streets wit
IA out a fighting chance-if 1t Is possii
l. to imagine the girl of the period q
m pearing in them. The boomers whi
,r upset the conservatives were Il
~ ankle length affairs. A skirt consid,
n. ably longer than our popular kr
X length specimen fell over them. T
er effect was very Turkish. but TO O
modern eyes it would be about
IL daring as a deep sea diving outfit