The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-31
TEMPERS RISE,
SKIRTS LOWER
Woman Prepare For All
Out Fight Against
Designers
BY P 5 KINARD
E Fashion Editor

NA1A dSAAOu Gu4tO1
NEW YORK, (NEA). - U. S.
women r hitching their skirts
"a little below the knee" patting
their trim, natural hips, and pre-
pairing an all : out fight against
Paris and New York fashion de-
signers.
A cross-section eound-and = fury
poll by NEA indicates that wom-
en- in general just don't like the
long skirts and prefabricated hips
the designers are offering this
fall.
It's a threat to CALIFORNIA; free
and easy way of life," the gals
out there cry. Ridiculous" says
short-skirted car-hop Pat Hawley
of Beverly Hills. Tall, blonde Caro-
line Kehl, UCLA art student sums
up their arguments:
"Why exercise to keep slim if
you're going to pad your hips?"
Texas girls are making an Al
amo stand against sloping Shout
ders and heavy hips. The MAORI
ty of Fort Worth women ques.
toned say they still want the
square-shouldered, slim : hipped
silhouette. None of these leg : o.
mutton sleeves for them.
Eagerly c%onfessing she wei.
coined a chance to speak up. Mrs.
Mike Mathes, well = dressed Fort
Worth young woman, said she
thought the fashion picture
looked terrible"
EDITORS NOTE: To find how
American women are taking
fashions threatened swingback to
long skirts, padded figures and
1912 hats revivals, NEA Services
fashion editor polled correspon-
dents in key cities across the
country and asked them to ques'
ton style leaders and housewives
in their communities. Here is
what the survey disclosed.
A British e~x-patriate, Mrs. R.
C. Deitz, also interviewed in Fort
Worth, made this observation:
1.-THE abrupt fashion change is
typically American. It was
planned and executed for Amer.
lean women who love to buy and
buy"
And it was a Dallas woman,
Mrs. W. j. Woodward. who or
ganized the Little Below the
Knee" club.
Chicago girls indicated a reluct-
ant willingness to 60 along with
fashion arbiters ga little way" in
lenthening skirts. But not all the
way to the ankle.
Mrs. Leon Mandel, voted one of
the nations best dressed women,
says it's up to each woman to de-
termine the skirt length most flat
tering to her.
Cleveland women are rallying
behind social worker Lillian
Schiller who charges that "the
new fashions are designed to
force women to buy complete new
wardrobes."
Mrs. Rene Banks Of Cleveland
says Paris is Heading us around
by the nose" After looking at
new hats loaded with crowns,
flowers and other gee-gaws, Mrs.
Banks said vehemently:
why I could do better myself
rummaging around in the attic"
Cleveland millinery designer
Margaret Dohn thinks the current
1920 revivals show the nation is
backing up on fashion instead of
going forward.
Elizabeth Luft, Cleveland Press
society editor, tried to calm her
enraged readers, however. Style
changes, she insisted, won't nee
essarily mean new wardrobes. Her
comforting conclusion is that by
using r%esurceful tricks Of chang
ing shoulder pads and lowering
waistlines and hemlines women
can keep their last-season clothes
from looking dated.
In Dubuque. Ia, there's an or
ganized stand to hold the old
hemline. M. Ellen Maiers, So
ciety . editor Of the Telegraph
Herald, says club women through
out the country will spear : head
revolt against Paris.
Knoxville, Tenn, women are
against the new fashion, says Car
son Brewer who polled their
opinions for the Knoxville News
Sentinel.
"Women are hemline happy
from trying to lengthen last sea-
sons models, reports Miss
Brewer.
The battle line is drawn-just a
little below the knee.
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