SUMMER GARMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUMMER GARMENTS.

"INDELICATE" HOSIERY : AND

BLOUSES.

TELEPHONE* GIRLS ORDERED TO '" .. GIVE THEM UP. >.-.. ~'. ,] New York, June Influenced by the crusade against the impropriety of open-work hosiery, bare arms, and diaphanous summer dresses, and an appeal by Dr. ' Schoerner, a well-known clergyman, to business men to stop the wearing of such garments among their female employees, tlu\management of the New York Telephone Exchange issued an order to-day forbidding the girls to wear short sleeves, "indelicate"- hosiery, or "peekaboo" or "Buster Brown" blouses declaring all of them bad for business. •? ; The manifesto has caused general consternation, and one of the girls, when interviewed, declared '; that she; would strike rather than obey the order. She added, "No manager can boss our clothes. We are going to stick to our summer things: We can do better work when we are dressed cool, and if people don't like it they needn't look." ....,; . ' - ' , A large general , store has issued a similar order, amd is compelling the girls to wear long cuffs to conceal their arms, exposed by the short sleeves. ~?~ ,;-.!'■■ . The whole summer season has been remarkable for an outbreak of." innovations which have. aroused severe criticism from the advocates of propriety.,.' As was reported at the time, Dr. Schoerner recently caused a sensation by denouncing' the women who came to his church in transparent ■blouses, declaring that bathing suite Were much more decent, and adding "This is a church, not a bath-house." " '. ...

The "peekaboo" blouse is popularly, so called from its tendency to attract inquisitive masculine glances, and is a transparent, short-sleeved blouse; suitable enough for indoor wear, but utterly inappropriate for the streets or for business. The. material is often no thicker than ai veil for the lace.

.Thousands of women are seen in the streets of New York, this season wearing " peekaboos" and also the " Buster Brown" blouses, low cut, with elbow sleeves, with no gloves and the arms uncovered. These blouses are especially popular among typists and shop girls."