GIRL ATHLETES’DRESS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17434, 5 December 1930, Page 3

GIRL ATHLETES’DRESS

TO WEAR LESS THAN MEN SHORTER “SHORTS” LONDON, October 28. Women again took the lead in the sporting world on Saturday. Not, of course, by helping Wales to draw against Gcotlland in the. International Soccer match, or by assisting Birmingham to overwhelm Chelsea or in some like minor way, but by .deciding on a new athletic dress. Goals may come and players may go, hut this dress regulation may go on for ever, for if came into being at the- bidding of no less a body than the Women’s Amateur Athletic Association. And its elfcet? Wing sleeves?. A bolero outline? Nothing so trivial. It means that, in future, women athletes will be allowed to wear less tlias men when competing in public. This is lunv the rule reads; “Every competitor shall wear a loose tunic or blouse having sleeves at least one- inch long. Dark shorts shall be .worn reaching at least half-way down the thigh, to knee. A track suit or wrap must he worn from the dressing-room to tho point of competition, agjd between the events.”

The rule which lias been replaced stipulated that women had to wear tunics with elbow sleeves, and shorts that reached to within din. of the ground when the, wearer was kneeling. Obviously a foolish rule, for what more inconvenient than to be measured kneeling? “NOT GOOD TASTE” In tho chair at the association's meeting was a. mere man—Lord Decies. Apparently ho was not in favor of the change, and declared afterwards that sleeveless tunics and attenuated “shorts” for women were not in good taste. He did not like, he said, to see girls lying about in running costumes. At tho meeting he had passed round il newspaper picture depicting a girl in a sleeveless vest and very short “shorts,” and had expressed the hope that girl athletes would not wish to copy the style. But. then, his was only a mail’s view. • Mrs. Gordon Wall, president of the Midtllesex Ladhies’ Athletic Club, said she was in absolute agreement with the new rule. Also, she added, “T don’t think Lord Denies, need be alarmed, for the women of this country are. fundamentally modest,. Moreover, girl athletes will still be 35 per cent, more clothed than the. average bathing girl.” Nor did Mrs. Gordon Wall leave il at that. “In fact.” she added, “our girls will look 50 per cent, smarter than English men athletes, with their antiquated vostimies.” And that is that.