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Show j -n -, i : r ., . . , . ; H The Orgy of Undressing 9 BY THEODORE BEAN. H 'Mvy)lii5n an eyeglass was discovered rest- H jfiajj Icily on the pavement in rront of i 1 juiar te.a-room the other day a great HH $crvcr remarked "That (s how men are H jvycarlng them these days." Great Ob- HH server, rnturally was sneering- pleasantly Effl a$ the frank Styles In dress which seem B to Impress hair or the world's population H with, horror qnd tho other hair with satis- H faction. -lie doubtless sees, too, a cause H for merriment in tho overthrow or the H ancient icst or the skyscraper and the K .-Country visitor. When onco upon a time H "ofid" 'bTten tho stranger turned his open H mrcrr to-tho towers- or the -tall buildings jH "While the sun burned and the freckles H 'Kfgw.o now, with head -downcast, pur- H jsuesthe call qf tl)c city's streets and H iwturnsY round-shouldered before this H , ttmc. Ho Is a victim or the feminine H orly 'bT undressing, as revealed In the Hj oppnwork stockings and slashed skirts. H ; the. symptoms or individual expression H ainong tho women who passed up and H i down1 the thoroughfares. H ? '-(Intholr trbnsptarent tulle tunics, fichu H collars, elbow sleeves, they appeared har- B rmjniously allvo In X-ray consciousness and j agreeable outline. B t Vhonho advises his wire to give up H PQtUcoates and olotlio hersoir only In H mantles. and chirron scarfs she will either H experiment with the suggestion or for- H IbTd hihT'hencororth to go to town without H 'for. H ' No -Woman, who has, taken a chance with H ' tho open-air way or costuming has voiced M i oj regret' vWom.en know what It meant H to carry around with them yards and M ' yards or cloth tlfey didn't need. They R Tiavc 'floated 'about so much In dry goods "Tfiat" tEoy never had an opportunity for ! anatomical freedom. History has helped out tho present costume cos-tume designers occasionally. Take, ror instance ho gowns introduced in Paris prter tho revolution and before tho First Empire. Much like those of the present, H n little slashing hero and there where It H jwas most neodod, topped with a corsage H Jihnt usually bean at the walstllno and H IJrorused to grow any more. H g From such a manner or dressing women jH ftevolvcd gradually into the crinoline era, H Hwhlph continued because there were no H "itango teas to inlcrrero with tho law and H order of the dressmakers. H fFr.pm crinolines there was a slump; H the vjoop skirts were caste aside; thon Hj bustles -grew and nourished. Five years H ago even wore skirts and bodices that Hj lqft ankles and chests In mysterious keep- H flngthey woro stockings that had nothing H Mjotcll about the color or tho skin; they H woro StayB and pottlcoatos warranted to H keep tho secrot and prosorvo a muffled H exterior. H - Dut, oh, what a dirroronoo today! M jQriiy jm ..bspnt-nujidod woman wears H a petticoat ovon in tho daytime'; slio woars M tights instead. Sho llkos them and Its H ' hor buslnoss. Yos? H Hor thin stockings do not embarrass H : r$r unless there is a suddon run In thorn H that s cutting circles around hor ankles M i oT"fcToeifrn"g up tho opon -air-slaoh to the H ', knoe. H I Hor gown is transparent, or course, Wm -ftfi$fwjS l would novor would tyive H been designated as an X-ray costume, and H ifrils cut' as low almost ror day as ror H ovenlng wear. 9 J 'RSllo'' likes tho air In hor- nock it's hor H neck. It may be a beautirul neck, even IT H it isn't that doosn't alter fhe'raot she is H responsible Tor tho showing sho is put- H ting up. H "Oh," soy, critics,, "what will bo the cTTd" ' H if everybody knew the finish tho out- H door dresslng"Vxka not be such an ex- H citing- paBilmo. H Mhhaps tRp wfiardr3,--arouratalls.s. Some critics call it tho Dacchanallan rage, and go on deploring tho near bare feet, the quite baro throats and arms, but they take tho precaution to keep their oy'es and minds on tho filmy transitions. In Western towns and villages and also In places South and East, men have caused women to bo arrestod Tor blocking trarric with their openwork stockings. The culprits did not hunger strike there is no novelty In that ror them. Women Wo-men havo to hunger strike in ordor to proporly frame roshlon's undressed orgy. What character and discipline are practiced prac-ticed and what a triumph In tho reward, tho reward or comrort that comes to ovory woman who dares to bo Tree at tho feet and throat. Certain men havo done much probing in this anti-dry goods war they aro more nctlvo than women in saving the sex. nut at tho same tlmo other men have not hesitated to como out verbally or in print for the clinging open air styles for women. wo-men. What does Kcnyon Cox ror one, say, In tho race or opposition rrom Anthony Comstock and othor soir-appolnted upholders up-holders of women's manners, customs, morals? Mr. Cox says: "Tho papers arc full or attacks upon the present fashions or women's