Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11

v " YHEN 1t first became the fash
u n ion for women 10 play golf
NM and tennis and to take as
keen an interest In athletics
generally as their brothers,
sports clothes were strikingly masculine.
And quite unreasonably the girl who
played a good game of golf and tennis
and who rode with daring and distinc-
ton was looked upon as more masculine
than the girl who could make good
fudge or play piano duets. Really and
truly she was nothing Of the sort. Exer-
more radiantly feminine than the girl
who stays home and lets her muscles
grow flabby.
When women first played golf the
only sort of golf hat known was mas
culine sort Of hat, because for ages men
had kept their grand old game to them
selves, and naturally the first women
golfers wore hats that were similar II
not identical with those worn by their
brothers and husbands They felt that
they would meet with less opposition on
the golf links If they looked as I'M
feminine as possible. And, Of course,
women's riding habits have for gener-
ations been in a measure masculine.
Even when women rode in bodices 10
inches round the waist, In long, wide
skirts nodestly held down with heavy
lead weights, they wore stiff, mannish
hats and equally stiff mannish collars.
Little by little we are getting away
| from this n1isconception Of sports for
women. We know that golf and tennis
and skiing and skating are as much
girls occupation as a boy'S-and there
| is no more reason why a girl should
wear boys clothes when she takes
| part In these sports than there Is why
a chef should wear petticoats and bows,
just because at one stage of the game
cooks in this country were exclusively
women.
SPoRTS clothes for the Spring and
Summer of 1880 may be taken to
mark the end of the old prejudice and
tradition. They are admirably suited
for outdoor exercise and are at the same
time as thoroughly feminine as dance
| dresses
If woman chooses to wear skirts
instead of Knockers for golf it is because
Of the right sort of material is every
bit as convenient as trousers and de-
cidedly more comfortable. And for tennis
she takes her choice between skirt
long enough to hide the knees or shorts
that are several laps ahead of anything
her brothers have devised.
| A most practical, aIl-around costume
L 4O1 dCb1fO SuululCI SDOl COIlSAStS VI
the conventional sports shirt of cotton
Tor silk mesh, pair Of tennis shorts
made OF linen and matching wrap
around skirt which may be slipped on
as unconcernedly as q jacket or
shoulder cape.
| A MOST practical sort of blouse Is the
short-sleeved sport shirt that was
originally worn only for polo. It may
rbe had In colors, though for practical
purposes pure white is best, since coll
| orS may fade from sun and repeated
washings. It is to be had in cotton,
but many women prefer the silk mesh
even for wear with linen and cotton.
The one-piece white pique tennis
| dress is as smart as 1t Is practical, and
| may be worn to and from the tennis
courts with a short jacket Of dark
linen and beret to match. Crepe de
chine is always popular for tennis, de-
spite the fact that significant num-
Der OF crack players prefers q material
of less clinging tendencies. For the
girl who takes her tennis less seriously.
| the one-piece sleeveless or short-sleeved
dress Of pastel-toned crepe de chine
has the advantage that when worn
with q matching shoulder cape it Is not
inappropriate for an informal cali or
AFTERNOON tea as well.
| y X y
A GOLF costume that Is at once
sports-worthy, feminine and youth
| ful consists of a sleeveless pulI-over
blouse of lightweight knitted wool and
q matching skirt made with deep yoke
and fiaring lower section. A cardigan
sweater or jacket may be worn with
1t on cooler days.
There is no reason this season why
| spectator sports clothes need be espe-
| cially differentiated from Summer day
time clothes generally. The chances
are that within q few seasons we will
hear very little more about them. There
are jacket suits of figured silk that
would be considered little too vivid
or too light for wear in town that are
admirable for country club and resort
wear, and simple, youthful dresses with
short, pulled sleeves or shoulder capes.
| and snug, rather high waitslines will
/, be far more attractive for leisure hours
in the open than dresses that look as
If they had just missed the mark Of
being actual sports clothes.
(Copyright. 1880.