Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-03-01
Knockers
FOR WOMEN ARE
ACCEPTED FORM
Washington Journalist Says
New Style viii Remain
Popular Because Intro
duCed Naturally.

The new sports fad of knicker'
booker suits for women has come
to stay, for q while at least, ac-
cording to Frederick ]. Haskins.
head of the Haskins syndicate OF
Washington, D. c., who is a visitor
in the city on a return trip from
California. The style will continue
in favor because it was introduced
at a psychological time In the
change in woman's dress, in the
opinion of the writer.
women could not be converted
to boomers when they were intro
duced by intellectual feminists as a
reform in dress back in 1851" says
Mr.. Haskins. "But now a few
young flappers stroll off the golf
course in Knockers and 60 down
Main street to get soda and the
youth of the nation acclaims the
new style for street wear.
For half a dozen decades there
have been prophets who saw, or
thought they saw, trousers for wo-
men 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 boomers or even
trousers. But the experiments gem
orally fizzled cut speedily.
"a flapper who could claim to be
the pioneer wearer of Knockers
would doubtless be proud of the
title. But back in 1851, Amelia
Bloomer lamented the fact that the
famous bloomer garment should
ever have been associated with her
name. She spent endless time eX-
planning that she was not the first
person to wear boomers; that they
should really be "millers," as a Miss
Miller was the first wearer.
Nevertheless, boomers were
holly denounced or as holly APP
proved by everybody who talked,
wrote, or lectured about them
They were taken seriously by the
lundecorative blue stockings, and so
they failed to appeal very much to
the younger people who might have
popularized them. They died a
lingering, natural death.
"Modern knickerbockers, like the
| old boomers, have sought the lev
| of the skirt in vogue. Skirts go UP
land down, but they have never be
| fore gone quite so high, and they
! are now wavering toward a drop.
This was the psychological moment
the first in Centuries-when
Iknickers might successfully appeal
| en- the streets. They were only step
from the knee length skirt and so
they attracted very little condem
nation.
"Knickcrs are now being worL
! for sports, on the street in the day
time, for shopping, and in genera.
| for informal wear. Their popular
ty as a permanent feature Of wo-
mems dress depends on their posi-
bilities for variety. So long as they
have some touch of novelty the
Ichances are good that women will
continue to be Interested in them,
"The fact which makes 1t seem
likely that knickerbockers will re-
main popular is that they have
been introduced naturally, without
Iany suggestion of dress reform at.
tached to them. The vogue of
sports brought about sport clothes,
and these became popular because
women were not frightened away
by the words sensible or reform.
Instead, they were attracted by the
newest styles which happened TO
combine comfort with novelty. SO
long as Ilnickerhnckers continue to
be associated with the latest fash
ion by reason OF new trimmings
cut, or material, they may be eX-
pccted to rise in favor. At any
rate, they are here to stay for actual
sport wear"