dress, and ir 1 were not, though an artist, a respectable respect-able elderly man and the rather or a ramlly I should expect to bo classed with cubists, cub-ists, anarchists, millltant antls and other members or society Tor daring to say that tho present dress or women is simply the prottlcst, most graceful and tho most natural that has been worn In my llfo-tlme. llfo-tlme. "ir I may believe my wire it Is also the mostmost comfortable, rational and hy-gionlc. hy-gionlc. Ever since I can remember, and Judging from pictures rrom hundreds or years boforo I was born, women havo boon dorormlng themselves in deferenco to rashlon. "I can remember when women were peg tops above tho belt and penwipers bolow, without regard to the demands or anatomy. Thon thoy built themsolvcs out behind, as In tho seventeenth contury they had built themselves out before, and and with equal beauty as a result. A little later thoy had humps on each shoulder, and then painted abdominal humps, like the front sldo or Pollchlnelle I always wondered why they did not clap the other hump on the back to complete tho resemblance. "Today, ror tho first time In centuries, tho rashlonablo figure Is that or a natural, healthy, well built woman, or course, such a thing Is not to be endured. Is not the American woman tho equal or any Spanish Inranta that ever wore rufr and hoop, and Is it not equally Impossible that sho should havo perish tho word!" Still another defender was found. "The human race, undej; yio stimulus of admiration, is beginning to think ror Itsoir and discovering that it does not get its fair sharo or tho Joy or lire. So It comos that tho gentleman's top bat and visiting cards aro put away alongside or tho lady's underclothing, high-necked blousos and close-knitted stockings, while tholr emancipated owners kiss their duds good-byo and orr thoy go to tho tango teas, mixed bathing ot hoc genius omne." Also: Tho ladles or William Morris's droam In hlb Socialistic romantic poem "News rrom Nowhere" were very lightly clad. They woro natural and unconventional and grootod tholr male guests with a kiss. What would tho critics do ir Mprris's droam came true tho little kiss and all that? In such an ovont thoro would be little olso than opoploxy'lri store for Hev. Not- HHElSIHHHHHiiiaHii ties "or '"Spartarisburg,""w'hosTlnglngly rebukes re-bukes women -and tells thehn It would be better that they were nujand "stylish. Ho wants s censorship apgointod'i ortri Investigation In-vestigation committee cho'sen to inspect all tho outgoing boxes and barrels with a heathenish destination. Says Dr. Nettles "Somehow it seems that many women love to display their rorms. It has. gone so rar that In some cities laws have, been passed forbidding tho appearance or women wo-men on the streets in certain styles or dress. "Really, I believe, it would bo morally rar better ror tho women to follow tho custom of many African tribes who aro robep In nothing more than beads than to wear tho suggestive dresses that many arc now adorning their bodies with." Ho swears ho will do all he can to avert the destruction or tho great commonwealth! common-wealth! What ir his dream came true that women denote tholr high-minded virtue by nudity rather than style? Fashion's trond artor all will bo a matter mat-ter ror women, themselves to direct. Men made the fashions, but the women are ready to take tho responsibility and to be caught with tho goods, though they wcre-not wcre-not oven accessories before the crime. In Paris in 1800 there was as much excitement over women's dress as there is in America today. Pulpits screamed about tho filmy nothingness in feminine apparol. "Fomalo savages" were- described de-scribed as creatures who wore flesh-colored gauze chemises over pink fleshings, with golden garters, sandals ana a niet of gold In the hair. Such costumes were worn not only In tho ballrooms and salons but ror morn- lng walks, Honest-to-goodness rlndles woro them. 4 ?&" Ono French commentator on the Vorge' dr an hysterical breakdown declared "Tho costume consisted or a cambric dress setting close to tho form, somdtlmes without any plait in tho skirt, and "gofod in such a manner as to dlscloso tho shape or the limbs. Tho robo was sometimes cvon dampened to make it sit tho closer, Tho lighter tho clothing tho more fash-; lonablo. This damping or tho clothing. Is gonoral, and doctors assert that pleurisy and pneumonia and no end or ailments wll be the inevitable outcome." i By the time women had proved that they could live through tho close-to-tho skin ordeal they took a rancy to crinoline crino-line but to go on now would result in telling the samo story over again. Split crinoline slash. So much for evolution In gowns! I i Will crinoline and trousers race ankle i to ankle Tor tho next victory? . ' Will the trousers win In a walk? Or will women continue to worry, along in their present freedom and hit tho hfgh or low spots in the air as tho choose? '' |