Dress In Sport

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 277, 23 November 1935, Page 18

Dress In Sport

The rapid growth of women’s sport since the war and more particularly in the last 10 years has been accomplished by just as rapid a change in' sporting attire. As dress plays such a large part jn our everyday personality and psychology it is interesting to note what effect it has on us in play. Every sport has been affected by the changes in dress, and, though a number of players havo gone, and will continue to go to extremes, it is an outstanding fact, coincident rvith the greater freedom of the modern sporting attire, that a greater degreo of skill and accompliskement has been shown. Miss Helen Jacobs, American national tennis champion and precursor of the famous American shorts, relating her first appearance in them, said that onco the sense of strangeness and selfconsciousness had worn off she folt a distinct improvement in her game and a far easier swing and action in all strokes. On the other hand, not all women tennis players are fortunate enough to possess figures as petite as hliss Jacobs, and, for some, shorts, instead of improving their game, would give them such an overwhelming sense of appearing ridiculous that they would bo unable to give of their best. However, thore is just as good a substitute for them in the short skirt or the divided skirt, which give as much freedom, and, to a great extent, are much more graceful than the shorts.