IN SHORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21348, 30 May 1931, Page 14

IN SHORTS

LATEST TENNIS VOGUE WOMAN CAUSES A STIR. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 21. At a big lawn tennis tournament in Brisbane on Saturday last a champion inter-State player, Mrs B. Molesworth, created a sensation whep she appeared on the court in shorts —that is to say, she did not wear a skirt. A section of the public seemed horrified, though goodness knows why, for shorts are seen and admired on all the Australian beaches. Still, the public seemed to imagine that they were out of place on the tennis court, and said so. Finally the committee controlling the tournament approached Mrs Molesworth, and she agreed to change into the customary tennis costume —a short, wide skirt. Then, as if to give her somewhat startled critics something more to talk about, she said that in 10 years’ time every woman tennis player would be wearing shorts, and no one would think any the worse of her for doing so. Perhaps she was a little ahead of the times. She explained that when she was not actually on the court she wore a detachable skirt, and she could not understand why people objected. There are many people w r ho support the view of Mrs Molesworth, but many more who do not. Mrs Cozins, who was formerly Miss Dorothy Akhurst, Australian champion, did not beat about the bush. “Unnecessary and silly,” was her opinion on shorts for women players. “I am against them. The present-day dress with the full skirt, is quite suitable. Except when worn on the beaches, shorts on women are ugly. At the beaches they are nice, but I don’t really think that the present costume can be improved upon.” Another prominent player said: “ I don’t think I would like to wear them. A short dress is not a handicap, and it is much nicer than shorts.” The organising secretary of the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Association (Mr Henry Marsh) said that shorts for 'women were a little ahead of thei r time in Australia. In other parts of the world of course, women had w-orn shorts, and he thought that Australian women would ultimately follow the fashion. He did not think, however, that the association would permit women to appear on the courts in shorts. W 7 hat of the eSect on morals of shorts? The president of the Australian Council for Moral and Socihl Reform (Mrs Edmond Gates) says she is quite in agreement with Mrs Molesworth. Mrs Gates said she was liberal minded on the subject because she had a large family. Deportment, and the women who wore shorts meant everything. Mrs Molesworth’s idea of having a detachable skirt appealed to her. It was thought that shorts on the beaches would offend, but such was not the case, and she was convinced that shorts on the tennis court would be just as harmless as far as public morals were concerned. Mrs E. Goodisson, president of the Racial Hygiene Association of New South Wales, said that public morals, except in a few instances, -were dead. She could see no reason against shorts. It was practically the same as wearing a swimming costume. Shorts should be comfortable, but she did not think that they were pretty.